Bargains Abound This Presidents' Day Weekend In Provincetown

We're sort of closed between New Year's and early April. At least that is what the sign on the door says. But in actual fact we do open on weekends, if we are not out of town doing the buying at trade shows and if the weather is nice.

And if there is one thing the weather has been this winter, it's nice. Really, really nice.

According to @MattNoyesNECN (my go to source for all things weather related) it's going to be great this Presidents' Day Weekend too; dry with a mix of sun and clouds and temps in the low to mid 40s. Low to mid 40s? It's February for goodness sake. How lucky are we? So, yes, we will definitely be open at id on Saturday and Sunday; maybe even Monday too.

And it's a great time of year to be shopping in Provincetown because a lot of retailers that are usually closed at this time of year will throw the doors open on a sunny holiday weekend. And most of them have big sales going on because they need to clear out some of the old merchandise to make way for the new stuff that will be arriving before you know it. Here is a selection of a few of the bargains to be had at id:

  

Table lamps are 65% off.

 

  

Glass wall vases, bubbles and cylinders, are 40% off.

 

  

Several jewelry lines, and some belt buckles, are on sale.

 

Mini vases are buy two, get a third one free.

 

So are these super cute reusable totes that come in bear, cow, pig, fish, chick, ladybug and more.

When you are in the store tell us you saw this blog post and we'll give you an extra 10% off all purchases, regular priced items or ones on sale. (The store, id, is located at 220A Commercial Street, right across from Seamen's Bank.)

And if you can't make it to Provincetown this Presidents' Day Weekend then check out our web site, Swell 24.7.

You can get 10% off there too with coupon code PDWBLOG on Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

Several of these sale items are available on the site including the glass vases, the mini vases, the reusable totes and the paperstone pendants.

Happy shopping, and happy Presidents' Day Weekend.

Best Baby Gift Sets Ever

  

These have got to be the cutest baby gifts ever. When we found them at a trade show earlier this year we could not resist, even though we don't generally don't sell baby items; or even cute items for that matter. But these are so fun, so well made, so nicely packaged, so great as a quick and easy gift for a newborn that we went ahead and ordered them anyway.

  

100% cotton, macnine washable, snap closures for easy changing, and all that other stuff you look for in a baby outfit. Sized 0-6 months they are perfect for newborns. Plus they make fun, but comfortable, Halloween costumes for teeny tiny dress up.

• The Chef is the main ingredient when cooking up a cute look.
• The Firefighter celebrates real heroes and heroines.
• The Pilot helps little ones sleep well on an overnight flight.
• The Ballerina is great for a newborn that likes to take center stage.
• The Doctor is a cure for crankiness.
• The Baseball Player is an all star that will hit a home run.

What a great gift for a baby who has a parent in the medical profession, or loves to cook, or is learning to fly.

  

And the suitcase style gift box means you don't even need to wrap it before you head off to that baby shower or first visit to a little one. So, even better.

 

  

Even the littlest dreamers can have big dreams, and these fabulous gift sets will help them on their way.

Cape Cod Gets A Dusting Of Snow

Jack loves the snow.

I mean he really loves it.

I don't know if it's the clean, fresh smell or the softness on his paws or whatever, but even if there is only a dusting he prances around and gets all bouncy and happy. Which is exactly what he did this morning when we woke up to barely a 16th of an inch of the white stuff. And given that he is 15 there isn't a whole lot of prancing and bouncing so it makes us very happy to see him acting all puppy like again.

All three of us thoroughly enjoyed the early morning snowy prettiness as we wandered the trails through the forest by our house. And somehow the sight of snowflakes clinging to tree branches and sticking to pine needles never ceases to arouse oohs and aahs, no matter how often you see them. But this winter we've hardly seen any so the oohs and aahs were probably more enthusiastic than the amount of snow really warranted.

  

And personally I thought a lot of it looked like naturaly formed Andy Goldsworthy's (who is one of my most favorite artists and if you like nature and/or cool stuff you should really check him out). Like this one

and especially this one

Yep. Those are my boots at the very bottom.

And when we got home Jack went to sleep on the back door step, on the icy white stuff. Because, like I said, he really loves the snow.

