About Gifts and Giving
I've been thinking about gifts and giving in general while trying to bring some new life into my product offerings. This page is meant to be about those thoughts rather than a place to sell specific items. For that, please see our menu and go to our Featured page or one of the other product pages in the menu.
I have lived in or near Worcester, Massachusetts all of my life (and if you've looked at the About Us page, you know that's been a pretty long time!) It's one of the largest cities in New England so I found myself very surprised when I went looking for a gift shop and could only find about three in the entire city. On further reflection I realized that, as an example, the number of years I've lived here versus the number of times I've looked for a gift shop might just explain their scarcity.
That also started me thinking about just what defines a " gift" and the essential answer, of course, is the act of giving. As I add articles to this blog, I mean to address more about gift giving and the gift industry. Please stay tuned!
The "Just Because" Gift
This is my favorite non-occasion gift. By that I mean that it isn't your birthday, your anniversary, or any other occasion/event that is usually marked by gift giving. What makes this gift, whatever the actual item or arrangement might be, extra special is that it has the element of surprise and tends to be seen as more heart-felt. I can give you a great example. Decades ago my husband went to the grocery store for a few items and happened to see some live crocus in ceramic pots. He bought one and presented it to me "just because". I later transplanted them in front of my storefront at the time. They came up for several years and I remember that gift far better than many that I'm sure cost much more.
The Size Dilemma
At least when it comes to women's clothes in my area, it's difficult enough to figure out your own size given the variation in actual dimensions between brands, price ranges, countries of origin, etc. When it comes to figuring out someone else's size, all I can say is "Good luck with that!" This is why I stick to the "one size fits most" type of clothes featured in some of my boxed gifts.
I had the above lesson driven into my brain by the following. Many years ago I decided to make a very special gift for one of my sisters-in-law. I bought a deerskin, researched the type of thread to use, and called my brother to find out his wife's size. I told him to get hold of one of her bras but instead he grabbed who knows what out of her closet and told me "She wears size 8". That didn't really sound right to me but I went ahead and bought a pattern that covered sizes 8, 10, and 12. I chose the largest size and completed a rather nice fringed vest. She loved the gift and appreciated all the work but I'm sure she would have liked it even better if it hadn't been three sizes too small!
And Again!
This is almost a postscript to the post above. Not long after I wrote it I went looking for a pair of shorts as the weather was extremely hot. The only pair I found was too large so I picked up a pair at a local discount place and found them a bit too tight. I returned them and picked out a pair the next size up. Those were a different brand and when I tried them on I found that if I held my stomach in they literally fell off!
Given that my customers are generally buying gifts for other people and that those gifts are either hand delivered or shipped, it just made sense to limit our apparel offerings to the "one size fits most" type. Add to that the fact that we scooped up some great deals so can offer you fantastic value for the money.
THE Bracelet Story
I asked one of my customers if it would be okay to share this story (without names, of course) and was given permission to do so. Many years ago when I while I was running a "brick and mortar" store, one of my brothers came in to choose a gift for one of his co-workers. He chose a nice woven freshwater pearl and gold-filled bracelet. The recipient was very happy with it but I don't think that the size was just right. A while later I heard from her that the bracelet had gone missing, probably lost at a restaurant and asking if I could make her another. Of course I could, especially now that I could get an accurate wrist measurement to go by. New bracelet was made and picked up. Imagine my surprise when I picked up the phone in my store one day and heard a now familiar voice saying in tones of deep disgust "An emu ate it!!" Seems she'd been on an outing to a location that included a supposed petting zoo and an emu got a look at her bracelet and just went for it. Guess they don't call them "seed pearls" for nothing!
Changing Direction
As the local demand for gift baskets that was not that strong to begin with dwindled more during and post pandemic, I started thinking about what I could do for the local DIY type (and that's most people around here)that she or he couldn't do. Since I have been a registered retailer for decades I can purchase from wholesalers. One that specializes in women"s apparel, much of it "one-size-fits-most", is right here in Massachusetts and is a great company to work with. so far I have taken advantage of some of their sales so that I can offer rock bottom prices to people who are willing to pick up their purchases in Millbury, Ma.