I want to live in South Dakota. (Sioux Falls, Rapid City: apartment, homes)

[ladynitenday]

I was Sandi Z but have switched my user name.
There is a flea market that runs most of the year in Sioux Falls where you could sell your things and there are many local craft fairs throughout the year. Don't think that just because your things are "rustic" that they wouldn't work in a $250K house. All you need to do is watch the DIY type networks and you will see that many wealthy people seem to use the branch, twig, and rustic furniture in their places all the time. The HGTV house they are giving as a prize this year is part of a 2 million dollar prize and it has a lot of twig furniture.
Some people from this area go to Rapid and Sioux FAlls to put their home made items in the galleries there. They sell a wide range of items to the tourists and not just painings and sculptures. It may take a bit to get your name known, but there are an awful lot of people who make their entire income from home based work. That includes being ebay sellers, kayak makers, bow and arrows, leather work, knit and crochet work to woodworking. I buy many things from ebay sellers who live here in the state as a matter of fact.
I have checked but just can't find local people who would be willing to carry the paper on any property and hope you find some help from the other people who have posted. It's snowing here today and cold as h--l but I love it and wouldn't trade for any beach in a tropical setting for anything.

[Jammie]

That's a wonderful idea. They often have things where people rent booths to sell their homemade things. Besides Sioux Falls, the state fair in Huron has many booths. So does the Labor Day Fair in Wagner. Letcher also has a big "rummage sale" day and people rent booths and sell a lot of different things. That was just such a good suggestion. But I'd settle for the beach and some palm trees today.

[Being pushed out]

Hi all,
Sorry it has been so long but I have been trying to further my woodworking skills. Been taking some classes on woodcarving, glass, metal carving and sandblasting. I am hoping this will broaden my work range by adding more personalized and custom touches. I will then be offering custom carvings gunstocks, personalization on cabinets, furniture or whatever wood, glass or metal product one may have or want. If you want a full sized wild life scene on your sliding glass doors I will be able to do it. All one has to do is provide a picture from a magazine or photo of what ever they want and I will be able to duplicate it to what ever they want it on, be it a gun stock, window, knife blade or what ever, or one can choose an image from a group of ones I am collecting. If you want Marry loves Harry on your rear car window, I will put it there in any size you want. I am excited about all this, never thought I had artistic skills in me. I could not even draw my name very well, but they are coming out quit nicely.

I still want to come up to SD but things need to fall into place just right. These classes and equipment have taken most of my stored cash. (Very costly)

I am still looking for papers with listing of lower priced fixer uppers but not doing to well. Have found tons of listing with realtor but they all way send back something other than what I request info on so as always I gave up on them.

All your ideas for places to sell are all great one. Would just need to find them and get into them with some quality stuff. That is were I believe these new skills would be very helpful in selling to and attaining new customers.

Well, better go so I wish you all the best of days and again thank you for any and all info or leeds.

Mark

[themom-44]

we have a small mall by the CORN PALACE with many stores that sell "South Dakota" made items...better yet if you can figure out how to use CORN in your skills...mitchell is around 14 or 16 thousand, not real small nor is it large...

try www.mitchell.com or maybe southdakota.gov is another option for other communities...

[Natjac]

My family and I currently live in Sioux Falls, SD. It's a great place to raise a family, and is still very safe. We lived in Germany for 3 years in the 80's and loved it- we loved the countryside, and the wide variety of quaint, unique towns to visit. That is one thing to consider about SD, particularly Sioux Falls- there is not much to do outside of the city. If you are looking for a larger town, I would not recommend Rapid City- it would be nice to be near the Black Hills, but we hear so many negatives about the city itself.
Sioux Falls has wonderful medical facilities, and ample job opportunities. I would recomend the city if you are prepared to be somewhat isolated. Also, it is a strong religious community, and people will frequently ask you which church you go to. It is not a liberal town, and as one viewer posted, the current goal seems to be the first state in the country to outlaw abortion. If you feel you could live with this type of right wing mentality, then it's a nice place to live!! Good luck on your decision.

