Monster Hobbies turns 2 today!

[Mad Cap Romanian]

We've been in business for 2 years as of July 1st 2004 when we were in the Heritage Flea Market.

We're celebratin' by having a "Dress Like A Monster" contest.

Also everything in the store will be 13% off and you get a free Non-alcoholic drink when you buy a Tiki mug.

The store address is 127 3rd Ave SW, High River, Alberta, Canada. 652-5019.

It's also Canada Day today and I think it will be interesting to see people dressed up like monsters today. I'm hoping it will make the papers.

I'm also working with a friend to make a web site for Monster Hobbies. It won't have too much on it initially, but I am going to post all my remaining Polar Lights monster kits, Tiki mugs, model cars, and some games. Following that will be all me pirate merchandise. I'll also be doing online mail ordering. I'm new to this, so I would like some suggestions about online business and any other comments would be appreciated as well.

ThanX and hope to see you today!

Trevor Ursulescu

Monster Hobbies

[Mad Cap Romanian]

Well, here it is at 7:30 pm and the day is done. Two kids showed up for the contest and I sold 2 Tiki Mugs, but gave away 1 free drink. Now I'm sitting on 30 litres of fruit juice.

The kids won $100 in gift certificates. I'm going to post their picture on the wall with the total of their earnings and I told them to boast to the other kids about it. Maybe then the other people in town will take my ideas seriously. Actually, I'm not too bitter, I did save another $200 in prizes which I can return to my shelf on Tuesday.

[Mad Cap Romanian]

I'm just thinking of the events of the Monster Hobbies 2 year anniversary that happened over the weekend.

Besides the fact that only 2 customers entered the Dress Like A Monster contest at least I know that I am appreciated by the folks in the town for what I'm doing. That's where earning money and the rest take a back seat and simple human relations means so much more.

Besides, the two that entered the contest stayed for 2 hours and my wife and I played Magic : The Gathering with them. We learned more about the game and we had some good times. I would have given them some of the punch if I brought styrofoam cups....(The punch came as a free-bee when you bought a Tiki Mug.)

When they won the contest, their father came in and gave them each an additional $25 on top of the $50 in gift certificates that they won from me. Then he also bought $25 for himself. That means they bought $75 which inadvertantly covered some of the cost of my products from the gift certificates.

They're a good family. I've known them for almost 2 years now. (We've only been located in High River for 1.5 years.) Maybe when I hit the 5 year mark I'll be in a position to hire and the kids will be the first on the list. (Well, I can pay them now, but it would be in Magic cards and Hero Clix, and I just don't have enough!) Besides, by that time they should be graduating High School and the town should be at least 50% larger than what it is now.

Ha Ha...some of the kids in town made me part of their "Pirate Crew", which for a guy in his earily 30's is pretty good considering that these are teenagers. They even get me to act in their student films and apparently the film teacher likes my acting.

Interesting...I didn't realize it until now, but I guess I'm begining to become a legend around this town. I'm probably inspiring these kids to try new things and in a way and I am probably becoming a role model to a lot of them. Ok, I can't be their dad or a hockey hero, but I must be making some kind of a mark if I am slated to star in their second movie as one of the main characters.

Even when my wife and I walk around town, people say "There's Monster Hobbies!", like we're the physical embodiment of the 1800 Sq foot location. Even on Halloween last year, a trick or treater came to the door and asked if I would give him a train set in his treat bag. Instead I gave him a 10% off coupon and told him he could use it on a train set instead. I don't now if he ever followed up on that.

Maybe I can become like MR.C if things continue the way they are going. MR.C was one of my highschool science teachers who sadly passed away during that same semester. He was the guy that would spell out his name on the blackboard as MR. Cespilliolollypoppollious, and then erase every letter until he got it down to MR.C. He also light fire crackers in class to explain Kenetic energy and would pull out the rusty meat cleaver and ask anyone if they wanted to vollunteer for the blood type tests that all us budding scientist use to do before the aids scare of the 1990's. That was a funny guy that no one ever forgot. When the school had a wake for him, almost every student the guy ever taught showed up, going right back to his first students in the late 1960's and earily 1970's.

MR.C inspired me in 1988 to go out there and accomplish something. Sure, science class could be boring, but MR.C made it come alive. Students would be late to their other classes because they were hanging around with MR.C when the bell rang and he litterally had to take attendance and kick the other kids out that weren't on the list! I think MR.C just knew how to give the people what they wanted. Fun in education and someone they could relate to.

Yeah, I just never realized I could make an impact like this. I think Monster Hobbies is here to stay.