Mini Market looking into accepting Bitcoin

[opticbit]

I participated in "Resistance is Fertile" in Tempe, AZ today. (footage on Tempe ABC 15 10pm tonight livestream.com/occupyphoenix no BTC footage )

While there I went into the Tempe Farmer's Market a few time to get something cold.  I talked with some of the employees and one of the owners.  The first employee I spoke with is good with computers and linux/android.  I brought up Bitcoin, He mentioned they were interested in other currencies and he suggested I speak with the owner.  The owner was interested.

 I had a BitBill in my pocket and used it to help explain BTC.  I was about to go back in to get something else, but grabbed my Casascius coin to show him,  he got even more interested. and wondered if I'd be willing to part with it.  I told him it the value on it was 1BTC but it also cost a little for it and the shipping, And that the current exchange rate is about $5/BTC.  I told him i'd part with it for $6, He wants to keep it as a reminder, and to show his wife and kids. He will be looking into BTC, and might start accepting it as payment. 

I wanted to hold onto my Cassascius coin till the values went up again, but I am more than happy to part with it since he is interested in accepting it at his store.  I'm placing an order for a couple more Cassascius coins on monday.  And I'll be checking back at the store next week.

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[kjlimo]

Good job! Keep up the good work.

Be sure to let the owner know of how useful bitcoin can be for online orders as well.

[giszmo]

cool. keep us updated if he actually decides to accept bitcoin brick and mortar for the win

[Remember remember the 5th of November]

Do tell him, he needs to sell as fast as he can when and if he ever gets paid in coins. Just a small price drop, and he is in the red.

[Stephen Gornick]

While there I went into the Tempe Farmer's Market a few time to get something cold.  I talked with some of the employees and one of the owners.  The first employee I spoke with is good with computers and linux/android.  I brought up Bitcoin, He mentioned they were interested in other currencies and he suggested I speak with the owner.  The owner was interested.

I had a BitBill in my pocket and used it to help explain BTC.  I was about to go back in to get something else, but grabbed my Casascius coin to show him,  he got even more interested. and wondered if I'd be willing to part with it.

This is how bitcoin spreads and takes root.  Bitcoin has not only survived its rough start, it may ultimately have benefitted from it.  There are many other payment systems out there.  If Bitcoin was just another payment alternative or another currency even, how far might you've gotten in trying to persuade this farmer's market owner.

What is hard to explain is why this meeting and discussion occurred.  I too carry around a Casascius coin as it is a fantastic visual aid when trying to describe how simple bitcoin really can be -- just two pieces of data.  One that is kept secret and one shared publicly.

But the reason OpticBit felt compelled to engage this merchant in a conversation about Bitcoin is what is interesting.  There are many payment systems and currencies, but none of them have individuals evangelizing to merchants.  At least not ones who aren't on the payroll, doing it out of their leisure time on a Sunday.

[Technomage]

Do tell him, he needs to sell as fast as he can when and if he ever gets paid in coins. Just a small price drop, and he is in the red.

This is BS. If an enterpreneur starts accepting bitcoins, as long as the volume of Bitcoin sales is small, he really shouldn't worry about changing them to fiat "asap". It poses no great risk. Bitcoin price could just as well rise and in fact, on the long run the price has been going up quite significantly. So if the enterpreneur believes in Bitcoin, it makes sense to keep some of the sales as bitcoins.

This is obviously different for someone who does business only with bitcoins. For a Bitcoin startup it's truly risky to start holding significant amounts of bitcoins, doing that could put you into the "red" quite badly. But for a regular merchant the Bitcoin sales are unlikely to be a significant portion of total sales and thus the risk of holding bitcoins is small while the potential gain is good.

[Steve]

Do tell him, he needs to sell as fast as he can when and if he ever gets paid in coins. Just a small price drop, and he is in the red.

This is BS. If an enterpreneur starts accepting bitcoins, as long as the volume of Bitcoin sales is small, he really shouldn't worry about changing them to fiat "asap". It poses no great risk. Bitcoin price could just as well rise and in fact, on the long run the price has been going up quite significantly. So if the enterpreneur believes in Bitcoin, it makes sense to keep some of the sales as bitcoins.

