Fiber Follies

My Query to ASWUG, the Ashford Spinners Group on Ravelry:

I have an Ashford Traditional, bought 2 yrs ago. I painted and stained it so it’s a rather handsome thing. It’s simple colours without fancy nonsense, definitely not twee. Altogether a nice looking wheel with room for gilding or whatever if a new owner wanted more decoration. Here’s the finished wheel:

ANYWAY! Our local fiber festival is this weekend. I’ve been trying to sell this wheel for more than a year but no one wants a not-much-used wheel if it costs over 50$. I am also expected to pay for shipping. Not happening.

So, since everyone wants a bargain, would people be willing to take a chance on a wheel? I think I’d sell tickets for 5$ each or 5 for $20. That’s about the limit I feel people would spend on a raffle. The drawing would necessarily be before the festival ends so someone could go home with a custom-painted wheel (and EVERYTHING that came with it when new) for as little as five dollars.

I expect I’d get little out of it, probably a total of 200$, but that’s a LOT more than anyone was willing to pay for an almost new wheel. I can consider the shortfall ‘rent’ for the time that I had this wheel.

…would people be willing to participate in a used-wheel raffle? …It’s clean, it’s got everything that shipped with it new, it works perfectly, there are even some extra bobbins and I’m adding about 100g of roving just for fun. For all that, it IS a used wheel. Am I stupid to think this might sell the wheel?

And later added:

I have dug up the owner manual, including the inspection card and free issue of some publication that came with it, a hex key for tightening something, a few other papers-probably the put-together instructions, they’re all in the original folder. I have also got the lazy kate that came with it (I stained it to match the wheel), the original oil bottle with long needle nozzle, and three of the bobbins that came with it. I know there are more bobbins but can’t seem to find them this minute! Ach! I am also including the primer, paint and stain that I used on it. They may not be very usable now but at least the new owner can match the colours that I used, and touch it up as needed.

I decided to include some really pretty alpaca top in soft greens. I hope people like it.

I did advertise it here a year ago but only three people showed any interest, they all wanted it for around 100$ (I wasn’t going to sell it for nothing) and they wanted free shipping. Not one was local-and I’d offered to personally deliver it within reasonable distance of 50 or so miles of home. I wasn’t going to ship it out of state and swallow the cost. Of course this was a year ago and no one was really fit to buy much then!

So, if all I’ll get is 100$, I may as well have fun selling it.

Among the many responses, this from ‘JudyBlazer’:

I will be there and buying a few tickets, will you be drawing before the close of the festival (should we wait to head home)? My name is Judy and I am coming from Erie PA and I am looking forward to meeting you and seeing your wheel.….

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I thoroughly enjoyed sitting and spinning throughout both days of the festival.  I hadn’t yet recovered from ‘flu and complications so sitting in the sun peacefully spinning was a treat.  Many people stopped to chat, several identified themselves as Ravellers and a fair number purchased tickets.  I loved meeting people from Ravelry!  One lady spent considerable time with me-she was the sort with whom people get on immediately.  We chatted about spinning and cats and whatever else seemed chattable.  She had come with two friends and spent time with me while they explored the festival.  These were the trio consisting of annemargaret,  judyblazer and knittinkitten22 (their Ravelry ids).  What a fun group they were.  annemargaret was the only non-spinner (or, as I put it, ‘not-yet-spinner’) in the group, but had been convinced by her companions to try a drop spindle.  It was pleasant to have a friendly person there whose company was such a treat.  After a time, she left, but not before purchasing a handful of tickets.    That entire group bought tickets, I think.

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I responded:

I plan to draw about ten minutes before the festival ends. If you’re there with your mobile phone I recommend using that for a contact # when you fill your ticket. Erie, PA is a bit of a trip!

And after the festival ended, we’d drawn the winner, and a few interesting circumstances thrown in:

We have a winner! And what a screwed up bollocks I almost made, too!

Nearly every Raveller who stopped by bought at least one ticket. Thank you, everyone! I love Ravellers and thank you all for visiting while I spun.

Anyway, the mistake. I read the name on the ticket, and, seeing that it didn’t appear that the winner was on the grounds, I rang her tel# to leave a message about delivery arrangements.

One awesome sweet, funny lady and her two accomplices, er, I mean, friends, insisted on carrying the wheel, folding chair, bag, etc to the van. We all hugged & parted. I worked to fasten the wheel securely into place then thought to check the ticket again.

Yes. I’d mis-read the name and the winner just happened to be the very same lady who had carried the wheel across the grounds and back to the van! And it just so happened that these ladies were parked only a few meters from my van so I could holler over the news!

Oh-AnneMargaret of Erie, PA is the very happy winner and definitely a friend for life. It was AWESOME. Your surprise and sheer joy over having won made my day.

And, finally, a word from the winner:

Well, here I am. WOW!! I WON!! I couldn’t believe it. I am a rank beginning spinner but decided to spend the money and take a chance. Since I came with judyblazer and knittinkitten22, I had some wonderful mentors to guide me. It’s as she said. I carried the wheel, thinking it was going to someone else. I had made a friend, so life was good. I am friends with a lady who sells Ashfords in Brocton and knew that she would not steer me wrong when I could afford to purchase one. I purchased a drop spindle and some fiber and vowed to be content with that. When Fiber Follies came over to our car as we were saying good-bye to our traveling companions, I was just overwhelmed and speechless. I am in love! I love the color and green is my favorite. I love the style, as I love the traditional old-fashioned look. I love Fiber Follies for doing the raffle. We had become instant friends when I stopped to purchase my tickets. Life is wonderful.

I am going to read the information and try to get it set back up. I hugged it all the way home in the back seat of Judy’s car! My husband was amazed and thought I had spent big bucks which, frankly, we didn’t have. He is into antiques also and our house is old, so my new love will fit right in! Now I just have to learn to use it! I am primarialy a sew-er, but do hand embroidery, tatting and other stuff also. I am happy to be in this group and I look forward to getting some help from both my local spinning friends and those on this service. This is my first post, but it won’t be my last. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Fiber Follies. I have a beautiful wheel to spin with and I have made a forever friend! Live is more than wonderful!

And, just for fun, I took a picture of everyone taking pix of Anne and me posing with the wheel in the carpark Of course, dingbat that I can be, I never thought to get images of winner & wheel!:

& for pictures that actually SHOW our winner, please take a trip to knittinkitten22’s flickr page!