Get your share of the booming arts & crafts business

f, rl AY Home Improvement Time is I V lttre perfect time of the year to consider putting a crafts department into your store or to enlarge your present arts and crafts business. To many women, home improvement doesn't mean building a tool shed in the backyard,it means fixing up and decorating the inside of the house and what better tie-in for dealers than through an active program selling crafts and related materials.

One of the West's more active firms in this area of the business is Lumber City (nine units in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties) which has been actively promoting arts and crafts as well as intelligently taking the steps to train their people in these departments so they will be able to skillfully field customer questions.

Late last year they held a two day seminar in decoupage for the arts and crafts employees at their nine stores. The sessions each lasted a full day and were presided over by Roberta Rafaelli of Connisseur Studios. The students were assigned three projects to complete. After completion, they were put on display in the stores to further instill in the customers that the clerks knew something about what they were selling.

The employee training was followed by a program of regularly scheduled classes for customers in many forms of arts and crafts. Running for five weeks, the courses cost the customer $5.

While the arts and crafts trade has felt some of the impact of the current recession, it has amazed a number of observers that the business continues to grow. Apparently, whether the time to enjoy these activities results from shorter work weeks, layoffs or simple unemployment, the public still will spend their dollars for the kits as a low cost way for them to release their tensions and take a crack at something creative.

Setting up a craft department can be a difficult task if you haven't spent time studying all of the various products and the many crafts that are available.

One company, Natcol Crafts, Inc. Redlands, Ca., has given much thought to the problem and has an excellent solution for the store that wants to

Story at a Glance

Arts and crafts business continuesto grow .... nearly$325 million in sales expected in '75 . . read how one firm backed up its crafts push by training its sales people under professional guidance new profit-making products continue to come on the market.

add a crafts profit center without a large inventory. It has developed three basic kits which are designed to give the beginner everything he or she needs to complete several craft projects. Once interest is generated, open stock items can be inventoried as needed for more advanced projects.

The kits can be easily stacked on shelves or hung on pegboards. All contents of the full color, display packed kits are totally visible, so the customer can see what he is getting before making a purchase.

The Deco-Plaque Kit, which retails for $3.95, contains 3 reusable plaster plaque molds, a 14 oz. package of plaster, sponge,4 oz. bottle of Natcol's Regal Sheen Instant Decoupage, and 6 colorful, transferable prints.

This starter kit is a sure way to build interest in accessories which may be used in conjunction with the materials in this kit. The instant decoupage can be used on innumerable woods for a smooth, lasting gloss or matte finish.

Since plaster molds may be used indefinitely, this kit is a sure way to clear out small packages of plaster which may be sitting on your shelves. Hobby paints, in addition to numerous applicators such as brushes, sponges and rollers can also be sold to broaden the craftsman's artistic ability.

A colorful Dough Art Project Kit, completewith 5 dough sculpture tools, a l0 position Designer Wheel, paint brush and 3 colorful acrylic paints is another in the kit series.

An instruction book, with complete details and five patterns, is enclosed to aid beginners to delve into this fascinating kitchen craft.

These projects also create the opportunity to sell your customers additional paints, brushes and wood plaques for mounting dough sculptures. This kit, along with the others, is an excellent testing vehicle for entering the hobby/crafts market. It retails for $s.95.

The Floral Arts Project Kits ($4.95 retail) are available in three floral species of carnation, camellia and rose in 8 different colors and include materials for making 6 flowers per kit.

The wood fibre used to make the lifelike flowers comes from a plant growing in the Orient called Papyferia Arelia (Wa-ta). It is veneered from the outer bark of the raw wood fibre, cut into sheets and sent to the U.S. where it is softened, flameproofed, cut, dyed and scented especially for Natcol's kits. Additional accessories include culots (llower base), leaves, green wrapped rustproof wire, floral tape, corsage pins and a pre-made box.

A flower-maker set, which is vacuum formed into the display tray, makes it easy for "artists" of all ages to create beautiful arrangements. The wood fibre stays fresh indefinitely and makes flowers that look, feel and smell like the real thing. $r'r is

TRAINING session for clerks who will be selling arts and crafts for the g Lumber City slores are trained here in decoupage by crafts pro Roberta Rafaelli. Lumber City also holds classes tor its customers in arts and crafts lechnioues.

Weslern Lumber and Buildlng Material3

MEBCHANT special tie-in promotion and advertising aids have been developed for the dealer and contractor. All of these sales tools are year-round sales aids. They include a sales portfolio to make professional sales presentations to homeowners.

A 300 piece display and advertising kit has been prepared to help contractors and dealers identify with the national program.