Village Squire, 1978-08, Page 11Pretty Crafty
Valerie Young found a home in Kincardine,
and a business - Crafty Ante
Valerie Young has built the stock up a long way from the da} she
opened Crafty Ante when most articles were made b% herself.
The traditional pattern for people seeking success in business
is to move from the small town to the city. For Valerie Young and
her husband Jim, it's been just the opposite.
Jim was a native of Kincardine but he was living in London
when he met Valerie. She had been working in the city for some
five years working herself up to the position of executive
secretary but wanted something more. Her family had always
been involved in business. Jim's family had long business
connections. The obvious thing to do was get into business.
So the couple moved back to Kincardine with the thought in
mind to open a shop of their own. Today between them, they own
or have interest in three shops.
For Valerie, however, the main interest is in Crafty Ante her
craft and gift store on Lambton street in Kincardine, just off the
main street.
Stocking a shop on first opening is often difficult but for
Valerie the solution was close at hand. Once she had decided she
was going to open a shop, she spent a year making crafts to sell
when she did open. She'd been interested in crafts since the
early 1960's so the work was a labour of love. Once the shop did
open, however. she had little time for making crafts ever since.
The shop was a new departure for Kincardine. Despite its
booming population and its history of catering to the needs of
tourists there were no small craft shops in town, none that is
until the very week she opened when another shop also opened.
The emphasis in those days. as with many new shops. was on
things that took up a lot of room such as oil paintings and wall
handings. It didn't take long however before she began to find
new things to stock and to build up contacts with craftsmen and
everything began to "fall into place". She still deals directly
with the craftsmen who make the goods, at least those here in
Ontario. That way. she says. she can pick and choose what she
wants for her shop.
At one point her selection included pottery from about 10
potters but today she's reduced that to a steady group of five or
six because she found she spent so much time running around.
Some of the potters include Donn Zver of Troy Ontario near
Hamilton; Fran Whitney of London who is one of the few people
in Canada dealing in crystallized pottery; the late Lila Halberg of
Lambeth was one of her suppliers and the Beechwood Pottery at
Seaforth and Michael Ward of Blyth also provide pottery for the
shop.
She also picks up odds and ends from different craftsmen such
as salt -glazed pottery by Wayne Cartnellai of Peterborough.
There are dozens of people in the local area who provide goods
for the shop while for such things as stained glass she may go as
far afield as Leamington. where she found a young couple doing
nice work.
Not everything can be found locally. however. The wicker
furniture that has a prominent place in the shop is imported and
there are soaps imported from Switzerland and England and
beautiful hand -made jewellery of sterling silver. made by
American Indians it Arizona. Valerie and Jim picked up this line
PILLAGE SQUIRE/AUGUST 1978. PG. 9.