Holiday Blues

I am wondering how people are feeling about spending money this holiday season? I am thinking that people may be using the recession as an opportunity to self impose control over their impulses to spend money on things, for people, that is not necessary. For instance, I spent the weekend at UNIQUE LA, a design and art show, trying to sell jewelry for a friend, By Mai, and in 48 hours with over 10, 000 potential customers, we sold 4 pieces of jewelry! I was so depressed as a vendor. I felt demoralized, as if I had been rejected by 9,9996 people. Each piece of jewelry is handmade, one of a kind, and I could not even sell 5! Don't get me wrong, the pieces are lovely and many people, over and over, at least 5, 558, stopped by the booth, oohing and aaahing, at the pieces, beautifully displayed on handmade wood painted in white and pearl. I couldn't even get these stubborn, contained shoppers to try some on and then view themselves adorned in the jewels. For once, I was trying to get someone not to be in control of their impulses, and just buy! I had to get validated, though, and make sure that the product I was pushing was not the issue, and sure enough, I was right. Other vendors, who for a living, knock out pieces of art, clothing, you name it, schlep it to this show with the hope of selling out, and not to my dismay, many were disappointed, left with tons of merchandise to take home, vowing never to do this again. My heart went out to them, because, for me, this was not my livelihood, pushing jewels, but for them, it is and I felt their pain and to some degree, horror, of putting so much into their work and leaving with it and very little money. 

It was interesting being on that side of things and being in that experience. I, too, wanted to make money off of these shoppers, thousands of them, being herded through the penthouse of the california mart. I saw them as vehicles to get what I needed, a sale, and as the first day ended, with no sales whatsoever, I had to step it up the next day and push sales. I made 4, and 3 of them were from one person, so you do the math! I am good, too! Really, I understand the psychology of spending, and I love to shop, too! But, these shoppers were determined to hold their ground and spend only within budget. On some level, I was impressed, but mostly, I was frustrated with their control and would have done almost anything to get them to loosen their grip! 

But, do you feel like you need a little more control than the shoppers I encountered this weekend? Are you feeling like this holiday season could sneak up right under you and pull a fast one? If so, and reading my blog doesn't have enough staying power for you, then you may want to think about an online tele-course being offered by April Benson, author of Stopping Overshopping. She is a therapist in New York and her course, Getting Caught Up in the Holiday Hype and Losing Hope, is starting soon!