I finally found the perfect ties that complement Kirk's waistcoat. He loves it and is wearing it to the Dicken's Faire going on now. He also added his own beautiful pin. Very dapper!
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Although most of the time I display my products on a black mannequin, occasionally with a white collar but sometimes it's nice to see what a piece looks like on different backgrounds, particularly the playful or colorful ones. So here are some examples. This is one I redesigned so the music notes would not be lost in the folds. I've included both style pictures.
Original design
New style called "Julie"
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Initially I figured my products would appeal only to women, but I was mistaken. At a local show, I met Mr. JD Limelight who is in the entertainment business. He bought a Victorian collar to wear with a tuxedo at his wedding and a black and white flower for his clown costume. He's not just in the clown business by the way. Here is a photo of him when he first tried on the collar (in his bike messenger attire) and one on his wedding day with his beautiful bride. I thought it suited him very well.
I also met a very creative couple, Amy and Kirk, who are fans of Victorian events and they loved my collars. I am planning to make custom collar for Kirk as soon as I find the perfect cranberry and grey tie to complement his waistcoat. He did find different ways to use my original smaller single tie designs.
Another fan was this young boy I met at a local church event. His mom was also a vendor at the event. We all donate something for the church to raffle to all attendees. This young gentleman honored me by picking my tie donation because he wanted to wear a tie, like his father. He was adorable and I did get permission to post his picture. His father liked my products so well he bought a Victorian collar as a gift for his niece and a flower for his wife. -
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Recently I spoke about my hobby at a 100-year old women's club (yes they accept men). The coordinator asked me twice if I was going to tell them about myself...haha.
How do you condense 68 years onto one sheet of paper? At this age, there are so many stories to tell. I covered how I learned to sew, my travels in a nutshell from Maine to California via Florida and a few international countries (17 or 18) thrown in, some for fun, some for work. And of course my tie hobby.
Importantly, having a little business requires many hats - marketing, sales, accounting, technology, social skills, yada, yada, yada. I like face-to-face sales best because I enjoy meeting the people. The ones that like my products are usually artistic. Some buy, lots don't, that's okay. Some become friends, some remain acquaintances. It's a whole new world when you retire. Make it good for you! -
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In my collection I have a few Molecular Expression ties. My favorite which is staying in my personal collection, is the Amber Beer, pictured here. 
Molecular Expressions - Amber Beer
Rum & Coke
Interestingly, I have a Cocktail Collection label for Wine which isn't Molecular Expressions but looks like a Jerry Garcia label. It turns out that the company Molecular Expressions is based on artwork of Garcia and Miles Davis but it's their "Molecular Expressions" ties which have solidified their reputation for revolutionizing men's fashion.
For a fascinating article about this company and their ties, go to https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/products/stonehenge/history.html
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I am sometimes amazed at the price of ties. If it was made in Italy, it probably was expensive. A Gucci can sell for $200. Here is one from JZ Gallery Collection made with silk and cotton. It doesn't look like much but the price tag is still attached - $115! I'm not sure what the Italian Mogador represents. As far as I can tell, Mogador is the former name (until 1956) of Essaouira in Morroco.
