Shag merchandising bonanza continues - General Tiki

RE Randy Exotica Member Chicago Joined: Oct 08, 2003 Posts: 16	RE Randy Exotica Posted posted on Thu, Oct 16, 2003 4:06 PM On 2003-10-16 10:20, McDougall wrote: I'm sure we will all still be displaying our stuff when it's no longer in demand because we love it. This is exactly how I feel. I haven't been collecting Shag's stuff as long as many here have, I'm sure. When I discovered his work late last year while looking for artwork to decorate my new digs, I came across his stuff and went wild for it. It was just the thing for my mid-century furnishings. I had no inkling of his collectability, and don't care how collectable he remains. I love the art and think it's cool, sorry, I think it's deck (don't want anyone to think I'm not a hipster). I'll still love it if Shag fades into tiki obscurity. I'll tell a story quickly if I'm able to. This summer I got 4 Shag prints framed at framing shop that is part of A Great Indoors chain store here in Chicago. While I was there picking out the frames and mats, the prints were drawing a lot of attention. One woman asked the manager to sell one to her and went off in a huff when he told her he couldn't. I was unable to pick them up for a few weeks and when I called the manager to let him know. He told me he had the prints on display in the showroom because he had nowhere to store them. He said they had drawn so much attention to his store, he couldn't believe it. He had a lot of people wanting to buy them. Some people were leaving and coming back later with other people in tow to show the prints to them. The manager wanted to know how he could get hold of some to sell in the store. I gave him the only info I could think of: the contact info for Shagmart. He said later that he contacted Shagmart to try work out a deal to sell Shag's prints. He told them he could get them in Great Indoors stores all over the country. They turned him down cold, no interest whatsoever. I'm not saying that I have any great point here, but if Shag and his people are as involved in runaway merchandising as some think, they missed a great opportunity there. As far as I know, the Chicago area is virtually ignorant of who Shag is and I'm sure much of middle America is. There wouldn't be any better way to change that than get his artwork in a big chain of huge, fairly upscale stores across the country. Sorry, if my story didn't turn out to be told as quickly as I intended. I do run on sometimes. Randy

On 2003-10-16 10:20, McDougall wrote:
I'm sure we will all still be displaying our stuff when it's no longer in demand because we love it.

This is exactly how I feel. I haven't been collecting Shag's stuff as long as many here have, I'm sure. When I discovered his work late last year while looking for artwork to decorate my new digs, I came across his stuff and went wild for it. It was just the thing for my mid-century furnishings. I had no inkling of his collectability, and don't care how collectable he remains. I love the art and think it's cool, sorry, I think it's deck (don't want anyone to think I'm not a hipster). I'll still love it if Shag fades into tiki obscurity.

I'll tell a story quickly if I'm able to. This summer I got 4 Shag prints framed at framing shop that is part of A Great Indoors chain store here in Chicago. While I was there picking out the frames and mats, the prints were drawing a lot of attention. One woman asked the manager to sell one to her and went off in a huff when he told her he couldn't. I was unable to pick them up for a few weeks and when I called the manager to let him know. He told me he had the prints on display in the showroom because he had nowhere to store them. He said they had drawn so much attention to his store, he couldn't believe it. He had a lot of people wanting to buy them. Some people were leaving and coming back later with other people in tow to show the prints to them. The manager wanted to know how he could get hold of some to sell in the store. I gave him the only info I could think of: the contact info for Shagmart. He said later that he contacted Shagmart to try work out a deal to sell Shag's prints. He told them he could get them in Great Indoors stores all over the country. They turned him down cold, no interest whatsoever. I'm not saying that I have any great point here, but if Shag and his people are as involved in runaway merchandising as some think, they missed a great opportunity there. As far as I know, the Chicago area is virtually ignorant of who Shag is and I'm sure much of middle America is. There wouldn't be any better way to change that than get his artwork in a big chain of huge, fairly upscale stores across the country.

Sorry, if my story didn't turn out to be told as quickly as I intended. I do run on sometimes.

Randy

Post #55472 by Randy Exotica on Thu, Oct 16, 2003 4:06 PM