21 May The People Who Make Pot Holders
I’ve never been good at bartering – I’m too bashful and a bit gullible to tell someone what their products are worth. It was quite the experience making my way through the San Lorenzo leather market. I’ve never had so many people try to push their products on me before. “Beautiful girl your smile is like the setting sun! I give you special discount – 120 euro!”
You have to be firm, you have to resist temptation, be a bit ruthless and you have to have exact change (or close to it). The fact that most vendors do not have change intrigues me. One would think that if they made a lot of sales they would have change in the register, but maybe this indicates they aren’t so successful. The same that holds true for me at home holds true here as well – if you your products and prices are good you don’t have to sell anything to passersby – they will come to you.
I found this type of tent near the end of the street, tucked between overly eager t-shirt, jewelry and leather jacket salesmen. Behind a small sewing machine sat an old woman doing custom embroidery in both Italian and English. Customers could select from slippers, aprons, baby bibs, and pot holders for her to sew personal messages on. Her hands were as fast as lightening making the line of people ahead of me disappear in minutes. She was as modest as her prices. I purchased a heart shaped pot holder that she enscribed with “Momma I love you” at my request for 6 euros. But her specific skill set is priceless.
Anyone can sell a leather jacket to me, but, as Chef Marcello said, your hands are very important tools. This woman handles her work with such care and precision. She learns something about each customer every day – whether their niece just graduated from culinary school and will be getting an apron that says “Katie the Baker” on it, whether they wear slippers around the house or if they just really love their mom. Try guessing that about the “beautiful girl whose smile is like the sunset.”
P.S. She gave me change back.
