Thursday, August 5, 2010

Christmas help?



Look at all of these amazing Items...

For the past 6 years out of my 9
 I have been buying Christmas gifts for the store.
I'm always so excited
unpack rearrange the store and then
It hardly sells.

Alaska is a tough market ,the toughest!!


So I mark it all down,
 give some of it to my friends
and vow never to buy
again.

well yesterday I got my mail
and surprise there I am
with a catalog again

but this last Christmas,
I thought Why not buy
buy other peoples creations
instead of supporting the big companies
support the little guy
Like me.

So can this be done?
Will I be able to buy treasures,,
 pay for shipping, and still clear a little.
and
What are your favorite artists?
Is this true someone said you can buy wholesale
from some artists?

What do you think?


8 comments:

  1. Are these things you've had in your store? They're wonderful, if I lived there and if I had any money I'd buy them all. I haven't had any experience with etsy, Heidi, except Robin and the Sage sent me a beautiful necklace and she's listed on etsy. She's in Finland. The beads are the same color as the glacial waters there in Alaska. I think that's a great idea - I was wondering about some of your local crafts people there. What about honey? Diane

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  2. Definately a made in Alaska section! But directly from the person not etsy, I mean!

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  3. I did not even realize you had a store!
    I hope you can find some local people..on the island that is big time, at christmas they have sales dedicated to island crafters...all those things are so sweet.

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  4. Hello Heidi,
    I think buying handmade for your shop is a great idea. It would mean your stock would be completely different from anything else available. Alot of people who make handmade do offer wholesale but maybe just not at the 50% reduction. If you find someone on Etsy who you like you can always convo them and ask them if they offer wholesale. I often have people ask me this way. x

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  5. Hi Heidi,

    Such a good idea to buy handmade Christmas decorations! I hope and think you will definetely find some lovely things on Etsy! Love the images from the catalogues, they made me smile because it's rather warm here :-)! By the way, never realised you live in Alaska!

    Wish you a happy weekend!

    Lieve groet, Madelief

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  6. I love the idea of stocking handmade, I'm sure that given plenty of time to make the orders, people will be happy to supply you. I guess you just need to weigh up the costs & shipping etc to ensure that it is viable for you..I was in a little store that has just opened recently & I fell in love with some eco bags she was selling, but when I saw they were made in china I decided I'd rather look at the markets or online to buy one from a local crafter to support them instead. I think more & more people are starting to think this way, so you should look into it for sure!

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  7. I can only imagine how difficult the market is in Alaska. It's even bad here, stateside. How different things are today than they were ten years ago when I was in the antiques and collectibles business.

    Your idea for supporting other vendors, by selling their wares, is a noble one. I hope that it is a huge success for you and them.

    Hugs,
    Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage
    http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

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  8. I don't have an answer for your question, but I think supporting private (and better, local) artists is a great idea. Here in the Lower 48, it's a growing movement.

    Love these arrangements. I want a feather tree!

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