Time for an update! Yay?

Hello Ren fair friends and family. It is now August, and we have not had a big show in over 5 months. To say that it has been hard to deal with all the Covid issues is an understatement. We are still fighting the good fight, but creating new content, getting to the shop, and dealing with assistance forms have taken a heavy toll on productivity and mental health. So we wanted to take a moment to talk and update everyone where our thoughts are at and what we hope to accomplish.

Whether you are still working or like us seen your job disappear during this time; you are not alone feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and not knowing where to jump. With so many things happening in the world and being stuck at home, it is hard to maintain a positive and productive attitude as the world breaks.

So, for us it is hard to want to post product shots while the world wrestles with not only an ongoing pandemic, but also a looming recession, racial injustice, and political uncertainty. It just seems trivial and unimportant. But Covid has taken so much from us. Our spaces, our friends, and for some of us, loved ones. So, we want to apologize for not being more "on" during this time. It has been just well, hard. But we don't want to just add to this prevailing darkness and terrible mood. This WILL clear up some day. We will meet again and complain about the weather and how amazing your outfit is. As the Crow said, "It can't rain all the time." So we will attempt to balance our posts with the reality of the situation but also be hopeful toward the future that will surely come. As sure as the sun rises, we will laugh and be merry again.

Second, we are very lucky that so far we can say that the business can still function. These coming months, though, there will be some businesses start to not be able to continue to go on. Our heart goes out to our fellow small business owners and ren faire businesses that make the hard choice to either decide to sell their business, file for bankruptcy, or just move to local shows moving forward. Many of us have always had a business model that relied on large events. So as you can see, without those, online marketplaces, virtual fairs, and smaller shows can only go so far. So please, if you can, support your favorite ren fair business by buying gift cards or products and sharing any social media posts if possible. Ren faire businesses are mostly run by one or three people. So we need all the help we can get.

Third, though the business can continue, it is by no means safe. We are projecting even with PPP and an EIDL loan, we are going to be down, about an unheard of, 85% from our 2019 sales numbers. Most businesses can barely survive being down 35% year over year. And here we are trying to make it to next year. But even that is not the safe zone. If large events are not possible by April 2021, we aren't the only ones that may be looking at bankruptcy as the only way forward. It is a scary specter, but everyone in the Entertainment Industry, from musicians to venues to creators are hurting pretty badly right now. So please, we implore you to write and call your people in the Senate to help pass some relief for everyday Americans and the entertainment industry. In addition, support mask mandates and wear your mask going out. The longer this goes on, the more likely many things you enjoyed pre pandemic are not going to survive.

Fourth, we want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU and Thank you again, to everyone that has either purchased an item, gift card, or come by our booth at the smaller shows we have been at. Support means so much to us and helps us get up and keep on trying. We have said it many times and in many different ways, but really you guys allow us to continue the dream. So thank you and please continue to support us as best as you can. From sharing our posts to buying our products.

Lastly, the Michigan Ren faire has delayed its opening to potentially Sept 5th. As we get closer, we will be laying out our plan to potentially open and what rules we expect all customers to adhere to. Currently, we are trying to see what would be the easiest and safest way to conduct business for everyone involved. Once we settle on that,we will be letting everyone know.

Thank you everyone for letting us talk to you and your time. We hope everyone has a wonderful day and may you have the support you need around you during these trying times.