Hurry, hurry-step right up.

See the bearded lady.

Have a hot dog on a stick.

Check out the cool . . . commode seat and grab bars?

It's a stretch to expect carnival barkers to incorporate home medical equipment into their hype, but if you cruise the midway at the Minnesota State Fair, you will find bath safety products alongside the saltwater taffy and cotton candy.

Blair Ferguson, president of Access One, has been renting a booth at the fair for five years. At first, he had a 10-by-10 foot booth; this year, because business is good, it's a 10-by-20 foot booth. It might not sound like a conventional way to move HME products, but Ferguson is happy with the results.

"The biggest hurdle to overcome is getting the word out that these products are available," he says. "We've had good luck at the fair. The booths are cheaper than trade shows, and the traffic is the general population. These are cash items, and you get a lot of people who have never seen these products before and will buy them for family members."

Ferguson builds a model bathroom in his booth, featuring a wide selection of grab bars, commodes, bath benches and tub lifts. For a fraction of what he would pay at an industry trade show, he says, he gets 80,000 consumers walking by his wares over a 12-day period.

"There's usually a five-year wait to get a booth at the Minnesota State Fair, but they let me in the first year because this was unique," he says. "It costs $1,200, and that's money well spent. People might not buy the first time they see you, but they might the next year. It helps being here every year."