This is obviously different for someone who does business only with bitcoins. For a Bitcoin startup it's truly risky to start holding significant amounts of bitcoins, doing that could put you into the "red" quite badly. But for a regular merchant the Bitcoin sales are unlikely to be a significant portion of total sales and thus the risk of holding bitcoins is small while the potential gain is good.

Well said…and in fact many of our merchants do choose to keep bitcoins for precisely that reason (it's a small portion of their overall sales and they are as interested as anyone else in the long term prospects for bitcoin's success).  For merchants that have a fairly steady stream of bitcoin sales, the volatility is even less of an issue as their overall cost basis for the coins they receive is a dollar cost average.

[opticbit]

I'll was in the other day, but an employee I hadden't met was the only one there, and didn't have time to stop and chat.  I'll be in again tomorrow.

also I placed an order with Cassascius for some more coins and samples.  I have a bitbill I keep with me too.  People seem to be more interested in the coins over the cards. Also ordering some stickers from cryptoanarchy to give to stores.  I need to get a polo type shirt with a logo sometime.

Last night I stopped by a local coin dealer, and he is interested will be checking back with him.  Have also Been To FairTrade Cafe who is interested. a Clothing store, and a Street vendor.  I'm trying to get all the locally owned places, since its easier to contact the owner.

I'd like to set up a Bitcoin Purchace mob day sometime to Celebrate a store deciding they will accept BTC, will have to figure out how to make that happen.

Anyone have some links to best methods of presentation for BTC, and tools to point a Brick n Mortar store owner to?  I point them to the basics, but for the store owner they need a little more than a wallet app.

[ShireSilver]

I'd like to set up a Bitcoin Purchase mob day sometime to Celebrate a store deciding they will accept BTC, will have to figure out how to make that happen.

Anyone have some links to best methods of presentation for BTC, and tools to point a Brick n Mortar store owner to?  I point them to the basics, but for the store owner they need a little more than a wallet app.

You might try organizing a bitcoin mob for places you'd like to see accept it, before they agree. Do some A/B testing. Would a bunch of people seemingly randomly coming into a store and asking if they accept bitcoins get them on board?

Going in to businesses cold and asking them if they're interested would work with the small percentage that are already open to the idea. But having a bunch of potential customers asking for it would be persuasive for businesses that don't really care about alternatives to the dollar.

[Electrongolf]

I think it's cool that a mini market might accept bitcoin. It would be even cooler if they could somehow sell them. I think one of the biggest barriers to entry for BTC is actually getting a hold of them. Once that's fixed, more stores would probably begin accepting them.

[MoneyIsDebt]

Agreed. Bitcoins are much harder to get hold of than to spend.

[Realpra]

We need someone to make a pure BTC smartcard... would decrease the hassle significantly and you could get them by mail easily since they are so light-weight.

I think it could even hurt bitcoin to introduce it to stores before there are valid payment methods OR enough customers.

With BTC cards an interested store like this minimarket could offer cards for ~2$ to anyone who had no BTC and extra $ to charge it.

In the beginning it would be a discount/gift card until all the shops converted. Said discount would come directly from the removed VISA fee - making it a self carrying system avoiding the chicken/egg problem.


(The theoretical concept of a card has already been worked out in another thread)

[kjlimo]

I think it's cool that a mini market might accept bitcoin. It would be even cooler if they could somehow sell them. I think one of the biggest barriers to entry for BTC is actually getting a hold of them. Once that's fixed, more stores would probably begin accepting them.

Agreed. Bitcoins are much harder to get hold of than to spend.

Insert  bitinstant here...

www.bitinstant.com/

However, I will admit; I just went to their website to try to find the closest local branch where I could deposit cash & get bitcoins, but I couldn't find on the website a list of locations.

Can anyone post a link?  If it doesn't exist, then I suggest they add a page to their website that helps people find the closest brick & mortar to go get bitcoins.

[opticbit]

stopped by today, owner wasn't there when I was, the other guy hadn't asked him about it.