by Jim Joyner
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Computer Game Sparks Interest in Couple's Clay Wind Instruments
by Jim Joyner |
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With Internet income comprising up to 40 percent of their total income, Sandi and Richard Schmidt seem to be moving in the right direction as they start planning for "retirement." Now in their late 40s, they are working toward a smarter, bigger business with a less demanding schedule: less travel; less transporting of goods; more work at home; more time for themselves.
For the first 10 years of marketing their craftwork, the Schmidts exhibited at fairs and shows, traveling a lot. Then, about 15 years ago, they gradually settled into the world-famous Pike Place Market (America's oldest year-round farmer's market) in Seattle, Wash., and gradually cut back on doing craft shows. Now, they are making their move to the Internet.
The Schmidts make stoneware ocarinas (a sweet-potato shaped wind instrument) and porcelain flutes. These range from wearable, mini instruments (with a piccolo sound) to large grapefruit-sized ocarinas that play a low bass.
While the couple's business has experienced steady progress on the Internet over the past two years, the most exciting development for the Schmidts is their latest release: an ocarina modeled after the Zelda ocarina, a virtual instrument in Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" computer game released last year. The game requires the player to learn a simple tune on a "cyber-ocarina," known in the game as a Zelda ocarina. As a result, kids from around the world began to search the Internet for real-life ocarinas, many of them encountering the Schmidt's Web site. Sandi Schmidt explains the sudden influx of interest in their instruments, "I'm a grandma, and I just couldn't turn the kids down." Soon after, the replica Zelda ocarina was designed and made available to their customers.
For the moment, the Schmidts have all the new Internet business they can handle. But as they refine their production schedule, they will consider marketing more heavily to the wholesale market through the Internet.
FOR MORE INFORMATION |
| You can find the ocarinas at: http://www.clayz.com. |
Developing the site
The Schmidts created their own Web site after learning how to do so from Web page editing software. Their site features an online songbook complete with sound and music. "This was the fun part," say the Schmidts. Richard is the "techie," working up the technical aspects and design of their Web pages, and Sandi handles most of the customer relations, communicating via e-mail. In fact, Sandi says she can hardly wait to check her e-mail every morning.
A special benefit of the Internet business has been a more personally satisfying business in an international community of kids. Talk to Sandi Schmidt and she will quote e-mail from kids around the world as if they were her own grandchildren.
Jim Joyner is a database systems consultant.
READERS WITH WEB SITESDo you have questions about your Web site? Has your site been successful in generating sales? Are you doing something unique on your site? Share it with The Crafts Report. E-mail Jim Joyner at: jimstoy@hotcom.net. |
