When my wife and I started this brand 9 years ago, I had no idea that someday we'd sell our 100,000th shirt. And now that we're getting close, I'm going to try and use my website and FB page to keep everyone updated on the countdown.
Through 6/16/2019, we've sold 99,271 shirts. That puts us only 729 shirts away from 100,000. I'd like to give a special shout out to the good folks that we've met at the 4 different flea markets that we've hit in Pa. this past week.
And to top it off, I'm spending the next few weeks in Pa., and um, they kind of like our shirts in Pa.
So, I hope you'll check back often to follow the countdown. A while back I spent a lot of energy trying to get people to notice MLT, but except for a handful of folks, no one seemed to notice. I figured maybe this ride I was on was only a big deal to me, so I stopped trying to get noticed, but never gave up on the dream. However, there's something about getting close to 100,000 shirts that makes me want to bring some attention to My Liberty Threads.
Check back every once in a while, who knows, maybe tell a friend or two. Maybe someday we'll reach our ultimate goal, to prove that it's not too late to bring back jobs by creating the next big thing!
Scott Miller
My Liberty Threads
Somewhere in Pennsylvania...
UPDATE 6/22/2019
It's been a pretty wild ride, since the last update.
I spoke with a highly enthusiastic Harford County (Md) Republican club, and then had the honor of speaking with the Berks County (Pa) Republicans as they anticipated President's Trump's announcement at their Trump Watch Party. I guess you could say that I opened for Donald Trump!
Two rainy days turned into office days, and a lot of fun time with Tyler, my 12 year old who tagged along with me on the first leg of this summer's tour.
Thursday marked our triumphant return to Mechanicsburg for Jubilee Day, the largest one day street Fair in the east. What a blast...
Best of all, we finally started the count up to 100,000 shirts at Jubilee Day. The Wall has been debuted, as we've had customers write their names on each brick with the numbers pre written on the brick.
We started the day with brick #99,271 being the starting point. Things were a little sluggish in the morning, then it started raining, and when it stopped, things got fun. We sold a few shirts, met some great people, ran into some friends I've made out there over the years, and by the end of the day, we sold some more shirts.
I'm proud to report that we're now up to brick #99,336.
I can't even begin this next part without mentioning that sometimes I find this a little therapeutic, but here goes:
Sometimes, I get an idea, something I feel like I should try doing. Sometimes that idea won't leave my brain, my mind just keeps working it over, from different angles. If you're thinking 'I know that feeling', well remember this is my therapy .
Anyhow, the idea that has recently been simmering is 'How cool would it be if we sold our 100,000th shirt on or around July 4th?'
RATIONAL PORTION OF SCOTT'S BRAIN SAYS:
-I would probably have to sell about 2 or 3 times as many shirts each day as I do on an average day at an event.
-How can we possibly predict that we'll hit the 100,000th shirts on July 4th? What if the 'golden' shirt was sold on the 3rd or the 5th?
-I don't have 664 shirts. The van would hold 'em, I just don't have 'em. Maybe 350 or 400.
-Nothing I've ever tried to do to bring attention to MLT has ever worked, can you really suffer through another heartbreak/disappointment. I mean, there IS the family to think about. (You just get to read this, they have to live with me 9 or 10 months our of the year).
WHY THE HECK NOT PART SAYS:
*When I look at the events I'll be at over the next two weeks, I'm going to have my shirts in front of a lot of people, anything's possible.
*If we were to find a way to sell 664 shirts in 13 days, we'll have had to have gotten so much more exposure than we've ever gotten before. Maybe this could launch our brand into the forefront. Besides, sales like that would help me head home in less of a hole that I was in when I left for the summer, which would be a nice change. Just ask my wife.
*I'll figure out a way to get more shirts on the road. Quick. As soon as I sell some shirts, to raise the dough.
* So you're telling me that there's a chance that this time it just might work?
So here's the tentative schedule for the next few weeks:
Sat 6/23 Heritage Days Middleburg, Pa.
Sun 6/24 Trader Joe's somewhere near Cincinnati, Oh
Tue 6/26 and Wed 6/27 Shipshewana Market, Shipshewana, In
Thu 6/27 Hanging out with Andy and Joann in Louisville, Ky (my cool brother and sister in law)
Fri 6/28 and Sat 6/29 Firecracker Festival Loveland, Oh
Sun 6/30 Car show and street festival Wanamaker, In
Tue 7/2 Shipshewana Market, Shipshewana, In
Wed 7/3 and Thu 7/4 Carmel Fest Carmel, In
I'm going to start telling people at the booth about me trying to hit #100,000 by July 4th.
Maybe do a little filming
I'll keep you posted...
UPDATE 6/24/2019
Well, Heritage Days in Middleburg turned out to be a dud. Nice town, nice people, just not enough of them. Fortunately a return trip to Jake's Flea Market sort of bailed me out. After selling only 14 shirts on Saturday, Jake's was good for another 29, bringing our total to 99,379. Jake's has so many things going for it, but perhaps the best thing for me was that they allow vendors to pull in at any time of the night, and sleep in the parking lot, which is great because after Middleburg, it
would have been tough to spend any money on a hotel
room.
Special thanks to Pedro (on the right), who bought shirt
numbers 99,357 - 99,360.
Monday was an office day, and I decided to take to stay in
Pa for a few more days of farmer's markets rather than
going to Shipshewana. I took the money I would have spent
on gas, and overextended myself (again) by buying more
blank t shirts. If I'm going to pull into my 4th July festival without enough shirts to possibly hit 100,000 by the time the fireworks start, it will be impossible to sell the golden shirt while in Carmel.
So now I'm starting tomorrow morning off at Roots Market in Manheim, Pa. with 99,379
shirts sold. After that, a day in Leesport, at their farmer's market. Somehow I need to come up with the $$$ to pay for the printing of the new shirts on the way. I figure 55 or 60 shirts ought to do it. Wish me luck. I'll be spending the next few nights in the van, (No, not down by the river) so I probably won't be able to give another update until I get to my brother's house in Louisville on Thursday. After that, the schedule gets crazy, and I can't wait for it.
UPDATE 6/30
The Firecracker Festival never fired. 2 days in 90 degree
weather only produced 11 shirts sold. Fortunately the two
flea market days in Pa. were good, and then my annual
return to Old Settler's Day in Wanamaker, Indiana this
morning made up for the disappointment that took place on
Friday and Saturday. We left Wanamaker with 99,499 shirts
sold. Before I leave for Shipshewana, I figured I'd post a little something for the folks that enjoy a cool car show from time to time.
UPDATE 7/2/2019
Shipshewana is always one of my favorite places to go to.
On my first full summer on the road in 2011, I had a perma-
nent space here, and I've always made passing through
Shipshewana at least once each summer a priority. The
beef jerky and cheese that you find there are unparalleled,
and this quaint Amish town just has a special feel to it.
While at Shipshewana, this guy bought shirt #99,500.
Although I had to skip out on the 3rd and 4th of July to get to Carmel Fest, I sold 30 shirts from Shipshewana, and ran into some old friends.
UPDATE 7/4/2019
The independence day celebration in Carmel, Indiana has become and annual stop for My Liberty Threads, so naturally, we've made some great friends over
the years
While we were there, we sold shirt number 99,600 to a neighboring vendor, and new friend Becky. And we met these two great guys named Eldred Mckee and Eldred Mason, and they helped me recruit these 2 others guys
to hold up the newly completed 4th panel of our wall
