full circle (c) katy allgeyer 2013

Summers in Maine mean setting up my tent at the Stonington Farmers Market every Friday morning to showcase my paintings and send people back to my gallery. Scott usually joins me at the market to do our food shopping, hobnob with the regulars, and offer marketing tips to help me close a sale.

My vendor neighbor is a wonderful craftsman in his early 80’s named Jorge Castaneda. A retired NYC photographer who used to snap fashion and rock ‘n’ rollers, Jorge turns beautiful wooden bowls by hand now. One day last summer Scott noticed that some customers were walking away from Jorge’s booth empty-handed. The reason? Because Jorge didn’t accept credit cards. Scott told him we don’t either and even though my paintings are high ticket items, we often close a sale by telling the buyer they can take the art and send us a check later on. We have never ever been stiffed. In fact, we had people appreciate our trust so much they ended up buying more! Trust is a very rare concept these days. Scott suggested Jorge try this, too. After all, we are on a tiny island in Maine, not in an urban jungle.

Today Jorge sent this email which delighted Scott. Jorge has been having success with the trust plan all summer. Here is the latest. It’s an example of ‘the crazy wisdom of poscottivity‘ and a good Scott Story:
Hola! Waddy does it again!
Katy, please tell Scott that today, a beautiful lady after much making her mind between two bowls, was extremely disappointed when she could not use a credit card, so I took the bowl gave it to her and gave her my card. The look in her face was priceless, first very big eyes, then shook her head and said, I am a total stranger! That is ok, when you have a chance send a check. She left and in a moment was back to find out how much longer I was to be at the market and left. I was packing when she came back with cash and told me: “nobody in Brazil would do that! This story will be told once and again” And after big smiles and a hug we parted…

Thanks anew Scott!
Hope you are feeling good today…
Best
Jorge

pink gebera (c) katy allgeyer 2013