10 Crafty Questions With Beth Nixon (Reware Vintage)

10 Crafty Questions Featuring Beth Nixon of Reware Vintage

1. What kind of art or crafts do you make? My most popular craft is my Record Notebooks – they are made using vintage record albums in uncollectable condition, and use the cover of the record as the cover of the notebook, are filled with locally made paper, and include the record itself as the last page of the book.They are a lot of fun to make and customers all over the world  love them! I make lots of other crafts, too – jewelry made from records, pouches and purses made from vintage fabric, reconstructed clothing, and necklaces from found objects…I dabble in a lot just for the fun of it!

2. When did you get started – and when did you realize this could be a business? I’ve always had a fascination with vintage clothing, and with records. For years I would customize my own clothing that I’d found in thrift shops, and people would stop and ask me where I got my outfit…that’s how it all started! My husband and I started building a website to sell vintage clothing and items that I’d put my own touches on. I’d read a book a few months before the website launched that had a couple of projects made from records in it, and I made Christmas presents for our friends with the ideas. Everyone loved them, and I was so hooked with records as a new craft material. I worked for a while on the notebooks and gave them away to a few friends to try it out, and the response was overwhelming. I started getting requests from friends and friends of my friends, and from then on I knew that I would always have a destructive relationship with vinyl.

3. Where do you get inspiration for your projects? I love to learn and try new crafts! I’m also the type of person who focuses on function. I love to look at something that might be junk or trash or just something to look at to the average eye, and try to find a new purpose for it that will make it better or more usable in a way. It’s a puzzle to me, and I just need to figure out what to do and how to do it – the process is the best part for me!

4. What do you like best about selling through more traditional venues (craft fairs)? I love selling at craft fairs to see the response to my items! It’s so great to meet people and see their reactions to what I make, and it is very inspiring. There have been many craft fairs where I have sprouted a totally new idea of something to make based out of a customer’s comment or conversation. It is incredibly rewarding to have that customer interaction from time to time!

5. Now, what do you like best about selling online? Selling online is great because I am able to reach audiences all over the world! I’ve sent items to Japan, Greece, Australia, Great Britain, Mexico, and that would never be possible without my website. I love the idea that someone in Tokyo is using a Michael Jackson record notebook that I made in my home – It’s a pretty amazing concept!

6. How do you price your work? I personally am a very price-conscious consumer, so I price according to what I think is a reasonable cost for the item. I also take into account the time and energy that I put into it, and the cost of my materials. It’s not an exact science for me, and it’s always a battle in my mind!

7. What has been your biggest struggle with your business? How did you overcome it? My biggest struggle is definitely the self-promotion aspect. Having an online store is so different than a brick-and-mortar store. No one is driving past you on the street. You have to create your own opportunities every day, and you have to find the people in the world who are really going to love what you do and make yourself known to them! I work at it every day, and it is a learning experience every day.

8. What has been the most rewarding part of your business? The most rewarding part of my business has been all of the friends that I have made over the years because of a similar interest and passion for the crafting community, especially my fellow members of Handmade Detroit. It really is an amazing, massive, and awe-inspiring network of people and I am so happy to be part of it!

9. What is something you wish you knew when you were fist starting your business? I wish I would have had a DeLorean and a flux capacitor to know that it all worked out later. The first year was difficult for me, and I repeatedly questioned whether or not it was a good idea to quit my job and go for my dream job of working for myself. I knew I had some great ideas, but I wasn’t sure it people would really “get it”. The day of my first craft fair – The Detroit Urban Craft Fair - was the day I knew I had made the right decision, because I almost completely sold of my notebooks, but until then I sometimes doubted my sanity! My advice to anyone starting out is to just be confident in themselves and go for it without fear!

10. Do you mind sharing a business goal that you hope to accomplish with your business? I have so many goals and dreams for my business! This year my goal was to do a few out of state shows, and I’ll be traveling to Cleveland, Ohio in a couple weeks for my first! My main goal is to always keep waking up excited for work, and to live passionately for my work and the friends I’ve made through it every day. Oh, and I want to send Mickey Dolenz a Monkees notebook, because he’s my favorite!