Autumn in New York: Selling quilts from the back of my VW
Posted Oct-08-07
It’s autumn in New York, and everyone is out on weekends enjoying (thanks to global warming) unusually warm and sunny weather. Your intrepid Surpie Girl has taken to the street and has joined the ranks of Sunday stoop sellers, sidewalk vendors, and street fair dealers.
This past Sunday I opened the back of my old VW Passat wagon and displayed my collection of colorful, comfy, cotton quilted bed comforters from Pondicherry, India. Sales were brisk, as passersby were able to spread out the quilts, see the pretty floral and paisley patterns, and feel the soft cotton fabric and batting. While Ebay certainly brings the international market to the seller, there is nothing quite like old-fashioned, face-to-face merchandising. As an old retailer (I was a bookseller in New York in my twenties) I enjoyed the opportunity to chat with customers and their families. There was a street fair down the block and lots of kids sported fabulous painted faces. The smell of the ubiquitous sausage-and-pepper heroes (subs, hoagies, whatever you call them in your part of the country!) wafted over to me, but I couldn’t leave my car and so I relied on the occasional customer to bring me a cold soda instead.
It was a great day and I look forward to being out again next weekend. I’ve left a colorful flyer on my car, and several “regulars” on my block — fellow dog walkers, car owners, even the UPS driver — have already come up to me today to ask, “Are you the quilt seller?” New York City is in many ways a small town community just like any other. I love it!
