American Artisanry

Thinking about incorporating some homegrown product into your merchandise mix? Nothing could be better than quality craft items produced by American artists. For specialty retailers looking to support domestic manufacturing and distinguish their store from the competition, locally produced handcrafted items are a win-win situation. Why? Because by their very nature handcrafted products are special — no two pieces are exactly alike.

And that's why craft is perfect for specialty. In the vernacular of our industry, the term “crafts” means high quality, functional, decorative art pieces conceived and produced by hand by professional artisans. These are definitely not camp craft projects or bead-and-sequin holiday ornaments. They're works of art created in glass, ceramic, metal, wood and other media, using techniques such as blowing and fusing (glass), throwing (ceramic) and turning (wood). The number of items produced is limited; therefore quantity and retail availability is limited.

The craft show circuit is where many artists begin selling their work. These are great places for retailers to tap into local artisans on the rise. Many sell only on the retail side, but these days more craft artists are turning to the wholesale marketplace to grow their art as a business.

In recent years, sourcing quality crafts has gotten even easier with the opening of handcrafted divisions at many of the major gift trade shows. Among the oldest and most respected wholesale craft shows are The Buyers Market of American Craft (BMAC) and the American Craft Show (ACS). Like most wholesale craft shows/sections, the BMAC and ACS are juried to ensure that the work meets certain overall standards. Retailers need to be aware, however, that not all craft shows/sections (especially at the major gift shows) feature American-only exhibitors; so if you are looking to highlight American handmade crafts, check with the exhibitor to learn where the items are produced.

Chances are, when you walk into an American craft exhibitor's booth the person in attendance is also the artist. This provides an opportunity to develop a more personal relationship that will enable you to give customers in-depth information about the product.

These artists have a story to tell — and sell. They're passionate about what they do, and want to share that passion. For retailers, the artist's story is part of the romance of their work, and an integral part of selling the product. For the craft customer, an artisan craft piece is more than just a product, it's an art object representing a real person who's invested a bit of himself or herself in its creation. That personal connection enhances the appeal, and the value, of the piece.

Professional craft artists often straddle two worlds: the art world, where their work expresses their creative vision; and the commercial world, where they sell their work to earn a living wage. Because of both factors, many craft items come with a bigger price tag than imported, mass-produced goods.

So how does one go about convincing customers to pay a higher price? First, you have to convince yourself. When sourcing craft items, there's likely to be certain element of sticker shock with some pieces, as many creations rise to the level of museum quality fine art. It's best to leave those items to galleries, fine jewelry stores and museum shop buyers.

Still, there are plenty of great items in a price range that you and your customers will find comfortable. Jewelry, much of which is fashion-forward and reasonably priced, and other smaller items can be a good place to start (rather than going for that traffic-stopping piece of glass sculpture, which may take your entire open-to-buy for just one piece). Make sure that you purchase enough to make a statement.

If you're looking for a way to distinguish your store from the big boxes and support American industry at the same time, look to your local artists and craft shows for a little home grown product.