No Crocheted Doilies Here: Shopping The Best Of American Handmade

So, shortly after the mass produced tchotchke Heaven that is the Americasmart in Atlanta we headed to Orlando for a whole different kind of show. Absolutely tiny in comparison but all hand crafted goods that are made in North America, generally by the person who is there selling them. Known as ACRE (American Craft Retailers Expo) it is produced by the fine folks that run WholesaleCrafts.com where we have found several artists over the years. As it's all hand made you can imagine that there is a whole lot of fabulously creative stuff there. Things you truly do not see anywhere else. It's basically a wholesale craft fair but that makes it sound a bit shabby and it definitely isn't; the items are really well made from interesting materials. No pine cones painted to look like rabbits or crocheted doilies here.

We found seven new lines, in just one day, plus a few other possibilities, and got to reorder from the fabulous artists we saw there last year. Here are the highlights:

  It's always hard to find jewelry that will appeal to men so we were really happy to find these two lines made by the same artist. The cuffs are made from leather, super soft Italian resin and a variety of metals. And the necklaces (on 22" chains) combine different exotic woods with sterling silver. We loved the combination of materials and all the twists and turns in the metals. These will be a big hit I think; and with women too no doubt - we are in Provincetown, after all.

 

We've carried belt buckles for years, made from all kinds of interesting things like license plates, vintage books, forged steel and now vinyl records. Any special requests?

 

  

Made in New England by Kristi Thorndike-Kent these plates, coasters and garden stakes crafted from fused glass will brighten up any garden, or coffee table.

 

  

And a little more subtle on the color, but just as beautiful, are these copper bird garden stakes and hanging birds made by a group of artisans in North Carolina. They are a few inches tall and totally gorgeous.

 

Sticking with the Lets Have As Much Cool Stuff As We Can Outside theme, Tripp Gregson has come up with all kinds of new fish and other sea creatures. They are all made from old license plates and road signs; upcycling at it's best. He was our most successful new product line last year and if you bought some in 2011 you'll probably want to add to the collection this year.

 

If you don't have much of an outdoors to decorate then how about these indoor solar powered wind chimes that come in four yummy colors. They give a little gentle chime every few minutes or so. Put them on a window ledge with the solar panel facing out, or directly under a table lamp, and they'll chime a lot; place them in a less well lit area of the room and they'll chime a little. Ingenious.

 

  

Another huge hit last year (and also a line we found at ACRE Orlando) was the journals, coasters and jewelry made from old books by Matt and Kellee Milner. And they have been busy coming up with new products such as these necklaces, mirrors and key chanis made from classic picture books and off beat text books that would otherwise be thrown a way. Recycling and nostalgia all in one; what's not to love?

 

And last but not least Merrie Bauschbaum has added to her line of amazingly beautiful pens with some that have a rounded, rubbery thing on the end that can be used on smart phones, tablets, etc. I totally forgot to take a picture but if you just imagine these ones with said rounded, rubbery thing on the end you'll get the idea. They will be a great addition not only to her pens that we already carry but also to the vast array of iPhone cases we ordered at Americasmart.

 

 

 

 

All these wonderful handmade items will be in the store, and many of them on the web site Swell247.com, this spring. Come on by and see some of the fabulous things these very creative people have made.

The Creative Use Of Mannequins

I've always had a bit of a mannequin thing going on. I often cut pictures of them out of magazines, and I have done a couple of art pieces based on them.

  

What To Wear (2011)                                                       Cupcakes For Lorraine (2010)

 

Party Shoes (2010)

(By the way, you can check out more of my art stuff by following me on facebook.)

Not sure what my whole mannequin obsession is about but I expect you could read all kind of Freudian things into why I like such feminine images when personally I wear a dress and make up about once every seven or eight years, or why I like the usually headless and always stationary figures, and only the female ones.

Whatever.

I like them so they are on my radar, which is why I noticed them at every turn when we were on our recent buying trip for the store at Americasmart in Atlanta. There were hundreds of them. Everywhere.

  

Sitting and standing.

 

  

Under dressed and way over dressed.

 

  

Incognito and traveling in pairs.

 

   

Used for selling clothes, and used for selling other stuff.

 

     

Plain and sparkly.

 

  

Cute and rather scary.

 

  

Beautifully made from lampshades and lit from inside,

 

And creatively clothed in a dress made from a map - my absolute, hands down, no question about it, personal favorite. That one is like a piece of art to me.

Hoots Are Hot This Year

If you want to know what is going to be 'in' this year go to a trade show and see the common thread that runs through all the showrooms, all the items, all the designs. Sometimes it's a color, sometimes it's a theme, sometimes it's a style.

This year it's owls.

We just spent four days at Americasmart in Atlanta doing the buying for 2012 and we saw owls all over the place, on everything and made into anything. They were everywhere.

Individually,

 

and en masse.

 

Facing forward,

 

and turned sideways.

