Iguanadon

It allows you to accept credit cards at events. https://squareup.com/shop/hardware/us/en/products/chip-credit-card-reader

Hi Trackman, I responded toy our private message. In case you didn't see it, you can order patterns thru my website. https://www.woodcraftbyscott.com/ Let me know if you have any questions or issues. Iggy

I was thinking about meeting my neighbor and seeing if he thought we could combine forces somehow in his regular day to day business. He charges quite a fee for his artwork... $250 for an 11" x 14" portrait, up to $2000 for 24" x 30". Maybe he'd be willing to throw in a free puzzle with each portrait purchased that he'd buy from me. ;-)

Holy crap! I like the way you think! I will drop dead of a heart attack if I sell that many.

My next event is a big one where I used to live, Cary, NC. It's called Spring Daze and is a 1 day arts, crafts and kids event held at the large 310 acre park. This will be my first time there as a vendor. Total of 170 vendors, 24th year... big, big, BIG. I've been cutting like crazy and I'll be hauling a total of 400 puzzles up there. Now that we're within the 7-day weather forecast, things look very nice. Zero percent chance of rain within 2 days before or after, it'll just be a tad bit warm at 88 degrees, but it's a very wooded park so there will be plenty of shade. (note to self, pack bug spray) I was looking at the event information on Facebook a few minutes ago and noticed something... Hosted by Jimmydog Pet Portraits... And realized, that's the guy who's booth is right next to mine. That tells me I have a very prime spot out of the 170 booths. You know they wouldn't be placing the host in a crappy location. ;-) And I'm also hoping that means extra foot traffic as folks come to see and say hello to the "host". I'm in C29, he's C28. https://www.townofcary.org/Home/ShowImage?id=5851&t=636275240582530000 And very impressive website and information about the event. http://www.townofcary.org/recreation-enjoyment/events/festivals/spring-daze-arts-and-crafts-festival Can't wait! Let's start a pool... guess how many pieces Iggy sells, including any special/custom orders. 1 day, 9am to 5pm, average attendance is 15,000. Place your guess. Very Excited Iggy

I've used the crown tooth blades but haven't had that issue. They do cut slower, so it's possible that you're going a tad too fast and it's grabbing the tape. Just a thought.

Fabulous work Joe.

I'm going to chicken out and suggest you do all 3 ways and offer them. They're all fantastic and each customer will have a particular style and look that they like best. And if one or two of the versions rarely sells, you'll know which one to go with.

By the way, with the thicker wood, a #3 blade is what I use. Puzzle blades are generally for 1/8" or 1/4" plywood.

Very nice work Jim. Yep, you're hooked now. An intervention will be needed soon! Here is a link to a write-up I did about my process that should help answer some of your questions. You have much better luck with your business cards than I do... I have 50-100 taken every show and rarely ever hear from anyone after the fact. I do very well at the shows themselves however. http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/topic/20547-iggys-animal-puzzle-assembly-line/ The shrink wrap, are 8"x12" shrink wrap bags from Amazon that are sealed with a heat gun. Works GREAT. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YWNL7IU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If you'd like to try any of the puzzles that I cut, I sell the patterns for the artist. Check my website. Anything you see out there, I have the pattern for and I email them out right away. www.WoodcraftByScott.com Let me know if I missed any questions you had. Iggy.

Hey Kevin, If there are any you like that I've cut (such as the Pot Belly pig), that means I have the pattern and I have permission from Harvey to sell them directly for $2.50 each and I email them out when you order. Go to my site. www.WoodcraftByScott.com Otherwise, Harvey's patterns can all be found at Wooden Teddy Bear site for $3.00 each. He has over 600 patterns there under the PUZZLE PATTERNS section. Here's a link for ya. Enjoy! http://www.woodenteddybearonline.com/x/home.php?cat=100

Hey Dave, glad to hear you're enjoying them. I'm constantly amazed at Harvey Byler's drawings. I enjoy speaking with him every week or two as well.

Fresh close-up pics of some of them...

Thanks. I have it down to 30 minutes per puzzle now from layout to oiling.

I'm expanding my Zoo and Farm animal collection... here are my 9 newest ones I just cut today... Whatcha think? I'll take individual pictures once they dry for my website.

I have 400 cut and ready to go for my big show coming up on April 29. I'd love to sell 100 in that one day. And then I have another big one here in my town on May 20th that could be even better. Fingers crossed for good weather for both events.

Hi Bernd, I need to put more effort into vets offices, etc. I have friends who own a doggy daycare and boarding place and they allowed me to put in a display. I've probably sold 10-12 puzzles thru them. One thing I'd really like to do is hook up with some dog rescue places that would like the puzzles either to sell or maybe help stimulate donations... "Donate $75 or more to our cause and get a free puzzle..." And I'd give them a deep discount of course.

Hi Jim, If you're not aware, I'm new at this, just started making these puzzles last June. Transporting them was one of the early challenges I had to figure out. My first attempt failed rather miserably, but then I came up with a simple solution... Using a large, deep tub, I lay them out in layers with cardboard in between. I can get about 8 or 9 puzzles per layer and about 11 layers high. Right around 100 total. Those are the ones I put out on display. My duplicates, I shrink wrap them and load them into a large tub, there are 182 in the tub pictured. The kids dinosaurs are in the other tub on top and I have about 100 of those ready to go. See pictures... I just snapped them for ya. Feel free to ask any other questions. Happy to help others so they don't waste time trying things I already did, and failed. :-) Iggy

Hi Dan, no matter what, be sure to touch base with me if you're ever in the neighborhood. And that goes for all of the SSV family.

Did you remember to put film in?

It's always great to speak with customers and other vendors when doing events to hear about other potential events in the area. Last month at a show a customer asked me "Oh I love your dog puzzles, will you be at the dog show in October?" Dog show? Where? What? Turns out the local kennel club organizes a dog show that has been running for decades... Holy cow, how perfect for me, I keep trying to research and learn about any events that are dog related and this could be the big one. I emailed the organizers a couple of days ago with a general query and got a response back last night. BOOM! 2 day event in October, 500 participants plus a bunch of spectators. All dog owners and/or dog lovers... This could be great (as long as it doesn't rain, it's outdoors). I wonder how many orders I'll get to personalize the dogs name in the body instead of the breed... http://www.hanoverkennelclub.net/2016_show_winners

Great to hear Brian, congrats. Yesterday the wife and I took the ferry over to Southport, NC to check out their spring craft show and I was kicking myself the entire time we were walking around because I wasn't aware of it and therefore didn't sign up for it. It was fabulous. Over 100 vendors in a nice organized area... 2 days long, I'd have made a killing. It's on my list for next year now. Oh, and the same place has a 3 day event at July 4th... and the deadline was last week... UGH!

Spring is here, she's thrilled to be planting a garden for the first time in years. We just moved into this new house and have this empty lot next to us that she had me tilling up and building raised beds the past couple of weeks... I snapped this picture Saturday after I tilled up that large area for her to plant seeds for melons, field peas and wild flowers... I had no idea she wanted a FARM... I thought she just wanted a GARDEN! :-) Scrolling would drive her crazy... "Why isn't this thing cutting in a straight line?!?!?"

If it was your road rage finger you'd enjoy saying "Hey, look, I cut this finger!" Speedy healing to ya buddy.

I'm looking forward to tearing one apart and learning how to maintain them. Yes, correct, the serial number begins with the year it was manufactured. The one I bought today is 2006.