Trade Day vendors are like farmers. They live and die by the weather. "What's the forecast?" you can hear one vendor ask another. "Well, the guy on channel 8 says it will be cloudy Saturday and no rain. But the guy on channel 5 says it might rain. I'm going with the guy on channel 8."
Nothing hurts a market like rain. Vendors can't uncover their merchandise and, of course, only the most diehard trade day shoppers come out when it's raining.
The changing weather in Texas played a role in the design and location of trade day markets. Since vendors needed to be near their "stuff," vending spaces were designed large enough to accommodate a car or a truck. Spaces at Third Monday Trade Days were laid out 12 feet wide and 24 feet deep. Most markets, like Third Monday, were located on property that sloped to a creek to allow the rainwater to run off quickly.
Once a vendor has established himself with good merchandise and a regular, recurring base of shoppers, the main variable is the weather. Vendors keep records of market weather conditions. It gives them a basis of comparison. And when the weather is bad and there are few shoppers, you can find vendors huddled together reminiscing about the "wettest" or the "coldest" weekend market they can remember. "This isn't cold….I remember January of 1983…now that was cold."
Just like the farmer, it's a humbling fact that their economic success is dictated by something they have no control over. But unlike the farmer, who may have crop insurance, the vendor goes it alone. So the next time it is raining on your favorite trade day market weekend, think of the vendors who are waiting for you…who need you to get your umbrella and your raincoat and come on out. For you see, the only "insurance" they have is you and your presence will provide them a sunny day.