Skippy,"Going back to Berkeley"..aka the "Estrangment", or chapt.13

The first time I tried to get a table at Berkeley they told me to hit the road,, they had nothin,,,
Billy Coleman said " Skippy I will get you a table" and he did
But, lets start at the beginning, I broke my leg the fall of 01, I was stuck in the house ready to explode when chrissy
give me a lathe for xmas, man it was like being born again,,, my own designs, measurements, carving, painting whatever I wanted to do, I WAS FREE!......
I started out with the spoonlips because I could make them, and I had been dying to change the pitch on the lip :read:
I went to the january meeting, and paid for a table for the 02' show, two months later in march...
I threw the dining room set out, and set a woodshop up.. I turned the kitchen and its exhaust fan into my spraybooth My leg was broke, I was living off a creditcard, and I figured I was going to build everynight till I fell asleep
My front yard was Deal Lake, I was able to swim every plug in primer, I was having a ball and tuning like crazy..
I had for years been airbrushing the flash in the asbury tattoo shop, as well as painting everyones motorcycles.. I was a painting maniac and about to apply my own schemes and ideas onto plugs,,, this was long over do and I was going to go wild.. THEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED.........
It was two weeks before the show, I was in the eighth avenue parking lot, showing off some lures for the upcoming show, when someone says, "Skippy I heard lefty told Pallotto if he let you have a table he was going to refuse to do the show
Man I rush to joes house a hundred miles an hour, did not even stop at the signs,,, Joe was my hero, this could not be true,,, Joe say it aint so.... please!
He opened up with, "I'm sorry Skippy, but the people are not coming to see you,,, They want to see Lefty,,
I said no problem and left before he could see the tears in my eyes,,
I had about sixty plugs and drove around trying to sell them out of my car, someone said why don't you try to sell them at the Berkeley show? The Berkeley show was no easy table, but a freind was able to get me in
Alright its the morning of my first show, I got there early put my lures on the table and went to get a cup of coffee,
I returned to find a long snaking line in the room, I found my way through it and realized it started at my table,,
It was 7am and the doors did not open till nine and all the vendors were in my line, after a little pressure I was convinced to start my sales before they open the doors, their reason being that," there were more people already on the inside line, then lures I brought...
Okay I was gone before the doors even opened,,this would go on every show, when we moved to the convention hall
we started the policy of not selling any lures untill the door was open, then the world got to meet me
Okay a 2001 skippy from my first Berkeley show
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awsome story skipp...and the rest is history......

Looking forward to the book, interesting story, thanks.

an amazing story, and brother you do have some sick writing skills indeed

Etch

awesome read Skipp.....

awesome story Skippy hope to meet ya one day love your work

I returned to find a long snaking line in the room, I found my way through it and realized it started at my table...

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I'm reading this thinking, "That does not surprise me one bit."

I wish I lived closer to you salty guys. I'd love to go fishing with you or even just be able to sit and have some coffee with you.

Very cool story, Skip.

thanks for sharing, great read!

great read skippy now stop by my shop and teach me how to paint like you.see you at the show

GREAT READ SKIPP!

Very story Skippy, thanks for sharing!!! Being a vendor at these shows for the past 6 yrs, I was always amased at the lines that would form in front of your table@ berkely and Lefty's table@ Asbury. Good Stuff Bro, And well deservied!!! This is also why I have never been able to get a Skippy or Lefty plug at any of the shows Lol . Looking forward to seeing yea this year @ Berkely.


Blues

So with 40 plugs to sell this year I guess there won't be many left when I get in. Hopefully you'll still be there so we can at least shake hands. I promise to wear my Serious Wood hat.

Skip great read NOW can I get a few of your plugs... LOL I don't have any.......