Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Owls for Sale-- a warning to retailers across America


(Mom - this is Nancy writing.)

I have hesitated sharing this information with you. I wanted to do some research on owls, dig up some background about their place in mythology, give you some sales figures, stuff like that. But I just don't have that level of journalistic commitment, so I'm going to rely on opinion and assumption.

No one wants owl figurines anymore.

There. I said it.

This information might come as a shock to you -- especially if you are a professional buyer or merchandiser at Target or Old Navy or any of the other bazillion stores that currently think owls are the hot icon for selling clothing and kid's decor.

I can report, based on my experience in the field, that Americans are liquidating their stock of owl figurines. Maybe owls work as images on products, but in the current economic climate they are undesirable as free-standing statuettes.

I think maybe owl figurines were popular in the 60s and 70s. "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute." "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" You remember. And they were usually that nice brown color that was popular then. Add some avacado green and some goldenrod and you would have had a top-selling knick-knack! I'm sure the powers-that-be in 2010 mass merchandising are tapping into our Brady Bunch memories and pushing the owl icon along with the peace sign, Love Bugs, and those big, cartoon-y flowers. Maybe a t-shirt with Woodsy the Owl on it makes the adults of our country feel young again.
But I can assure you, there is a surplus of owlish objects in the garages of this country. Week after week, we see them on dirty card tables, sandwiched between old mugs and ashtrays, offered for sale for a few measly cents. Under no circumstances should the Target buyers order owl tchotchkes!

As evidence of this excess-owl-phenomenon, I offer these photos, collected over the past year during my yardsale adventures:





















I rest my case.

Nancy

2 comments:

  1. Okay - I gotta say it... Those are some nice hooters. Okay, it's done. Sorry.

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  2. My granny was obsessed with owls. I recognize most of these examples from her old house. That lamp? She had it. But it wasn't a lamp. At least, she didn't have hers rigged into a lamp. It was just a giant owl statue that sat in her living room, along with 927 other ceramic owls.

    I just bought a new bedroom set for Clara Jane that has owls on it. I almost wish I had some of my granny's old owls to go with it. Except I was always creeped out by them.

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