[Being pushed out]

Hi all;

You are right Natjac. My Dads family is mainly from Scotland about six generations back with a few that migrated to Germany and my Mothers side is direct from Norway mainly around Oslo. Although I have never had the opportunity to visit either country I have seen picture from family members of both. They do have some beautiful countryside’s that would be hard to duplicate anywhere in the world I would think.

When I move I want a very small town or village with a big old house that can be restored to all its original old splendor and charm. Plus a place that every one knows you. I miss it when I could walk down the street and someone would say, hay good mourning Mark and mean it, not just because they happened to glance you in the eye by mistake and felt obligated to say something. The only isolation I want is isolated in the small country town of village, although it is nice to have a larger town or city within a reasonable distance as to go for supplies or even a Saturday night movie and dinner I just prefer SMALL.

Although I do not go to church every week I do have my religious beliefs but my church is the church of hard work and leave thyn neighbor alone. I my self never ask what church one goes to, but in my current profession I do get asked about it quit often which does not bother me at all. I think I would like a strong religious community the way it was here when I was a kid. The people seem to have a better code of ethics you might say.

CORN ! I will need to give that one some thought (themon-44) I could carve any number of corn pictures or scenes into glass or wood in most any lay out and could sandblast any number of ways into glass also. Another idea that just quickly comes to mind would be to inlay a half peeled husk into a wood project of some sort. If one was to seal it before it turned dry and brown the fresh green and yellow colors could be preserved if one wanted the brighter colors. Good idea, if corn is big there. I will need to think about that one. If you have any ideas send them if you would and I will present some in my classes and practice carving some.

Well better go I have rattled on to long again.

Have the best of days;
Mark

[Jammie]

Mark, you may find the Corn Palace interesting since you can do artwork with corn. They use the colored corn and other grains that are raised by a local farmer to decorate the Corn Palace. It's actually a huge building that is decorated every year and stays that way until the next year when it's redone. (Except for this year cause there was a drought) It has many lights on it and is very pretty at night. Besides a tourist attraction, that is where the college and the high school hold their graduations. There are a lot of basketball games and district chamionship games held at the Corn Palace. They also have concerts there on occasion. We have a Corn Palace Festival every autumn and it goes back to when farmers didn't get out much. It was after the harvest and it was their big "fling" before winter set in and they weren't able to get out and about until springtime. You sound like the kind of person who'd really love to see it and also be there when it's redecorated. And small quiet towns with big old houses to redo~you'll find that in most areas in So. Dak.

[salley]

Try South Dakota and Aberdeen in particular. It is the home of Northern State University and one of the most family friendly towns I've ever lived in. Kids ride their bikes to the park. The older sections of town have great sidewalks, people are outside working on their lawns, the university has a fine music department with free or inexpensive concerts. One of the towns best features is the theater group. They restored an old movies theater and do first rate productions.

[DannyBanany]

If you want beauty, friendlines, and a short commute... Rapid City is the best place in the state.

It is certainly th most beautiful-as soon as you drive into the city on Interstate 90, the scenery changes from desolate prairie to gorgeous mountains-and the people are always willing to help a newcomer.

Also, Rapid City is growing quite "rapidly" and new malls, parks, and restaurants are springing up everywhere!

Homes are expensive in the city and even on the outskirts, so I suggest living in a nearby development or "suburb" of the city. To give you a figure on how high the cost of living in Rapid City is... I live on the southern edge of town and I pay $900 per month for rent.. granted I live in a good neighborhood next to a park, golf course, and the main hospital!

Plus, Sioux Falls is dull!!

[maryruth]

I hope you do move to South Dakota. I have met a lot of German tourists who are very interested in Native American, and particularly Lakota Sioux, culture.
The Black Hills are beautiful and very historic. There are species of plants growing in them that grow nowhere else, and some that grow in the Hills and also in some distant part of the USA.
I would not live anywhere in South Dakota except the Black Hills. I am in Hot Springs for the last 20 years now...the longest I have lived anywhere in my life...almost a native, as I like to claim.
People here love and manage the land, being very close to the earth. We have our faults and foibles, but we are REAL people...nothing like what you see on television...GBSEG!!!
Check out the city photos of Hot Springs at the City-Data site.