ashe

Artisans should learn a marketable trade

Everyone else in the thread seems to understand a little better.

Uhh I'm talking about the main poster who started this whole thread. That's who is shunning saying they would not support them.

No one has shunned them or put them down. It has been pointed out by multiple people you cant make the rent or light bill selling just this merchandise. Look past the trees. Think!

It is not fair to shun them because they are just trying to do their best! Just like everyone else who is a small business owner in Ashe. If everyone locally was as unsupportive as you are, then no one would make it. As much as the businesses rely on tourism, we also need local repeat customers who support us too. I own Great Southern Gothic across the street from Everything Has a Story. I too have locally handmade and American made goods as well as "imports". They have been nothing but nice to me and they don't deserve to be put down. I encourage everyone to visit new shops you have never been to or continue to support shops in WJ and all throughout Ashe, even if it's just a visit and a kind word. Shops cannot thrive on the handmade works of other's on consignment alone because usually they are having to sell these items at a higher price than most would want to pay (depending on what it is) and the shop usually only gets 30% of each of those sales.

The problem as already pointed out is rent is to high in the county, as are utilities and taxes.

They either have to diversity their offerings or probably go out of business. Most of the businesses in the county are not sustained by the county due to our high poverty rate, almost everything heavily depends on tourism in summer and fall supporting the town until the next season.

It will only get worse if the TPP is passed, which both our Senators and our Representative voted to give fast track authority to President Obama, make no mistake they voted for the TPP with this vote because it allows it to pass with a simple majority when the President submits it later. So even if they later vote against it this was the vote that really counted and the one they should of voted against. Just like NAFTA robbed this county of so many jobs, the TPP will take what remains of our manufacturing. US industries will not be able to compete due to the high cost of operating demanded by our federal and state governments.

Sorry, but I don't understand why you would want the new owners to fail just because they choose to sell merchandise different from what the previous owners sold. Don't you think that's going a bit too far? There's no law or ordinance that says the new owners have to operate the store the same as the previous owners.

Tell her to go out to the parkway at the trading post and make a deal with them. Now you talk about a bunch of junk that wont sell go in that joint . I dont know how they are going to make the lease payments.

No one I dont care who is going to make it downtown selling trinkets. The rents too high, the light bill is too high, and the taxes and employees are too high to ever make it selling just trinkets.

Even under the old owner there were items that came and went. The last time I was in the store, which was about a month ago, she still had many local items. Buying local doesn't just mean by things made locally. It means shopping locally as well. I still love this store and will continue to shop there.

Cooper is right; cry me a river. All that stuff is trash anyway.

Oh Boo Hoo.

Did you ever think that the reason that they had to sell was they couldn't make it on just selling local stuff? It's easy to be the coach from up in the stands. Try getting out on the field a time or two.

One of the best stores in town is under new ownership. This store was dedicated to supporting local crafters from the high country and helping our community. Now they are bring in imports and other things that do not recognize the mountains and Ashe. I have been a big defender of this store, Everything Has. Story and support by doing any gift or personal shopping there. I will no longer do this. I encourage all to make a statement regarding Made In America and Buy Local. We were blessed to have a previous owner that wanted to create a local shop we could all be proud of. I was disappointed to find many items no longer carried in the store. I guess they thing it was not good enough for them. I hope the new emporian puts them out of business.

I have never posted but felt this needed to be said.