Victim of the Times....

Sean Wright

Member
Messages
902
Location
WNY, Buffalo Area
For over the past two years I have been working part time at my local WoodCraft store. I was there helping to stock and merchandising the store before their opening day. This was what I told customers was my "fun job", as opposed to my full time job which pays the bills.

Two weeks ago after one of my pen classes, the owners told me that they were going to have to close the store. There were a number of factors that lead to the closing. The poor economy, people buying online (to dodge the local sales tax), just to name a few. In all honesty It wasn't a surprise when they told me that. It was just something that I was hoping wasn't going to happen. Our sales have been poor, and this has been impacting the ability to order in more products. Thus the cycle begins, low inventory=low sales....low sales=can't afford to buy more inventory...... eventually you can't pay the operating costs anymore.

Anyways when they told me they were going to close, they said it would likely be at some point next week, but they didn't have any dates yet. I had a pen class scheduled for Thursday, which was sold out :D, so I decided to stop in after work to see what the state of things were. Thats when the owner greeted me with the news that today was going to be the last day of operation. When they closed the doors, it was the end. The owner had left a message on my machine at home, asking me to call her, but seeing as I went to the store straight from the other job I never got the message.

While working there, I learned a tremendous amount about woodworking and turning. I went from not knowing anything about making pens to becoming a fairly experienced pen turner, and even on to be an instructor there for 3 different pen turning classes (introductory slimline in wood, introductory Wall St.II in acrylic, and a more advanced cigar pen in wood). The introductory slim line pen class was the most popular of any class held at the store.

I think the thing I take the most pride in, was having someone with no prior turning (or pen turning) experience take the basic class, and then come in a week or two later showing off pens that he was now making on his own.

Also there were several father/son and father/daughter pairs that took my classes. I enjoyed giving them a ability to start a hobby together and carry the craft on to the next generation.

One other memorable pen turning student was a Major in a local US Army reserve unit. He was going to be deploying to Iraq, and he wanted to learn how to make pens, so in his free time over there, he would have something to do. He walked out of the class with a new hobby (and his first pen in hand), which would hopefully help relieve some of the stress he would be under during his deployment.

All in all, I only worked a few hours a week so it wasn't like it made a big difference to our finances. It was more the joy of doing something that you like and getting payed for it... and the employee discount wasn't a bad perk either. ;) I worked with some great people. The owners, Bruce & Sally were great to work for, and I wouldn't hesitate to work for them again if they were to ever call me.
 

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Sad sign of the times. I know I miss going to the local wood craft here in Reno. The guy that owned the woodcraft has a new store, and I try to stop by there once a month or so, but like you said, the inventory cycle can be an issue...
 
I hate to see someone lose their "fun job". But at the same time I do understand the reasons why they had to close the store. We had a Woodcraft in Indy that closed several years ago. A new store opened just a few years ago and is a great place to visit. A knowledgeable staff and good inventory are pluses. It's a 90 mile round trip is the minus. They get some of my money. Rockler is just a mile detour on the way to Woodcraft. It's nice to have both of them here.
 
Sorry to see the news. Sign of the times, indeed. :( Looking at the smiles in the group photo, I can see why you didn't want the gig to end. It's always a great feeling to teach someone a new skill that you know they'll enjoy for the rest of their life. ;)
 
I know too many people in a similar boat including my next-door-neighbor. He worked for Gator Aid until they closed the plant due to poor sales. They started making the GA in a Pepsi plant (the parent company). However, that leaves him and three teen-agers and no work.

You don't have the job. You didn't really NEED the job. Look at it as time to play. Sooner or later the economy will improve and this "vacation" will be over. So Enjoy,

Jim
 
Sorry to hear this Sean. Hope things will improve soon.

Our Woodcraft store here ih Honolulu is doing great. In fact it has expanded to nearly double size. And here is the most expensive place to do business.

Chin up.

Aloha, Tony
 
Sean, we had a store in Merrelville that also went under. It is where I took my pen turning class also. Will be forever in that man's debt for that opportunity. I was so sorry to hear of it going under as it was his retirement plan. He had left the corporate world, cashed in his retirement and was very hopeful. I pray he has found peace and prosperity.
Ken, I would imagine insurance would be the big factor, but wondered if Sean could get a deal on a couple lathes and do that. I bought seven lathes from the school when my man updated the store's shop lathes. Worth a shot Sean.
 
Hey Ken, if you have a copy of that, that might be good first step for Sean to see and create one for himself from. Of course that is if what we are planning for Sean is even in his mind! :rofl:
 
as a former business owner, its so hard when someone has to put their heart and soul and their blood into a business and then make the decision to close down for reasons like this.
Im sorry to see another legit business fall down to todays economic environment.


Release or no release, people get hurt in your home they are going to sue, no piece of paper is going to stop an attorney. Thats just the way it is.
 
Sad news for all involved.
I have wondered how a Woodcraft store franchise can compete with the company catalog and other on-line competitiors. The store and inventory investment must be huge. It takes a lot of traffic and sales to break even. Except for my larger Grizzly tools, I don't believe I have ever bought any tools or supplies anywhere but catalog or on-line.
 
This was what I told customers was my "fun job", as opposed to my full time job which pays the bills.


All in all, I only worked a few hours a week so it wasn't like it made a big difference to our finances. It was more the joy of doing something that you like and getting payed for it... and the employee discount wasn't a bad perk either.


I had to laugh at the difference to our finances part. Known a few people whose "fun" jobs, actually cost them more money then they made. Working around toy's can do that.

For me, the local Woodcraft store gives mixed feelings. Went to one class, and they spent about 30 seconds on what the class was supposed to be on. Most of the stuff I look for is "not in stock, but we can order it for you". Being an hour drive, it is just easier online. I hate to see it, but I understand it, and have seen a LOT of it in the last year.
 
Most of the stuff I look for is "not in stock, but we can order it for you". Being an hour drive, it is just easier online.

I had seen that same thing at the local woodcraft before they closed. Why would I have them order it for me so that I could drive back in to pick it up?

But I did visit the one in Boise with Rennie and it was quite different. Very well stocked, large tables filled with discount items. It even had quite a few people shopping in the early afternoon on a Tuesday! I know if I lived closer, I'd stop in pretty much every time I went to town, just to look around.

Come to think of it, everyone pretty much knew Rennie by name in there.... :thumb:
 
Sorry to see another victim of this economy like this.

I had researched opening a wood craft store probably 8 years ago and it was overwhelming how much overhead there was in having that type of store. I recently visited the Rockler store in Phoenix while I was down there, two different times. Not one person asked if I needed help or even said hello when I walked in the store either visit. I think Brent is correct in how some stores are just different, looks like from your pics everyone enjoyed what they did and had heart in it, which makes it even harder to see something like that end.
 
Sorry for your loss.

I know some of what you're feeling, Jonathan. When our woodcraft store had to close (for the same reasons you mentioned) it was like a family getting torn apart. I still run into customers that remember the good times we had.

I DO understand where your owner is coming from. You can only pour money into a business for so long, before it breaks you.

Bruce
 
I'm sorry to hear that Sean. Why is the the business's we want around close and the one's we could give 2 craps about stick around for ever. I'd rather work at a turning place for $10 and hour than a job I hated for $25. Right now though..I'll take the job in front of me that is puttiing food on the table.
 
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