Seasonal trumpet vendors enjoy robust business ahead of New Year
Trumpet vendors enjoy robust business
Muninggar Sri Saraswati The Jakarta Post Jakarta
Blowing trumpets loudly and making a huge din has become a tradition in celebrating the New Year. A trumpet is a must at almost all New Year's Eve celebrations here. Without the earsplitting noise, the celebration would be less meaningful, some people say.
Others say that buying trumpets to celebrate for New Year is just as wasteful as the celebration itself. They say that New Year's Eve parties with all their glitter and sparkle are just a waste of time and money.
However, what party poopers consider wasteful is a blessing for others.
About two weeks prior to New Year's Eve, seasonal trumpet vendors spring up all over the city here.
Despite the tight competition among vendors, more people are trying their luck in the business, according to a trumpet vendor on Jl. Prapanca, South Jakarta.
"The number of trumpet vendors has increased rapidly this year. I think it is related to the large number of unemployed people currently," said Namat, who has been a seasonal trumpet hawker since 1973.
However, Namat does not feel threatened as he always makes different shapes of trumpets from those of his colleagues. At his temporary stall, he displays a wide variety of paper wind instruments, from the traditional trumpets to saxophones.
This year, the creative vendor, who claims to the first to make paper saxophones, started to make his merchandise four months ago. He used Rp 4 million as capital.
Namat made 1,100 wind instruments, a sharp increase from last year's 200 pieces. There are still 250 left, but Namat is optimistic that he will be able to sell them all.
"Jakartans always celebrate New Year's Eve by blowing trumpets, either at private parties or at Monas (National Monument) park," said Namat, who drives a public bus on other days.
According to Namat, some of his customers are party organizers while others are individuals. An individual would buy no more than 10 pieces, but a party organizer could buy up to 100 pieces.
One of his customers, Hans Dieter, told The Jakarta Post that he bought trumpets as he would hold a New Year's Eve party in his house in Pejaten area, South Jakarta.
"No (New Year) party without trumpets," he said, adding that he bought 10 pipe instruments of different shapes because "I need something new".
Price, therefore, was not a big deal for Dieter. Perhaps, that is why Namat's customers are mostly foreigners.
Namat sells his merchandise at between Rp 7,000 and Rp 100,000 a piece.
Another vendor near Plaza Senayan, Central Jakarta, Budiman, sells his trumpets for between Rp 5,000 and Rp 20,000 each.
He came here from his hometown in Pandeglang, West Java, two weeks ago to sell the trumpets, which were made by his neighbors. Here he stays at a relative's house in Pejompongan, Central Jakarta.
He said that as of Wednesday, he had sold 150 trumpets, or half of all trumpets he brought.
"Business is good this year, I think I could get Rp 2 million before New Year's Eve," Budiman said proudly.
Last year he ran his business in Kapuk, North Jakarta, and was able to sell some 100 trumpets.
As for Namat, he hoped to gain about Rp 3 million in profit.
"Well, it is our time to get a windfall. I think we deserve it as it only happens once a year," he said.
He enlisted the help of at least 10 people, including his wife and four children, for the business this year. He had asked his nephew and neighbors to help him to make and sell the trumpets, and paid them between Rp 100,000 and Rp 300,000 each.