At the Minnesota State Fair: Roseville Woman Selling Bottle Cap Novelties

Since she was a kid growing up in St. Paul’s Como Park neighborhood, Linda Graham has dreamed of having a booth at the Minnesota State Fair.

Now, this summer, the Roseville mother of four and a nurse consultant has turned her dream into a reality. Graham is among the scores of vendors and exhibitors pitching their goods and products at the 2011 Great Minnesota Get Together.

For Graham, it is personalized, decorative bottle caps with a business she calls “I Love Bottle Caps.”

She and her family decorate in the inside of bottle caps with tiny photos or images of, among other things, pets, flowers and people. Her bottle cap merchandise-which includes magnets, earrings, and chains- sells for less than $10 apiece.

“We are trying to make things different and affordable,” Graham, 49,  said, adding that she has hundreds of different images available for bottle cap use.

About two and a half years ago, Graham started out decorating bottle caps as a hobby for family and friends. 

“It was something easy and fun to do with the kids,” she said. Then, encouraged by the positive responses from family and friends; Graham branched out and began selling the novelties at craft fairs.

Buoyed by her initial success, Graham made a bid to bring her hobby business to the State Fair and this past April won the right to have a booth there.

To get ready for the State Fair, Graham enlisted her family and some of her children’s friends to help make the bottle cap gifts. Altogether, that’s involved decorating about 20,000 bottle caps.

Besides selling bottle cap images, Graham can also take your picture and transfer that image to a bottle cap.

Once the Fair concludes, Graham is considering selling her bottle caps at special gatherings such as weddings, class reunions and corporate events.

Graham’s State Fair booth is on the second floor of the Grandstand building.

Graham estimates that between the booth space and bottle caps, she has invested about $10,000 for selling at the State Fair. She will know after the Fair is over, whether she has recouped that investment and turned any profit. She is hoping the numbers are good.

“My hope is to go back to the Fair every year,” she said.