TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - Street vendors sold Mitt Romney merchandise outside the SeaGate Center Wednesday. Some vendors started their own business after losing their job years ago, others got involved as an alternative to being on the street.
Michael Goodart has been a vendor since 2009 after losing his job, and not being able to find steady work. Goodart decided to start his own business selling buttons, t-shirts, hats and even oven mitts.
"I was a couple months behind on my house because I could only find part time work, and took a mortgage payment bought some t-shirts, and sold out, took orders, and it turned into a business," said Goodart.
Goodart said he is thankful for the work but said it is not the easiest job.
"It's tough, I mean you're on the road, I've put about 60 thousand miles on my car so far this year, I think I added up my gas bills, over eight grand this year. But I mean you make money, put food in the kids mouths, pay your rent and mortgage, you know," said Goodart.
For Cortez Williams, being a vendor means he is no long on the streets.
"When you compare it to taking a penitentiary chance when you will wind up maybe in jail for 15 to 20 years, then you have to say hey you know this is more positive and it's more prosperous," said Williams.
"I took the semester off to follow the campaign with Mr. Romney. You know I believe, I'm strong into his views, capitalism is what he preaches, business, you know all that, this is what I'm exercising right here. I'm going to school for business marketing, and this is me marketing my business," said vendor Al Harris.
Vendors said their profit varies daily and the money they make depends on the event. Vendors said they make anywhere from a few hundred to even thousands in a day.
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