 

Made of wood,

 

made of stone,

 

and made of glass.

 

Fluttering on flags,

 

and standing rigidly still.

 

Plain and simple,

 

and psychadelic.

 

Not wanting to be left off the owl bandwagon we ordered these three.

    

Vinyl wallets with an owl pair on them, bamboo iPhone cases with an image of an owl, and tiny owl silhouettes made of two simple pieces of wood that slot together. They come in boxes of twelve and are just like the penguins we had last year. Adorable.

Keep your big round eyes wide open for these at id in Provincetown and on swell247.com this spring.

We Have To Shop Till We Drop Before You Can

We are just coming up for air from the winter gift show at the Americasmart in Atlanta. It is the biggest gift show in the country, one of the biggest in the world, covering three city blocks in buildings up to eighteen stories high.

It's big.

Really big.

And there is a lot to see.

We have a very specific look for the store. Everything is design driven, often brightly colored, often made of interesting materials. We can relax the rules a little for the web site, but not much. Subsequently there is far more stuff at the Atlanta Gift Show that we wouldn't carry.

   

Too whimsical.

 

  

Too cute.

 

Too traditional.

 

Too rustic.

 

Too tropical.

 

Too Halloween.

 

Too Easter.

 

Too angelic.

 

Too goosey.

 

Too dotty.

 

But if you can take the time to plow through all the stuff that isn't right for your particular retail establishment you can find stuff that certainly is. And we certainly did take the time. And we certainly did find stuff for us.

 

   

  

Lots of new iPhone accessories. Cool cases with different inner sleeves that can be changed out to alternate colors. Bamboo and wooden cases. Retractable earbuds with magnetic clips; so much more practical than the ones the phone comes with. Portable mini speakers; great for anywhere you need a little extra volume.

 

  

The trees with birds we had last fall but they sold out so quickly most of you probably never saw them. This year we will order plenty more of them. And the Christmas trees are made by the same company that made the penguins and nordic trees we had last year; a slightly different look but still that simple, slot together style that we love.

 

Beautiful fishy sculptures. Comes in a small box so it's easy to take home, or to ship. We ordered a bird one too but the picture didn't come out very well.

 

  

Lovely peacock and owl designs on the vinyl wallets we've been carrying for a few years. They have an especially good selection of new designs this year. We also ordered a great new line of super slim, plain wallets in leather that will be great for people who don't want something so decorative.

 

  

We have a really hard time finding outdoor stuff that fits with our look but we loved these copper birdbaths that come in two finishes and two sizes. They come in a relatively small box too which makes them easy to take home. Always something we have to think about given that so many of our customers are tourists. And the mini firepits are my favorite thing we found at the show. They all burn an environmentally friendly, smoke free gel so can be used indoors or out. They are perfect for small areas like balconies and decks, and come in several designs, finishes and colors. And they are really nicely boxed and will retail for less than $100 making them a fantastic wedding or housewarming gift. Love.

 

We did really well with wall decals last year but most of the designs we carried are geared toward kids so we were excited to find this line of decals that has a lot more adult, urban and unusual designs to choose from. And they have ones that can go on windows (like the one in the middle with the cat and the birds) which are really fun.

 

OK, a little more cutesy than we usually go for but we couldn't resist these adorable baby outfits. They come in firefighter, ballerina, pilot, chef, doctor and baseball player and will make fantastic baby gifts, especially around Haloween. Look out for those on the web site.

 

So, despite all the traditional, whimsical, cute, rustic and tropical stuff that doesn't work for us we were able to find lots of cool new things for 2012 at Atlanta. Now we have a few days R&R and then we go to Orlando for a show that is all handmade products from the US. It's a tiny show that we'll be able to do in one day, but we know that a much higher proportion of the products will be just right for us. And we found some excellent artists there last year so we are excited to to go back. Check back sometime next week for an update on what we found there and what you can expect to find at id in Provincetown and at swell247.com this summer.

 

Answers To 6 FAQs We Get Asked About Our Products

January is a very busy time for us. Which is odd because the bricks and mortar part of the business is closed so you'd think we were lazing around on some sunny beach far south of Cape Cod, or at the very least curled up in front of the fireplace at home with a good book.

But, no.

January is the month we analyze the previous year and go do the buying for the next year.

I secretly quite like the analysis stuff and consequently spend more time on it than I probably should but it's also useful to be armed with solid information about what sold and what didn't, what made us any money and what didn't, what we have a lot left of and what is sold out, what costs a lot to ship and what doesn't... That type of thing.

