Starting with Markland Medieval Mercenary Militia in 1982, I began participating in medieval history recreation. Being a college student at the time, affording nice camping gear and even manufactured armor simply wasn't possible on my income. To help with that, I began making and selling chain mail as a means to make extra cash.
After graduation and marriage, the real world interfered with my pursuing my interest in medieval history but I continued to enjoy making chain mail and occasionally selling it. I also began to do a little leatherwork. After a few years, I ran into a friend from college who reintroduced me to the SCA. After becoming divorced and unemployed at the same time, I found myself once again relying on my ability to make things to supplement my income. I began merchanting at events and did that for a few years until I began working too much to no longer be at events every weekend. I then went to work managing a store for Tandy Leather prior to the corporate meltdown that resulted in the stores closing and my being back on unemployment. At that point I moved to the southwest.
By that time, I had been actively involved in the SCA for 8 years and in all that time had never been able to afford a pavilion and had seen very few sources for camp furnishings that were not only at least period looking, but also rugged and affordable. In another store manager position, I decided I was making enough to afford a pavilion if I could find one reasonably priced and decent looking camp furniture couldn't be that hard to make. I'd made rope beds before so how hard could a table and chair be? I went surfing the web for pavilions and discovered that there really weren't any pavilions that were big enough to accommodate the kind of encampment I wanted at a price I could afford. I had had a military surplus tent before and that was the kind of size I was looking for and I wanted something with some color. To me, everyone had white pavilions, I wanted something different. So I went looking to see what I could find. What I found was a commercial tent manufacturer in India called Canvas Emporium who was willing to sell me small quantities of tents in sizes and styles suitable for medieval reenacting. Additionally since they manufacture the canvas as well, they weren't charging extra for colors. With most of their customers being resorts, non governmental organizations, and militaries, they only sell complete tent packages. That meant that whatever I bought included everything needed to set it up. Nothing additional to buy like everywhere else. To really take advantage of this, I found it was necessary to order multiple tents to offset the fixed overhead costs by spreading them among multiple units. By ordering multiple tents at a time, I'm able to sell them at a much better price.
On the furniture front, I found a website with plans for a plywood chair. Again, a nice chair, but not quite right for me. So I took those plans and redesigned the back panels and the arms. Then I designed a table and a side table. Then I got into trouble. I taught a class on making plywood camp furniture. The King and the local Baron were in the class and one smart remark lead to another followed by the Kingdom Herald burying his face in his hands saying " Oh God now you've done it. He'll take it as a challenge. Give him a week." And thus the Lazy Bjorn © reclining throne was born. Yes it looks like a plywood travel throne held together with 6 wedges, but when you lean backwards the back reclines and the front panel rotates up to support your legs. Push down with your feet, the front panel goes down and the back returns to the upright position. Since then requests have lead to a few other furniture designs including the fainting couch and the clothing rack. All of the designs made to break down for easy transport with minimal losable parts.
After 15 years actively involved in the SCA, I've found a way for people to get affordable pavilions and period looking camp furnishings. I'll sell it to them. My business concept is simple. I'll buy it for less, make a profit, still sell it for less, and everyone wins. Of course if you want totally period pavilions and furnishings, I can't really help you much. If you want a nice looking pavilion, and decent looking, durable, collapsible camp furniture all at a good price, that I can help you with.
For example, if you want a 12ft by 12ft pavilion with a fly in colors with all of the ropes, poles, and stakes, you can spend over $1500 at the competition. For that same $1500, I'll sell you a 12 ft by 12ft pavilion with a fly in colors with all of the ropes, poles, and stakes AND a full or queen sized slat bed, a table, 2 chairs, and a clothing rack.
