Ok, one more photo-less post but to make up for it the next post will be all photos, as my low-fire ornaments turned out well, and I'll soon be unloading my glazed stoneware ornaments.
This post is for the owners and managers of Big Box stores.
In my last two posts I listed off a bunch of reasons why people should buy local craft, now based on those reasons, I'm going to describe a small way I think you Big Box managing people could help the local economy.
When I moved to Regina in 2005, I remember going to a Canadian Tire store looking for Christmas stuff, and being surprised that pretty much all of it was made in China. Why? I guess we've become used to the idea that in order to profit, stores need to flip cheap goods, and to get cheap goods, these goods need to be made in offshore factories. I remember saying "isn't this Canadian Tire? why is all the Christmas stuff made in China? Do they even celebrate Christmas?". This post is directed at a number of big box stores, but I think it can be summed up by my alternate title: 'How to Put the 'Canadian' Back into Canadian Tire'.
Well, to throw out a word from my previous career in Science, I have a 2-part Hypothesis to test. My hypothesis is this: 1. Locally made craft is cheaper than people think, and, 2. given the choice, a lot of consumers would prefer to buy locally made craft if were made readily available to them.
As consumers I think a lot of us have become addicted and dependent on the convenience of big box store shopping. These stores tend to be open long hours, have easy parking, lots of staff, and be located in centres where people go to get groceries and other things they need. Now, as a craftsperson so far I've done what every other craftsperson does and look for stores specializing in local art and craft to sell my wares. While I love the venues I support, if I want to make a full-time living with my ornaments and figurines it has occurred to me I'll soon be out-producing what these stores are able to sell.
I also believe art is for everyone. This is a concept I've heard thrown around in the community art events I've helped with, and I know a few artists who now specialize in making giant parade puppets, lanterns, and installations. Sometimes I've felt like a bit of a sell-out for not devoting myself to this full time as well, but I've realized that my passion lies in tackling the "art is for everyone" idea from a different angle. My angle is that anyone should be able to afford a little bit of locally handmade art in their home. This is why I love to make hand sculpted figurines and ornaments at prices that are competitive with mass produced objects from foreign factories. For awhile I've felt like I'm in some sort of trade war with China, and my ornaments and figurines are like my little soldiers. Now I would love to send these soldiers into a big box store, and let them fight it out with Chinese made ornaments for market share.
My Christmas wish to Big Box stores is this:
Please, please, please (yes I'm begging) please let me show you some samples of my more "productiony" ornaments for this Christmas season, the ones that I can make relatively quickly. We could agree on a price point that we think customers would go for, and hopefully a consignment rate that pleases us both. I've designed my little animal ornaments to either stand on their cute little feet, or sit on their cute little bottoms, so all I would require is some shelf space. In most big box stores I've visited, there is always a bit of room. I would bring these ornaments to you, you just need to price them and hopefully sell them. That's it. It'd be a win/win. No dealing with ordering stock from afar, and having to cope with leftover stock that doesn't sell. I could take away or swap out unsold pieces. I'd even assume responsibility for any theft or damage.
And think about it, oh Big Box owner, you would have the honour of being at the leading edge of the "Localartista" revolution (Localartista = maker and/or purveyor of local art and craft, I made up that word this week). Think how thrilled your customers would be that you're presenting them with opportunities to put something locally made on their Christmas Tree. After all, Lunenburg County is the "Christmas Tree Capital of the World" (according to the sign I saw on the highway) so wouldn't it be great to make it easier for people to put Lunenburg County Christmas Ornaments on their trees? I think your customers would pick up on the fun energy I try to sculpt into my pieces. I think they would find the foreign made objects dull and cheerless by comparison. And really, what is the worst that could happen? You try out a product that doesn't sell? At least with me you wouldn't be gambling any dough. Plus any dough we both make stays right in our local economy, it isn't sent offshore. With your help one day I'll even hopefully be able to hire an assistant at my ornament factory, and this province does need more jobs!
Ok Big Box owner/manager, you can stop reading now as the rest of this post is to pacify the shops that I currently work with so they don't chuck all my stuff out in the street.
If any owners of more traditional craft venues read this post and think "what the hell are you doing, taking more of our business away from us" my argument is, nah. I don't think I am. I think there are already people who will and do go out of their way to support small galleries and craft shops. The good galleries/shops have built up loyal cliental by offering unique products and friendly service. I think local small store shoppers are already hooked, and I don't think any of these customers will suddenly stop buying my products from these shops because I have some ornaments in a Big Box store. There is something magical about walking into a store or gallery that has mainly local art and craft, that would be difficult to replicate in a Big Box store where people are also going in to buy fishing rods, nails, toasters and swiffer refills.
What I do think will happen, though, is that more of the public will realize, huh, handmade local craft isn't as expensive as I thought. I do think there are legions of people, who, due to being busy with family, shiftwork, overwork, general shyness to enter a small independently run store, just aren't going to shop at galleries. These people just feel more comfortable in malls and Big Box stores and possibly assume that galleries are full of expensive things they can't afford. But, maybe if my ornament/soldiers become popular, and I continue to promote my work at other venues, these formerly Big-Box/Mall shopping only people might finally venture into a gallery or craft shop to see what they're all about. My ornaments would be like cheerful ambassadors welcoming new people into the world of local art and craft. It'd be a win/win. And most certainly any Big Box store taking on my work isn't going to be losing sales to art galleries, as they sell so much other stuff that people need. I think Big Box stores are more suited to carrying large amounts of low-priced works, and in my experience, galleries would rather be selling the more one-of-a-kind show stopping stuff anyways, as these pieces fetch a higher price and are better able to help the indie business owner pay bills than my lower priced trinkets. The more unique pieces are also the pieces that gallery fans are craving.
Having a few lines of products at Big Box stores would also help me pay my bills, assuming my items sell well and provide me with some steadier income to hedge against slow times at the smaller shops. Truth be told, my dream is to come up with lines of products that have the mass appeal
of Beanie Babies and My Little Ponies with the one-of-a-kind uniqueness
and collectability of Faberge Eggs. Having outlets for my productiony stuff would also allow me some
creative freedom to split my time between making for the Big Box and
taking a risk on making more unique pieces for the smaller shops that I
love to support.
So my hunch is that my Big Box plan sounds like a win/win/win/win/win for me, customers, the Big Box, galleries and the local economy. Maybe I'm wrong! But, definitely an experiment worth trying, eh?
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