Quartzite - Am I crazy?

[Alvin]

having a retail store for years, I can tell you that I hate credit card companies, BUT it is the only way to do business. Customers buy more and pricier stuff if they can use cards. Base your retail price with cards in mind. Good luck.

[Rockoteer]

Man I gotta get out more.  These shows sound great.

TOG

[bobby1]

I love the Snyder's Pow Wow. I have been going to it for the last 25 years. It is really easy for me now because when I retired I moved to Valley Springs.....only 5 miles from the Pow Wow! Next year it has been moved from the first weekend in May to Labor Day so they get away from the rainy season. I've been there when the ranch hands used Caterpillar tractors to pull vehicles and motorhomes out of the mud. They also had to spread straw in the walk ways in front of the booths so people could move about. With it being on Labor Day it will just be a HOT and very dry three day weekend of rocks, slabs, rocks and slabs and a Budwiser beer booth. I can't remember much else going on at the other booths. They have about 200 vendors and a lot of local events.
Bob

[spirit bear beads]

There are new and less expensive routes available now for taking credit cards via your iphone or smartphone (droid type).  Fees are much more reasonable and no other equipment is needed..  Try Intuit's GoPayment or Squareup.   If you need more info let me know.

[azsavit]

So for those of you who have sold at Quartzsite, how much business do you do via credit cards?
I don't sell equipment. I will have lapidary rough and mineral specimens at both retail and keystone. There is a wide variety of qualities and price points in my inventory. I see Costco has retail CC processing for 1.48% + $0.20 per swipe (and however much equipment costs) It looks like monthly fees are waived for Costco executive members, so this looks a little less expensive than GoPayment. Would this be worth looking into or do most people work with only cash and checks?

[Bentiron]

I went to Quartzite with a friend ten years ago or so and he was down at the swap meet place and got his cash roll pick pocketed but not his billfold with his credit cards, over five hundred dollars. He always thinks he gets better deals from sellers by paying cash because then they don't need to declare it on their taxes, I think most people are more honest than that. Anyway he got his pocket picked shortly after paying for some stuff for his dirt bike. I was down buying some cabs and I used a credit card for my $100 purchase. That way I had a good hard copy receipt. I think in todays market most people pay with a card. I personally hardly ever carry anything more than $10 to $20 on me any more. I either use my debit or my one credit card. It sure makes carrying my billfold easier it not being so thick.

[johnjsgems]

That is a good rate but not the whole story.  That will be about 20% of sales.  There are also "mid rates" for reward cards and "corporate card rates" for any card in a business name.  If you want to use a wireless terminal that usually runs $20 per month and requires a wireless terminal.  The company through Costco had a lease only program when I looked into it a few years ago.  The lease rate was fairly low but you were locked into a contract for several years.  I opted for another company where I could buy the $800 terminal but take my business anywhere I wanted.  Most of the advertised rates are for the hard wired terminals you see in fixed location businesses.  Not very practical for shows.  Then if you want to do internet sales you need a "virtual terminal" with monthly portal charges and a separate account.  Some fun, isn't it?  I did talk to a guy one yearat Deserted Gardens that had a Visa Master Card sign up.  When I asked him about it he told me he ran credit cards through PayPal.  Not sure how that works but I've heard PayPal really charges fees.

[Bentiron]

My traveling jeweler friend didn't like Paypal all that much, people were sometimes complaining that they were unhappy with his work and getting refunds which came out of his pocket and he would still be out the merchandise. The thing he likes about the Costco is that to get a refund they need to return the merchandise first to get a refund. I guess there isn't any  one system that is all perfect.

[GoodEarth]

Well- just mailed my show fee. ... Now to gather enough rough to make it!

Thanks for the help everyone!

Joshua

[Bentiron]

Good luck and I hope that the weather is nice this year for you. Just maybe I'll come out this year and see the people with rocks in the head, no that didn't sound right, rocks in their eyes, no that's not quite right either, rocks on their brains, yeah that's it. No, no, no, Rocks on their MIND! Yeah that's the right phrase, well anyway have a great time and much success at the show.

[MrsWTownsend]

Well- just mailed my show fee. ... Now to gather enough rough to make it!

Thanks for the help everyone!

Joshua

Cool, I'll be looking for you at the show!

[Bentiron]

Oh, you'd better put a picture up so I know what you look like.

[slabber]

Hay Goodearth! I hope to see you there. My wife Ruby and I go to Quartzite as often as we can, and this year we will be set up at the Desert Gardens with Mineral specimens, slabs, and some less common rough. We go more for the fun than the money. We have a good friend there that is one of the few full time year round residents.  We also enjoy seeing our friends from other parts of the country that come for the sun & fun.  Quartzite in a rockhounds dream if you like to get out in the desert around the area and pick up rough. We usually make quite a few field trips to collect during the month we are there before we go to Tucson. Hope you have a successful show experience and we will try to see you there. Slabber.

[stonesthatrock]

remember ralph, tony, chris and i will be there.  Look for us..... right next to diamond pacific building.
mary ann

[vitzitziltecpatl]

Hey there, Slabber. Where will you be set up? We're going down during PowWow weekend so we can see people who will be there as well as everyone at the DG show. Putting together a list of names and spaces so we don't waste a lot of time looking for everyone.