Digging Deeper - We're Finding Treasure

DH and I have been busy at the store, digging deeply into forgotten corners and bags, finding treasure troves of merchandise or items for repair that haven't seen the light of day for decades. It's been really fun, and since many of the items actually were set aside because they needed new stones or alteration before they could be wearable, it's been a challenge re-configuring items into useful and beautiful things once again. 

The items we've been finding in the back corners and in the safe
have needed repairs, but that is usually not a problem. It's been
lots of fun figuring out how to repair them and getting them
polished and onto the sales floor. 

Even though most of my equipment has been transferred to my home studio, we left enough of a set-up at the shop to allow repairs, etc to be carried out there with relative ease. The lighting sucks, but I can do a lot with a Dremel and a Foredom flex shaft and various burs and tips. I'm pretty happy with where things are going right now. I'm getting a chance to work with metal again, and have been able to get some really nice pieces out onto the sales floor. 

There's still a lot to do, and there are times when I'm just holding my breath and trying something that may end up breaking. When doing repairs like that, I always try to have a back door available - a second way that the item might be able to be used. But in most cases I just grit my teeth and go for it. After all, it hasn't been available for sale for more than 20 years, so anything is an improvement. 

I have absolutely no idea which direction I should take to sell
the graphic art we still have in stock. The market for limited
edition prints tanked a decade or two ago, and most of my inventory
is in that format. I have original art too, but much less of it. 

DH, on the other hand, has been busy researching current market prices for items similar to what we're fixing and putting out for sale. Our prices marked were from the 90's. Silver has gone up a lot from then, as has labor. Most items would benefit from a doubling of the price I had marked on them, some might go even higher. We probably should also look at setting up a secondary website or an Etsy or Ebay site to put some artwork and other items onto. I have four print drawers units full of limited edition and original Native American artwork to sell (a total of 24 deep drawers full), and no walls to hang them on. It's a problem - a serious one. Still, life seems to be good and I have hope that we'll figure something out. 

I've also started work on my holiday cards - card and envelope paperstock is being delivered later this week, and I'm working on the ornament I want to include with each card. I found my dies and have been cutting out glittery stock each morning before work. It's such a relief to be creative once more. Keep your eyes open, I'll be doing my first "call out" for cards by the end of the month. 

Have a great Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow.