Vendor Spotlight: DAPPER DAVE

Let me introduce myself - I'm Angie, a new writer for "A New Thing Fall Marketplace" blog, friend of Marcie (event master of the Marketplace), and wife to Dapper Dave.

Here's a true story...

I was sitting on my couch last Saturday, making conversation with a new friend, and I mentioned the upcoming FABULOUS A New Thing Fall Marketplace.  She had already heard about it (because it's gonna be AWESOME!), and I threw in this little comment, "My husband David is going to be a vendor at the Marketplace.  He is making bowties and bar-b-que sauces."  Her response, "Wait a minute....YOUR HUSBAND IS DAPPER DAVE?!?  SHUT UP!!!"  We laughed our heads off together and she went on, "I was JUST telling my husband about Dapper Dave!  He won't believe that I am at DAPPER DAVE'S HOUSE RIGHT NOW!!"

You're either thinking, "Who is Dapper Dave?"  or  "That is hilarious because I know Dave."  or  "I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM HAVING A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION WITH DAPPER DAVE'S WIFE!!!"  (Probably one of the first two.)

Let's tackle that first question....

Who is Dapper Dave?  Well, Dave (or David, as I know him) is this amazing husband and father and medical professional who also happens to be a tightwad and frequently becomes hobby obsessed.  The last two often cause him inner turmoil.  Here's why - when you are my husband and you start a hobby like, say for instance, racquet ball, you're going to need racquet balls, racquet ball shoes, protective eye gear, a racquet, a racquet case, special racquet ball gloves, premium sweat wicking socks/shorts/shirt/towel specially designed for racquet ball playing sweat, and (obviously) a membership to a gym.  Hobbies aren't cheap for this man, so he usually relies on Christmas gift money.  Just for fun, let me give you the short list of hobbies that David has ventured into in our 15 years of marriage:  cycling, triathlons, guitar playing, mandolin playing, learning Greek, airplane flying, disc golf, camping (this lasted for exactly one minute), bowling, Bob Ross painting (not even joking), home movie productions, golfing, and (I'm also implicating my brother here) professional sand castle building.

You've gotta respect a renaissance man.

But, as I said, these hobbies created quite the inner conflict for my financially conservative husband.  Enter bow ties.  We were a month deep into this bow tie making hobby before I even asked, "What in the world got you started on this?"  His answer, "I was looking online to order a bow tie and they were so expensive.  I thought, maybe I could make one."  So, he borrowed his mom's sewing machine, watched a You Tube video, bought some 99 cent shirts at the thrift store, and the rest is history.  It's a match made in heaven really - thrift store shirts and a borrowed sewing machine.

Cheap and hobby = Dapper Dave.


After making a few bow ties for himself, David pitched the idea of selling his bow ties at the Fall Marketplace to Marcie, who is organizing and running the event.  She was instantly on board and suggested that he have a booth called, "Bow ties and BBQ" - also offering homemade BBQ sauces.  (Enabler.)

Now my husband can be found either in our kitchen inventing a new BBQ sauce recipe or at our coffee table, whipping up a new bow tie.  His products are featured on his facebook page "dapperdaveties."

Dapper Dave's son, modeling "The Twain" bow tie.

I have to admit, he's doing an amazing job.  He will be bottling up three flavors of BBQ sauce:  Bourbon Bacon, Pork Potion #9, and Sue-y Sauce (which is made with smoked Yazoo Sue beer and has a spicy kick.)  In the spirit of the A New Thing Fall Marketplace (handmade, up cycled, and repurposed goods), his BBQ sauces are being packaged in recycled beer bottles. Each 12 oz. bottle of sauce will cost $6.00.

And then there are the bow ties, of course.  There are three bow tie designs:  The Churchill, The Lincoln, and The Twain.  Each bow tie is uniquely hand made out of vintage material, repurposed from those 99 cent shirts.  There are plenty of patterns to choose from.  The bow ties are made to fit neck sizes   15 1/2 - 17 inches.  They will be priced at $20 each.  He is hoping to have some child sized bow ties available at the Marketplace as well.  Get this - He has already been approached by a shop in Missouri to sell his bow ties on a regular basis!  Better get while the gettin' is good.

The best part - ALL profits from Dapper Dave's "Bow ties and BBQ" booth will benefit the Autry's Ethiopian adoption!  Jamie and Marcie Autry are our dear friends and we cannot wait to welcome home their new child(ren) through this adoption.  Hopefully, they will be bringing home at least one little boy so he and his big brother can wear coordinating Dapper Dave bow ties!  

So tell us.... do you know Dapper Dave?  Which bow tie or BBQ sauce is calling your name?