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Carters, souvenir committee breaking records
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Karen, left, and Allan Carter are the heads of the International Plowing Match souvenir
committee and have been responsible for peddling everything from branded shirts to the IPM's
cookbooks. The committee has already broken sales records of any previous IPM and are still
preparing for sales at the event. Above, they show their favourite souvenirs: Karen holds the
IPM blanket while Allan holds a scale -model branded IPM truck which are sold out. (Denny Scott
photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Souvenirs are a big part of
International Plowing Match (IPM)
process every year, but, with the
100th iteration of the event,
merchandising has taken on a life of
its own according to souvenir
committee chairs Allan and Karen
Carter.
From their Seaforth-area home,
the couple have been selling
everything from scale model trucks
adorned with IPM logos to blankets
to apparel for the past three years
getting ready for the event.
"We have a committee of six
couples and we try and be
everywhere we can," Allan
explained. "The committee -
members are from Exeter, Wingham,
Bayfield, Winthrop, Clinton and
Seaforth."
Both Allan, a former insurance
broker and farmer, and Karen,
previously of the Avon Maitland
District School Board, retired three
years ago and have been tackling the
souvenirs as a full-time volunteer
job since then.
The Carters have been selling in
Huron County for three years and,
after the 2016 IPM, expanded their
markets through farm shows and
other agricultural events. The
dedication over the past several
years is likely why they have had
such success.
The couple, still more than two
months away from the event, said
they had brought in more than
$290,000 in sales, double what other
years have brought in, figures that
included sales at the match.
The committee has already set
record sales and, part of that, is
because they don't see each sale as a
chance to raise money for the IPM
and local organizations, but rather
every sale as an opportunity to
advertise the match.
"Every sale is a chance for
someone to advertise for us," Karen
said. "Everything from garden
stakes to sweaters to jackets help get
the word out about what we're doing
and what we have for sale."
Allan agreed, saying that
souvenirs are equal parts selling and
marketing.
Members of the committee have
travelled to all corners of the county
over the past three years including
every firefighters' breakfast, nearby
plowing match and community event
they could attend to showcase their
merchandise to ensure people had
their chance to wear, and spread the
word about, the IPM.
"Visiting those events has been a
good way to cover the county," Allan
said. "You get some really great
exposure"
"People are always talking to us as
well," Karen explained. "They want
to know about what's going on and
we're able to let them know"
While they didn't know of
particular statistics for any event, the
Carters said they had yet to attend an
event and not sell a single item.
"We've gone to places where we
haven't sold as much, but we've
never been skunked," Allan said.
"We've also gone to some places
where we do really well"
He said local farm shows that
feature an agricultural fanbase are
usually a good market for the goods,
saying they had travelled to
Chatham, London, Lindsay and
Drayton for events.
"Even if you don't sell as much,
you are there representing the
event," he said. "Sometimes we are
just there as ambassadors."
Sales aren't just through the
mobile shop and, more recently, the
IPM headquarters at the Walton
Community Hall but also online.
"We have sold some items
overseas through the internet," Allan
said.
While there is no online shop, the
Carters have shipped items for
people interested in collecting items
from the show.
The scale -model IPM truck, for
example, has proven to be so popular
that it has been sold out since shortly
after it was unveiled, Allan said.
When they were in stock, however,
one made its way to Costa Rica. A
blanket was also sent to Qatar in the
Middle East.
The IPM cookbooks have also
been shipped internationally, which
gave the Carters pause as, if anyone
orders more than one, it costs just as
much to ship the books as it does to
buy them.
Regardless of shipping cost, the
cookbook has been a big hit
according to the Carters, who said
they have sold more than 5,000 of
them.
As for the hottest item, the Carters
say there are some things which are
always on the verge of selling out,
but everything is selling.
"Some things move a little faster
than others," Karen saidadding that
they won't re -order some items as
they don't want to be sitting on stock
when the IPM is over.
The committee is locally sourcing
everything it can find, but some
things just aren't feasible for the
necessary volume.
Walton's Barmy Tech, for
example, has produced bags for the
event and Gerber's Work Wear and
the Goderich Print Shop are among
the committee's suppliers as well.
When it comes to the goods, Allan
has only one rule: No freebies.
Regardless of the cause, he said
that nothing has left the inventory
that hasn't been paid for.
"If you see IPM items in auctions,
they have been purchased by
someone and donated on their
behalf," Allan said.
The stance on giveaways also
includes the shirts for the IPM which
have become permanent fixtures in
the Carters' wardrobe for the past
three years.
"Even the volunteers will have to
buy their own shirts," Allan said.
"The volunteers should probably
look to buy theirs soon," Karen said.
"We're not sure what we'll have left
Continued on page 11
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