ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 4, 1997 TAG: 9701060035
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL STAFF WRITER
Blue Ridge Crafters Emporium in downtown Roanoke closed this week, leaving area artisans one less place to sell their handmade wares.
The Campbell Avenue shop, which charged crafters rental and commission fees in return for display space, closed Monday evening. Barry Booher, who with partner Gary Baldwin opened the mall almost three years ago, said the business wasn't making enough money to support itself. In a typical month, he said, he and Baldwin had to pour their own funds into the mall because sales didn't cover expenses.
A year ago, he said, Blue Ridge Crafters published a catalog and sent out 25,000 copies. They received only a handful of responses.
"We just had no more money to put into the business," he said. He has heard similar stories about other craft malls.
"I don't know of too many success stories with these malls," Booher said. "It's such a rotating door." It's tough to hold onto crafters, he said, and tougher to find new ones to fill vacancies.
But the craft makers were shocked by the closing, said Suzanne Stoner, who had been selling wearable art and other items at Blue Ridge Crafters since the store opened. At the end, about 80 crafters were exhibiting their work. The mall typically housed about 90 craftspeople.
"It was like a second family," Stoner said. "We all had fun." She said she doesn't know where she'll go now to sell her crafts.
Richard Wells, who owns the building with partner Dave Saunders, said the 4,000-square-foot retail space has not been leased to anyone else yet, although he and Saunders are talking to several real estate agents. Blue Ridge Crafters had several months remaining on its lease, he said.
Booher said he and Baldwin have discussed reopening a similar business in the future, but he doesn't know when or where.
"We were right on the verge of being OK," Booher said. "We were becoming a draw to the market. We simply did not have the money to carry it through."
LENGTH: Short : 42 linesby CNB