Scary Gourd Santa Says:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Doesn't this thing just scream "Happy Holidays?"  

Okay, maybe not.

One of the things I have to live with as a dealer is carrying things that don't personally appeal to me.  I remember the frustration of not finding books I wanted to read in a comic shop because the owner didn't like them and didn't want to carry them.  Which, in the end, meant he lost the money he could have made from selling them to me.  It's a problem which still plagues the comics market--shop owners making their shops in their own image and driving away potential customers who have different tastes.

I don't want to do that with the booth.  While I try really hard to have a space that's distinct from the others around me, I don't want to be so tunnel-visioned that I pass up potential sales.  Even if it means carrying painted gourd Santas.  It's not something that I would buy or decorate my home with, but there are those who like that sort of thing.  And it will look good in my growing Christmas section.

I do like having a space that's somewhat different from others--one that reflects who I am as a seller.  I also like seeing that my instincts are right when I pick something for the booth.  I have some practical considerations--no clothing--and a few taste-driven ones--no unicorns.  And I never want to have so many things out that I bought just  because I knew they'd sell that I  overwhelm the character of my space, since it does have some fans who come by looking for things they know I have that no one else in my mall carries.  In the end, it's a careful balancing act, but one that you have to play to be a successful seller.

We'll see how gourd Santa works for me.

So, why do I call him "Scary Gourd Santa?"   Take a good look at his face:

Seriously, what's up with those eyes?  They look like he's wearing biker shades or something.  Not like any Santa I've ever seen before.  Kind of creepy, if you ask me.

Doesn't that make you want to come down and get him?  Look deep into his eyes.

SCARY GOURD SANTA SAYS:

"COME BUY ME!!!"