Hick the Storekeeper

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Hick goes off to his Storage Unit Store. He's open for business from around 8:00 to 2:00. If there's rain, or the crowd is sparse, sometimes he'll come home at noon. He also puts pictures of some merchandise on a local Buy/Sell/Trade site. When folks call about an item, Hick volunteers to meet them at his Storage Unit Store if they want to buy.

Let the record show that large items kept in the Freight Container Garage require buyers to come out here. The ones who are willing to brave the wilderness and throw caution to safety's winds generally end up buying those larger things. All Hick has to do is putter around over there until they show up, which he would be doing anyway.

Last week, Hick had a guy contact him about his large lot of fishing poles that are kept at the Storage Unit Store in a rack that Hick made himself. He's probably got 45-50 fishing poles up there, and he's asking $8 apiece, I think. It used to be $10. Maybe less apiece if they buy in bulk. Anyhoo...this guy wanted Hick to drive them 30 miles to show him. Yeah. THAT didn't happen!

Another guy wanted to look at them, and said he'd be at the Storage Unit Store between 4:30 and 5:00 on Friday evening. Hick had already closed up shop, had lunch, gone to town for his weekly shot, sat around shooting the bull with some of his old cohorts, and came back specifically to open up and show the guy those fishing poles. Let's not forget that Hick goes to an auction on Friday nights, necessitating that he eat supper at 5:30, and leave home at 6:00.

At 5:20, Hick called and said to make supper a little later. He was turning onto our gravel road when that Fishing Pole Dude called and said he was at the Storage Unit Store, looking for Hick.

"I was there from 4:30 to 5:00. I'm almost home, but I'll come back. Give me 10 minutes." As Hick told me, he'd actually stayed until about 5:10.

"I got here about 4:58, and you were gone!" said Fishing Pole Dude.

Well, Hick knew that was not true, because he hadn't left until 5:10. But it's only a 10-minute trip to town, so he went back. He didn't get home until 5:45, and was 15 minutes late leaving for the auction.

"After all that, Fishing Pole Dude only bought ONE fishing pole."

"I don't know why you cater to those people! They can darn well come during the hours that you're open. Somebody else will buy the stuff if they won't. They're taking advantage of you. A regular store wouldn't open up after hours just for them."

I think Hick just might take my advice.