Putting the artist first and retailing last...

Strangekiss Art Toys will be expanding and growing in a new direction with a few twists. We have ecstatically enjoyed production work so very much and after the release of Ollie the Twitterrific bird, our demand has been growing strongly. We have decided to phase out 95% of all retail and replace that time wisely as we return to the roots of the designer vinyl scene and expand towards a brave new world.

Strangekiss will change the focus that our customers have been used to for the past years. The primary reason that we entered this genre, was to produce low run art toys, and it’s time to return to our roots. Strangekiss was born out of a passion for the arts, and I have been documenting this genre in film for a very long time. I sold a successful web hosting business a few years ago and entered this small pin drop but lovely genre with open arms. Having a sales background, it was easy to slide into the retail portion of the lowbrow - pop art scene. This is an expensive business to enter if anyone is curious, so it helps to be stable financially to have fun and of course making a profit is awesome!

I have been thinking of this for quite some time and the following is how it was decided.

A few nights ago at a local pub, business people of all ages and types met to talk and of-course have a few drinks :). It was a very interesting and diverse group of business owners and artists. When I mean diverse, hmmm... Lets say that there was a 24-year-old Entrepreneur with hot LA fashion label and a 62-year-old Orthodox Jewish man (yes in full black with the hat) that owns a local medical marijuana dispensary. In total eight of us (including my buddy that makes custom surfboards, so if anybody want one, give us a shout!), settled in for a very animated discussion.

Sitting back we asked each other questions with a touch of Ale fueling the conversation. The main questions were:

What part if any would you give up in your business?
What is the best and worst thing about your business?
Why do you do it?

You’d think that these would be easy to answer, but instead we all immediately ordered another ale. The Orthodox man said "I hope I don't get Shikker or my Beryeh will kill me" (which means “drunk” and “wife” in Yiddish). We all sat about and laughed while trying to avoid the questions.

The artist that was there complained how biased and fickle the galleries and toy companies are in retrospect of his popularity and past hits. Its not about the art, its about the money as he compared a particular company to Wal-Mart. The Jewish man, I would give up the drama with the city and said the best is the best and the worst can always be worst. Why I do it, I have a family and one of them in chronic pain.

Upon my turn, I mentioned a recent email from a client asking “Why haven't you had anything new like you use carry weekly?" And the answer was easy, I don’t believe the field (genre) that I am in cares anymore about the artist, it’s all about the bottom dollar.

What part if any would you give up in your business?

I would give up the retailing as it’s time consuming and takes away from what I want to do. I love that we sell people art toys and they find enjoyment in their purchase. Buts its also exhaustive and I think bunches why I do it is for the artist not for the money as that is no concern. I run on principal and what will be expanding.

Thinking rationally about this I, decided that I would rather use my time differently and step away from focusing on retail. Phasing out 95% of retailing, Strangekiss would be left with what we believe to be exceptional art toys or objects of pop art, exclusives. The five percent will be the roots that I learned as I entered this game.

What is the best and worst thing about your business?

The best thing is the happy collector when they send a thank you email, and dealing with great artists that have passion and no drama attached!

The worst, well that could be a lot of things! I deal with a small genre that is filled with red tape that you think would not exist as it’s for the artist? I think the big companies in the game have forgotten about the core of what it should be, and that just sucks. I could on go for hours on this… I have been even considering a small lawsuit against a toy company in San Francisco that took advertising dollars 18 months ago, never granted us a wholesale account and never published this book. But did put out other publications in the meanwhile. Not for the money – Just out of principal of being ripped off!

Why do you do it?

I have an extreme passion for the creative as I understand the needs of being an artist and what faces them at every turn (I come from a fine photography background).

I can’t answer anymore why I do it. We have (had) a very competitive store that has matched the brick and mortars in google statistics and sales, but one leading continues to setup hurdles. It’s just silly and juvenile in so many ways. Don’t get me wrong I love money and domination, but when domination kills a small niche, it makes you wonder why do you do it?

I tipped glasses with my wife and the gentlemen and said, “I love my hobby business and how it has grown, but is it time to move forward”. We all said cheers took a shot and the conversation moved to the next entrepreneur.

We at Strangekiss hope you will enjoy and embrace our change as we try to constantly evolve. Sometimes to embrace the new, you need to return to the roots.

I wish to add that I know personally a lot of brick and mortars are in need of help but will never show that to the general public out of pride. We at Strangekiss fully support them! To understand the passion from a consumer reading this letter, there is a store on the east coast that is run by two people that work two full time jobs to keep their store going. That is dedication.

I will leave you with this as this came from one of the top people in this industry located somewhere on the East Coast where subways run like veins ☺

“Don’t think many people make money in this game, stores, manufacturers or artists. Seems like most of the big names artists that you know always seem broke to me too. I guess if you don’t love it then...”

Strangekiss loves this genre, sometimes love is hard!
Written by Michael Stills of Strangekiss