Trumpets promise handsome profit for many
Leony Aurora and Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The New Year celebration has, in recent years, been accompanied by a cacophony of horns in all shapes, sizes and tone. Parties and celebrations at hotels, cafes, homes and on the streets will see people tooting on their paper trumpets at the stroke of midnight and beyond.
On the sidewalks of Jl. Hang Tuah, South Jakarta, many vendors sell the paper horns resembling the real brass instruments -- trombones, tubas, saxophones and trumpets.
Those who can afford them seem to prefer these more elaborate trumpets as they produce a more desirable sound with their fairly sophisticated designs. The trumpets hit Jakarta three years ago and the prices range between Rp 5,000 (59 U.S. cents) and Rp 25,000.
"It depends mainly on the designs and how hard you can bargain," said Marsan, one of the vendors.
Marsan is a maker of the temporary horns from Selang Bulak kampong in Cibitung, Bekasi. He started out by making the simple conical noisemakers, but and some other villagers there now make more the intricate horns in their free time to prepare for the New Year.
"I wanted to make more than 1,000 trumpets but only managed to make 700," said Marsan, who had started producing in February. He works daily as a fruit seller and makes the trumpets with the help of his wife and 13-year-old son on his time off.
Every year, most of the men in the village go to the capital in late November to sell trumpets. They are willing to hang out for hours on end beside gutters for more than a month to rake in a handsome profit from their sales.
Last year, Marsan made 1,500 trumpets and sold all of them.
Sapan, a vendor on Jl. Barito, South Jakarta, said that to make 2,000 elegant trumpets of various sizes and designs, he invested Rp 3 million in working capital.
"That money is for the poster paper, the glittery paper, which we call 'reggae' paper, glue and bamboo pieces, as well as transportation," he said. The most difficult part was to find large amounts of the shiny paper which was usually sold only in Bogor city.
Sapan came to Jakarta with two of his sons, his son-in-law, and nephews. "It's a good way to spend my retirement," said the 63-year-old man.
Traditional cone horns, however, still have a place in the seasonal business.
Agus Irawan, 30, displayed all 100 of his hand-made trumpets on Saturday in front of a bus stop near his house in Palmerah, Central Jakarta. The trumpets were displayed on a pair of bamboo poles.
"We started making the trumpets just three days ago. I have two other friends with me who also have put money into this venture," he said, as he fixed some tassels on the trumpets.
Agus has been out of work for six months, after losing his job as a security guard. He lives with his wife and two sons aged seven and two.
"It's the first time I have sold these trumpets. I had to do it to feed my family. If I don't work, my children will go hungry.
"Besides, it's a good opportunity since the New Year is drawing near," he said.
Each of his glittering trumpets is priced at Rp 6,000. Agus, however, said that he could go as low as to Rp 3,500 if the buyers "insisted".
While many other vendors are trudging along the city streets to sell their trumpets, Agus said he and his friends had decided not to move around.
"We'll just stay at this bus stop since it's close to home. Perhaps we'll just go to the nearby Palmerah market if it gets dark here.
"But on New Year's Eve, we'll go near Hotel Mulia because I'm sure there will be lots of parties and celebrations. I bet they'll buy many trumpets," he said, with high hopes that it would be his that they bought.