Yep, even flag dealers have an association: the NIFDA, National Independent Flag Dealers Association. We met in Scottsdale, AZ this year. If you don’t golf or shop, there is absolutely nothing to do but lay around the pool and drink in Scottsdale. Not all bad, just boring. Scottsdale is one place I can check off my list. Thank goodness I don’t have to visit that city ever again.
At the flag convention I learned some stuff, got rejuvenated and networked with old friends. The flag business is a small group of friendly competitors. Some of us buy from each other, some of us compete against each other.
Every year the same old topics come up: buy American, keep the mass merchandisers out of the flag business, and keep the government out of the flag business. If you think about it, it is silly for the government to buy flags out of tax dollars just so the legislators can give them away to their constituents. It’s kinda like buying votes. Some states even have the prisoners sewing American flags. That is almost like buying from China ’cause it takes away jobs.
Our first speaker sounded like Paul Harvey and looked like Grady’s dad (my father-n-law). He was a little behind the times… he kept talking about the importance of sending ‘thank you’ cards. It’s true, but that is old news. And to keep us till the end, the old codger had the nerve to keep us all dangling for the big bang that will revolutionize our business: Jesus Christ. OMG! We had Jewish people in the crowd!
After the sleepy shift (lunch), the Internet lady came and gave a big talk on the internet. What I learned was the importance of incorporating You Tube into your website. After this we put our “How to Install a Flagpole” commercial on You Tube.
The heart breaker of the convention was the man whose son died in Iraq. He made a commemorative flag for his son, and Valley Forge is producing the flag. The act of getting a large company like Valley Forge to manufacturer and sell a flag made by an individual is not an easy thing to do. He cried through his whole presentation and every dealer there bought some of his flags. Here is his flag