And because people ask us all the time what are our best sellers, and which artists do we enjoy dealing with, and what is the best item we carry (along with how old is the dog, 15, and where is the closest bathroom, Whalers' Wharf, and where can I buy an aspirin, the Little Store though they closed this year so now Adam's Pharmacy) I thought I'd share a few of the tidbits that I gleaned from all the number crunching. But there won't be any trashing of the companies who were difficult to deal with, or the products that kept breaking, or the ones that just didn't sell. This is about all those great selling items and the wonderful companies and artists we deal with. It's about the positive side of the books. So...

 

1. What is the best seller?

Two answers really. Best selling single item by a long, long way goes to the climbing men, as it has for the four years we have been carrying them. I keep thinking there can't be anyone left who hasn't bought one and we did sell fewer this year than in the past, but it was still an awful lot of them. The best selling whole line was the Tokyo Bay watches which have been in our top 5 every year since we opened the store. And best selling watch within that line was Gaucho Brown which we couldn't keep in stock until I got my act together and started ordering them 6 or 8 at a time.

     

 

 

2. What other lines have been consistently strong sellers over the years?

The switchplates have always been great, probably because we carry such a lot of them and do special orders for configurations and designs we don't have in stock. Many people tell us it's the biggest selection they have ever seen. The Acme line of pens, card cases, cufflinks and the rest have always been strong too, and again I think that is because we carry a lot of their designs. and with the launch of their new Beatles Collection I think they will only get better. And the cufflinks, wallets and the like made from old transit tokens, used baseballs, vintage globes and a host of other interesting materials have done well many years in a row, but especially this year as we expanded the line considerably.

           

 

 

3. What was the best new line?

Another multiple answer. Strictly on overall sales the fish made from license plates and old street signs by NC artist Tripp Gregson is the clear winner. But another excellent new line was the birdhouses which were one of the lowest priced items in the store but we sold hundreds and hundreds of them. And the best part is that they were in a space that previously had nothing. Literally a dark and dingy corner. But their bright colors attracted people from the other side of the room and the dark and dingy corner suddenly paid it's way, and then some. And another winner that was in a space that didn't really have anything before was the coasters and journals made from discarded books. People went wild for them, as did I. Oh and the peel and stick wall decals. Mustn't forget them. (Check out this post about using them in kids rooms.) They were awesome too. We actually did particularly well with almost all of the new lines this year (small pat on back).

      

    

 

 

4. What other factors besides sales/profit margin makes you keep a line?

Small storage space and low shipping costs are always a plus but bad customer service and always being out of stock are two things I can't be doing with. We have a very short season and if a company takes weeks to get something to us then it doesn't work and we drop them. And if they are unpleasant to deal with? Well, life's too short really for that kind of thing.

 

5. What isn't coming back in 2012 that you are sorry to see go?

The kids 3D backpacks were a great seller for us this year. Plus they shipped very quickly and were always so helpful with rush orders and stuff like that. Unfortunately they have decided to take their company in a different direction and we won't be able to get any more backpacks. Luckily we do have a decent stock of them so we will be able to sell them, online at least, for a while.

 

 

6. What is out because it didn't sell or the company was a pain to deal with?

Didn't you read the beginning? I'm not trashing the bad ones. They just won't be there next year.

 

So, on to 2012. Next week we hit the trade shows, armed with all the facts and figures plus lists of what we are looking for. What was your favorite item of last year? And what would you like us to bring in this year?

Great Gifts For The Baseball Fan

I admit that you wouldn't really expect to find sports memorabilia in a nicey gift store like ours. But one of the things we often look for when we do the buying is stuff made from interesting, unusual and unexpected materials. And we are known locally for our great selection of cufflinks.

And once you know those two things it's not at all surprising to find us selling cufflinks made from the old wooden seats at Yankee Stadium. Obviously that would be the old Yankee Stadium; we all know they only just built the new one. But what you might not know is that all the wooden seats were removed in the 1970s and some of them are now set in sterling silver cufflinks.

Of course, being so close to Boston, we have them for Fenway Park too. And we quite often carry a few of the other stadiums that are available; Wrigley Field, Comisky Park - there's a bunch of them. (If you don't see them on our web site give us a call, 508-487-4300, we might have them in the store or can get them fairly quickly.)

 

If you want something that is a little more obviously baseball related we also have these awesome cufflinks made from game used balls. Because of our location we almost always have ones from Red Sox and Yankees games, but we can get them from most of the other teams too. (I should clarify; that is Red Sox or Yankees games. Unfortunately, we almost never get ones where they have played each other.) And the best part about them? They have a hologram number on the back from the MLB authentication people which enables you to look up exactly which game the ball was used in, where the game was held, etc. How cool is that?

