Step One complete

Had five good people show up to help, and Patrick. It wasn't as difficult to move stuff as I thought it would be -- but maybe that was because I had enough help this time. So, that part went relatively smoothly.

Then, as promised, kicked my helpers out. Was there until midnight putting it all back together again. It's still in an uproar, and I'm going to have to leave it that way for another day, and finish it off Tuesday night. As usual, things didn't quite fit, and as usual I had to move a few more fixtures around that I originally envisioned. Changed my mind a couple of times. Just tried to get enough done to leave the store functional for Monday.

I'm not going to get the five shelves around the pillar I hoped, only four -- it blocked off the cash register counter a little too much. Also, it's looking like the way things configured, I'll be adding 3 shelves to the Used Book section, which wasn't my original intent. But, now that it's there in front of me, I can see how that might be even better.

I had a can of flat white acrylic paint and thought I'd give the sport card rack I brought up from downstairs a quick coat. But, it was as if the paint was invisible. It hardly covered anything. Mystified, I gave it a quick coat, came back later and gave it a second coat, but it still didn't want to cover much. A final third and as thick as I could make it coat made it presentable. Next time I go with enamel paint and be done with it!

In the midst of chaos, it always looks worse. I'm always horrified by the dust and dirt and grime in all the nooks and crannies that were invisible before. Always aware that the fixtures are a bit beat up. When all the merchandise is back in place, and artfully displayed, it covers a multitude of sins.

There is always that moment of doubt. But I can still visualize how it will eventually look, and I think it will be a vast improvement. I gain display space, while actually making it look less crowded. Always amazed by how -- if you mull it over long enough, it's possible to have subtraction by addition. Consolidation often not only conserves space, but actually makes the product more impressive by all being in the same place.

It'll take another month or so of moving merchandise around and experimenting before I find best use. The point is to create more capacity, and then figure out how it all fits later. One thing that has made it easier but also more stressful in the past is that I was buying new material to fill in the new spaces. This time, the point is the display the stuff I have a bit better. Less urgency to finish, in some ways. But....well, I'm on my way. The hard part is done.

The most dramatic visual change is yet to come. But, by Wednesday morning, I should have something approximating my vision.