During the past month, Larry Jensen has bumped up his exercise routine and paid greater heed to his diet. He wants to be in tip-top shape when the Minnesota State Fair begins Thursday, and not just so he can indulge in a Pronto Pup or two.

As owner of ComfoRest Adjustable Beds, Jensen typically does 10 percent of his annual business during the fair's 12 days, selling from his booth on the upper level of the Grandstand.

"It's 9 to 9 for 12 days," he said. "Lots of people coming through. Once they see the bed, many of them are interested. I'm with them for a half hour to an hour. And about half of those will actually purchase right there at the fair."

For Jensen and the more than 1,200 commercial exhibitors and concessionaires, the State Fair offers a chance to reel in customers with sweet smells, hands-on demonstrations and unique offerings.

Big-ticket items don't just make for fun browsing; they're big business.

One of Jensen's ComfoRest bed runs about $1,800, on average. A custom-made window, perhaps $3,000. If you're looking for pest control, Tom Olson at Mosquito Control can set you up with an automatic mosquito misting system for $2,800 to $5,000.

Other big-ticket players at the fair this year include 10 car dealers, nine roof and siding contractors and a couple of companies selling pianos and organs.

They'll be waiting for people like Elissa and Jason Beach to come their way.

A few years ago, the Beaches dropped about $2,000 on a water softener. The next year, they forked over $350 on a set of cookware. Two years ago, they spent a $2,500 on a wooden play system for their home in Lonsdale.

"We're kind of impulse buyers," said Elissa Beach, 33. "We're both thinking, 'We should go take a look at something,' and next thing you know, we're handing over our credit cards."

But she said the variety of vendors and knowledgeable salespeople make the fair a great place to shop.

"We love the fair, and the retailers love us," she said.

Waiting to get a space

For vendors eager to hawk their wares to a statewide audience, landing a booth at the fair can be competitive process -- especially for certain products.

There's a pool of about 1,700 applicants on file still hoping to get a license, according to fair officials. This year, about 125 new ones made it in.

"If we were to take everyone who comes along who sells roofs or siding, it'd be a home show and not the State Fair," said Jim Sinclair, the fair's deputy general manager. "But there's always been a place for companies that have new products and services, and new lines to get in front of a potential market."

In other words, settle in for a long wait if you're selling spas, saunas or hot tubs, say fair officials, because there's seven of them this year. Yet Dan Gibbs, president of Driveway Designs, got in the first time he applied.

Gibbs' company sells custom-designed stamped asphalt and decorative driveways. A customer can spend anywhere from $2,000 to $70,000, depending on the scope of the project.