If cufflinks aren't on your shopping list but a gift for an ardent baseball fan is then you'll be pleased to know that we have wallets, pendants and pens made from stadium seats and/or game use baseballs.

So there are lots to choose from.

            

We even have bottle openers made from game used broken bats; again authenticated by the MLB and researchable through the unique number.

All these items come very nicely gift boxed and with authentication cards. So now you can hit it out of the ball park, or even score a home run, when you give a baseball fan one of these interesting, unusual and unexpected gifts.

Ira Glass Is A Rock Star

This American Life is my absolute favorite radio show. Unexpected topics covered from unexpected angles, stories you just don't hear anywhere else. I really enjoy Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Political Junkie, On The Media, The Splendid Table and many other shows on NPR; but I LOVE This American Life. And a few weeks ago I heard that Ira Glass (host, creator, producer, interviewer and probably a bunch of other things on TAL) was going to be talking about the radio show and storytelling in general in Wood's Hole. Like on Cape Cod. No one interesting ever comes to Cape Cod, except for a vacation. But I had a previous engagement, as they say, so I couldn't go. However, miraculous snowstorm in Iowa or Indiana or wherever Ira Glass was on the day he was supposed to be in Wood's Hole, and just like that it was postponed a week to a date I could go. Lucky me. Of course all the tickets were sold out by then but I heard that they would be live streaming the event into a room next door for the overflow crowd so I would at least see that but, you know, the drive, and the hassle, and if I couldn't see the real thing then did I really want to trek down there?

So I ummed and ahhed about it for days and days; that is my usual decision making process after all. And then Nick, whose decision making process generally involves thinking quietly for 5 minutes maximum and then committing one way or the other, said I should go because stuff I want to do hardly ever happens in our area, unlike the several rock concerts he ends up going to each year because the Pogues, or Chrissie Hynde, or Bruce Springsteen always seem to be touring.

So I went.

And it was not unlike when Nick goes to concerts. Like him listening to Springsteen albums on the drive to a gig, I entertained myself with TAL podcasts all the way down there to get in the spirit of the event. Like him arriving just before the show starts because he is always late for everything, I arrived with just 10 mins to spare because it's a myth that if something is on Cape Cod it's going to take less time to get to than Boston; especially if you are going from Provincetown to Wood's Hole down all those windy roads and through all those quant towns. Like him getting into concerts easily because he is by himself and there is always someone selling a ticket, I walked up to the building and spotted a guy who had just that moment heard that a friend couldn't come. Ta da, ticket for me. So 5 mins after I arrived ticketless I was in the auditorium where the show was just about to start, sitting next to a woman who was the first in line to get in because she had arrived hours earlier. I felt bad about that.

And I was just thinking about how the whole experience was like when Nick goes to concerts when the lights went out and Ira Glass came on stage, in the dark, and started to do his thing. Just like Springsteen does. And he, just like Springsteen, is very good at his thing; and they both know it. Not in a Superiour Show Off way, just in an I've Found What I'm Good At So I'm Going To Keep Doing It way. And an I Love What I Do And I'm Very Grateful You Want To See Me Do It way.

Ira Glass orchestrated the whole 2 plus hour event with an iPad, playing it like Bruce Springsteen plays his guitar, like it was part of him. And he talked, and told stories, and entertained us and I felt like I was inside an episode of This American Life (which is kind of my Happy Place so that's a good thing). And I was moved, and thrilled and didn't want it to end. Just like when Nick goes to a Springsteen concert.

Of course there are a few differences between them. Rock concerts start at 7 or 8pm so there is no getting home from Boston until the wee hours of the morning; but NPR radio people start at the far more civilzed time of 4pm so, home in time for dinner. And Ira Glass did a Q&A which I'm pretty sure isn't a traditional part of a Bruce Springsteen show. And unlike rock concerts which can cost many many dollars to see, the ticket was only $25 ($20 for me because the guy selling his didn't have change for $40 and was actually just thrilled to get anything for it 5 mins before the show started). And obviously, being an NPR crowd, everyone stayed seated until the very end, and there was no dancing. There was, however, plenty of thunderous applause and a standing ovation. But, despite my bestowing rock star status on him, I did resist the temptaion to put my fist in the air and yell Iraaaaaaaaaaa at the top of my voice. That's just not how we public radio people react, on the outside at least.