Food vendors at the West End Fair can measure their success when they total sales at the end of the night.

Some vendors don’t reap the profits for weeks, or years.

An example is Walters Monument Company of Summit Hill, which has been in the same corner of the fair every year, near the craft tent and across from a vendor.

When Craig Walters began tagging along with his dad to the fair years ago, the “blinking button guy” had a stand across them.

Now the space is occupied by Marine Corps recruiters.

His dad would set up the tombstones for the family business, and when he reached middle school, Walters would “help” his dad. It was a time for bonding.

His dad passed in 2021, but the message is still the same as his dad taught him: “You’re not here for the sales.”

It’s a plus if you do make a sale, his dad would say, but few people are ready to make that kind of decision at a county fair.

Walters’ father would tell him fairs are a way “to keep your name out there so families know where to find you.”

For some reason, tombstones are a conversation piece and Walters is rarely alone at the fair.

People stop by, admire a black one with colored etchings, or one that looks like it’s wood grain. They ask for pricing, but often tell a story about this relative or that one. They’ll talk about what they want on their headstone.

“They have general questions — what it’s made of, where it’s from,” Walters said. “Each year varies from fair to fair.”

Now and then people get angry and say tombstones are ruining the fun of the fair, but most people just want to know the cost.

“Price is a big factor,” Walters said. “Everything out there is so expensive and you’re coming from a funeral that costs $15 grand.”

The cost — $4,500 to $5,000 in most cases — doesn’t have to be paid right in the beginning.

He also displays at the Carbon, Schuylkill, Schnecksville, Gratz and Oley fairs.

Walters knows his presence there makes a difference, because customers come to the business and say, “I talked to Craig at the fair.”

Some people want to know if he’ll travel to another state. Recently he worked out details to send a tombstone to Florida for someone who used to live in the region.

People want to know if they can have a picture of their pet on the stone, or their farm, or a beach house.

Speaking of pets, you can buy a stone for Fluffy or Fido, too.

His business also includes tombstone cleanings, something that he said “has really ramped up in the last year.”

In another corner of the fair, Stroudsburg Granite Company has a tombstone display.

“We hand out a lot of cards,” said Truman Burnett III, who operates the business with his brother Colby and sister-in-law Melanie.

Sometimes they do make a sale at the fair, but often it’s later.

“A lot of people want to buy ahead of time,” Burnett said.

Either they don’t want to burden their kids or they just don’t trust them to do their wishes.

“They are just getting ideas,” he said. “They want prices mostly.”

Burnett believes Stroudsburg Granite is one of the oldest vendors at the fair. The business serves customers from Philadelphia to New York and New Jersey. People buy here because prices are much higher in the cities, he said.

In the front of the display are some dogbone-shaped stones and heart-shaped ones. Those, Burnett explains, are for pets, and sales have taken off.

With prices between $100 and $125, people are happy to make the purchase. The price includes engraving. Most get the pet’s name, date of birth and date of death.

A larger stone has a compartment drilled and sealed for the ashes of Burnett’s brother Colby and his wife’s dog Toto — a Cairn terrier that just loved the Fourth of July and fireworks. His name is engraved along with line drawings of fireworks.

“When it comes to a lasting legacy, people are getting more creative,” Burnett said.

Even bigger items

Azzy Powersports has ultimate utility vehicles, zero-turn mowers and ATVs with snowplows.

They can’t be carried off by fairgoers, but they sure can be driven.

The company is a presenting sponsor for the demolition derbies and is set up right by the entrance to the arena.

“A lot of people are curious,” said owner Brandon Azzalino.

Occasionally he’ll make a sale for a big boy toy at the fair, but it’s the following week that he’ll see results.

Fairgoers will show up at his store on Route 115 and pay anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000 and higher.

“We target all outdoor enthusiasts, Azzalino said.

Car of your dreams

The fair is the place to be for Krebs Auto Detailing.

Owner Josh Krebs said, “I love the fair. I’ve been coming here my whole life.”

His dad worked for Lehighton Ford, and as a kid he would tag along to the fair.

Now his business sponsors the fair. “It’s a way to give back,” he said.

And it’s a huge marketing step. “So many people didn’t know we existed.”

But they stop by his spot to take a look and a photo with his blue and white 1966 Ford F-100, carefully parked between fall blooms. It’s one of the most popular photo spots at the fair.

The truck was restored when he bought it, but he freshened it up with ceramic coating and puts it on full display.

“I’m not afraid to have people touch it,” Krebs said.

People begin talking about their beloved wheels and ask about options. He offers Ceramic Pro coatings, detailing, rustproofing and stain cleaning. For those who might forget to close their sunroof, he cleans up the water damage, too.

People are surprised to learn prices start at $199 and have been booking for coming weeks.

Accessories can certainly be ordered online, but Krebs specializes in service.

“People can walk in and someone will help you. And we almost always beat online prices,” he said.

Some people are sorely in need of help. Others just made a big investment in a vehicle and see value in preserving it.

“No one wants to buy a car that doesn’t look good,” he said.

Then there are the people who are in love with their cars, boats or RVs and want to make them the best they can be,

The business started in 2018, and Krebs has been displaying the last four years.

“We find value in it,” he said, as they ask every customer how they heard about the company. They often say they saw them at the fair.

If people stop and talk to Krebs at the fair, he said, “There’s a good chance we’ll see them over the next 365 days.”