The holidays are just around the corner!

Another summer season has sailed by on Vashon Island. We are already gearing up for the holidays at the store! I will have an updated artist list and more website links for your amusement soon.

I am still providing alterations, and we're working on creating a workable space in the back for another service or art to be created on-site.

The Holiday Studio Tour 2011 is taking applications for the December tour. Applications are due by October 7th so get to their website and get your app turned in if you are planning a home show. We will be open during the studio tour; if you are interested in showing at Good Merchandise please contact me ASAP!

If you have a free moment, look us up on Yelp, Facebook, Twitter or Yellowbook. Leave a comment, make us your friend and help promote one of Washington's most unique stores!

Be sure to set up an appointment by phone if you would like to bring more work in or are a new artist.

Thank you so much to Simone Barry who has helped us out at the store all summer long. Good luck with your studies this year!!

That's all for now. Have a creative month!
-AnnaLisa

Consignment Artist Information and Guidelines

Consignment Artist Information and Guidelines

In October 2009, Good Merchandise was opened by artist and resident AnnaLisa LaFayette. This unique art and retail boutique is located in the heart of downtown Vashon Island. The store address is:

17601 ½ Vashon Hwy SW

Vashon, WA 98070

We are located at the intersection of Vashon Hwy SW and Bank Rd., between the Liquor Store and the Hardware Store Restaurant. The store hours vary depending on the season, with the general store hours from 11am-5pm, Thursday through Monday.

Good Merchandise is a 100% locally-crafted art experience! All of the works are from artists who create original, quality, handmade goods. Items include photography, jewelry, baby items, fiber arts, bath and body products, candles, accessories, pottery, cards and more. There are currently over 100 artists represented and we are always looking for more!

Benefits of consigning at Good Merchandise include:

placement in the most prominent intersection of Vashon Island

networking and collaboration with other artists

announcements and recommendations to other opportunities

advertising and marketing

If you would like for your work to be considered, please send an email with a description, link, and any images of your art to:

vashongoodmerchandise@gmail.com

You can expect to be contacted within a week of your submission, although new work is not always needed in a specific medium and response times may vary. You can also follow up on your submission by calling the owner directly:

AnnaLisa LaFayette, 206-769-8627

Consignment Artists

Artists who are interested in selling their works at Good Merchandise are welcome without any additional commitment to the store’s operations. Our consignment artists receive 60% commission on sold works. The artist determines the price on all works. Good Merchandise does not modify the pricing or provide discounts on the commission due to the artist.

We have success with items priced in all ranges, with all of our items priced competitively and reasonably by the artist. Our most popular price range has been $20-60 for most items. We are happy to sell items from $1-500, with the majority of our sales occurring at $100 or under. When pricing­­ for Good Merchandise, we suggest considering the following:

1.    The amount of time was put into the item or the set

2.    The total cost of supplies, equipment and/or fees to produce the item

3.    The uniqueness of the item

4.    The competitive price in the industry you sell in

We discourage different pricing for items in-store if you sell them independently or at other stores. Most professional artists maintain a consistent retail and wholesale price regardless of the location or method of sale (different store, Etsy account, craft fair, etc.).

                          Admittance Process and Requirements       

Upon acceptance, artists are required to:

-review and sign the artist contract

-provide an inventory list for all items submitted

-label any items to be sold with the price and your name/title

-send, in writing, any specific requests or instructions for purchases

-transport or ship items to and from the store

-email a biography, photos and any promotional information for discussion of your works in-store and online

If you would like your items to be tracked based on style, design, or inventory number, please include the information on the inventory and on each item. This will help us track your sales accurately. Items not given a specific number or title will be described to the best of our ability.

Storage and Shipping Policy

There is limited storage for items at Good Merchandise. Before sending inventory, please make sure there is space to store any overstock if you would like to send a larger number of items at one time.  It is the responsibility of the artist to ship items to and from the store. Items should always be shipped in protective packaging. All merchandise must be sent to the mailing address listed below. We are unable to accept mail at our location unless it is UPS/FedEx. Please send your items to:

Good Merchandise

PO Box 1335

Vashon, WA 98070

Payments and Inventory

Payment on all sold inventory totaling over $20 will be sent by the 20^th of the month for sales made in the preceding month (check sent in August for July sales). All sold inventory for the month not totaling over $20 will be carried over month-by-month until the total is over $20 or the artist requests payment. Payments are sent directly from the bank and do not include a sold inventory.

Artists are welcome to check on their inventory at any time. Good Merchandise does not submit monthly sold inventory reports to the artist unless it is requested. While we encourage seasonal inventory updates, please be sure to schedule an appointment and send notifications of new available items you would like to sell here.

HAPPY CRAFTING!

-AnnaLisa and the Good Merchandise Crew

Good Merchandise Ladies Softball Team Now Forming!

Over 100 Artists!

THANKS TO ALL OF THE ARTISTS AT GOOD MERCHANDISE!

We've made it a year at our new location and we couldn't have done it without so many amazing, talented artists from the Puget Sound region. Here's our updated list of in-store artists. 

