Why Not Bring a Friend?

Looking for a way to grow your show? Here’s one easy way. Bring a friend!

It’s as plain as the nose on your face, but when a fellow shared that tip with me this summer, my mind reeled at the potential. There’s nothing complicated about it – and that’s the beauty of it. “I take a different neighbor to a show every year,” he says.

First, it’s just plain neighborly, and we could all use a refresher course in that concept. Chances are you haven’t spent a lot of time with your neighbors in the last couple of years. Could be they’re in a bit of a rut and would enjoy an outing. Take a neighbor to a show, and you have time to catch up and reconnect while you check out displays.

Sure, your buddies or your neighbors could just go to the show on their own – but if they’re not involved in the hobby, they probably won’t. An invitation, a chance to share time together, changes everything. Who doesn’t like an invitation, especially if it involves the promise of, say, homemade ice cream after lunch or a look at something you’ve never seen before?

Here’s the thing. People in this hobby enjoy going to shows and swap meets and museums, but we sometimes take the experience for granted. We roll in to shows, confident in the lay of the land, looking for old friends, understanding the types of things we’ll see, optimistic that we’ll see something new. But there are lots and lots of people who’ve never been to a show and they have no idea.

Some folks may be from the country, but not from a farm. Others who grew up on a farm may have forgotten some of the chapters from their youth. Still others simply don’t have a clue. Why not spread the joy? This hobby operates under a big tent – there is always room for more.