Amsterdam, Netherlands (My Stall)
My Stall at the King's Day Market in Amsterdam
On King's Day, anyone in the Netherlands can sell their old things on the street. My stall had a few problems.
On King’s Day, the Dutch celebrate their King’s birthday in orange, and in Amsterdam anyone can sell used things on the street. Stalls that look too commercial, with lots of the same item, get sent away. I opened a stall.
My Price List
- My old umbrella: five euros. Used once, in a storm, beautifully.
- A framed photo of me: ten euros. Slightly used, for admiring.
- A block of cheese: not allowed. Meat, fish and dairy are banned at the street market. I ate the cheese myself, in protest.
- A slightly used crown: forty euros. Mostly costume.
- My ties: two euros each. I had 48 of them. All identical. All excellent.
The Inspection
An official came by and counted my ties. “Forty-eight of the same thing,” she said. “Too commercial.” I said it wasn’t a shop, it was a collection. She said a collection of 48 identical ties is a shop.
So I put on 47 of the ties at once. Now they weren’t stock. They were an outfit. I sold the umbrella and the photo, and I kept the outfit.
Happy birthday to the King. Orange suits him. Ties suit me.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is everyone in orange?
The Dutch royal family is the House of Orange, so the whole street wears it on King's Day. I wore it with 47 ties.
What time did you open?
Six in the morning, the earliest you're allowed. I was asleep behind the stall by seven.