Abraham McBride

Adria Pontious

Alexandria Sandlin

Alisa Wagner Poage

Alison Bucklin

Alison Kennedy Taylor

Amiee Yelinek

Andie Styner

Andrew Trujillo-Russel

AnnaLisa LaFayette

Anne Gordon

Anne Iszler

Annie Russell

Ben McQuillin

Beth Lisa Goss

Beth Reiter

Brett Matthewson

C & P Designs

Callen Lewis

Carole Sussman

Chatauqua Elementary

Cheryl Nicholas

Christine Azula

Claire Jauregui

Colin Brynn

David Cleeton

David Cole

David Earle

Debbie Granner

Don Lester

Dona Bradley

Douglas Mesney

Drusilla Pratt

Emily Gripp

Emily Wigley

Enoch Tobin

Erin Wheeler

Eva Anderson

Fern Clifford

Fiddle Home Farm

Gabriel Blake

Gabriel Smith

Gail Larcom

George Kurzman

Heather Hansen-Brynn

Heidi Stair

Holly Davis

Ingrid Rowe

Isaiah Heyer

Jacob Little

Janis McWhirter

Jenika Shipley

Jessica Hamilton

Jessica Salazar

Joanne Kirby

John Anderson

Joshua Manwaring

Jude Spaith

Julie King

Karen Carston

Karen Norbeck

Kathy Webster

Kelly Jones

Leigh Huggins

Lisa Baker

Lyndee LeBeau

Maggie Louden

Maggie Smith

Malia Lysen

Marek Little

Marjon McDermott

Matthew Himmelespach

Matthew Porter Melissa Brynn

Melissa Mabrey

Michelle

Mollie Moisan

Nancy Carr

Nicole Turchik

Peter Ray

Phyllis Clark

Raymond Martinez

Robert Teagardin

Rod Smith

Rose Belschner

Ruben Arnot

Sandra Cooper

Sandy Herrera

Sarah Musi

Sheree Tomoson

Silvio Gripman

Simone Barry

Sister Sage Herbs

Slide Sideways

Sophia de Groen

Stacy Swanby

Starr Niego

Steve Fadness

Sue Stinson

Sue Weston

Susan Moffett

Susana Tam

Susannah Fitz

Tag Gornall

Tina Witherspoon

Tomoko Uno

Two Obsessed Jewelry

Valerie Lulu Roberts

Wendy Jo Weston

Wendy Nickolay

Wendy Van de Sompele

William Champion

Zena McCoy

Zhaleh Khoshkhoo

Zoe Adberg

May!

Multiple updates...
-New store hours are 11am to 5pm Thursday through Sunday or by appointment.
-1 year anniversary at our new location May 5th!
-Vashon Island Spring Art Studio Tour May 7-8 & 14-15. 22 studios and three stores this year! Come check out the many talents our store and other artists have to offer on the island.

We'll have another update out in a week or so with more details on summer plans!
-AnnaLisa

Recent Press

We're very fortunate the story took on so quickly, and a little caught off guard. Please check out the following links about the recent events at the store. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me by email. Please be patient but I will reply!

-AnnaLisa

vashongoodmerchandise (at) gmail dot com

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/vashon/vib/news/116511483.html

Story by Liz Shepherd, Vashon Beachcomber

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/02/17/homosexual-content-not-allowed-on-vashon-island

http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/435833_sound116511483.html

Interesting discussion!

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/116629258.html

We were on KOMO for several segments running.

Censorship and the opportunity it brings

Across the street at the Two Wall Gallery, Greg Davila and Monica Gripman's amazing love-theme art was shown with several other artists for the month of February. When the owners (specifically Louise Rice and her daughter Wendy) of the building showed up, they went flippin' nuts.

They personally took down the images and delivered them to the Heron's Nest in the same building. They (Louise and/or Wendy) were noted as saying the images were of "HOMOSEXUAL CONTENT AND OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE." The artists and curators were notified. I was also in the loop and decided to document the images that were removed, the images that were left, and how I feel about it.

One of Two Walls, now bare of Greg Davila's work.

In the back, there was a bunch of trash, ladders and crap. I found this more offensive than the art.

Davila's wall again.

This empty case is in the gallery too. It was also offensive because it was barren.

A few additional images of art that was not removed (I've updated the pictures to be horizontally or vertically correct, just for you Mr. Petersen). I've included my own, over-the-top interpretation of how offensive the remaining show could be, leaving me feeling puzzled about the reason Gripman and Davila's work was removed:

St. Sebastian probably wasn't a white man. Offensive. (I previously assumed in the heat of the moment it was Jesus Christ and was corrected).

Full artistic frontal, nipple, etc. Offensive.

Full artistic backside. Offensive.

Nipple. Offensive.

These girls do NOT look of age. Offensive.

Sci-fi nipple. Offensive.

Sci-fi cleavage. Provocative.

(Recent addition:) There's a naked body on her head! Offensive.

Here's a few of the art that was removed. We shot the images at Good Merchandise where they can now be viewed from the outside and to the public.

This one is by Monica Gripman. It has the eff word in it. Offensive.

Two men, and I can't tell if they're naked, can you? Offensive.

Totally non-hetero, PG13 image. I was more bothered by an episode of Parenthood last night than this image.

See two lovers embracing on the left? Offensive.

Woman in mirror, with breasts covered, with topless individual. Offensive.

All of the images from Monica and Greg can be viewed at Good Merchandise.

We 100% believe in our rights as citizens of the United States, which includes

FREEDOM of SPEECH!

Very Progressively,

AnnaLisa

Gift Certificates now available!

We now offer gift certificates you can purchase from the blog! All you need is a credit card. You can also purchase them by mail with a check or in the store of course.

Holiday Schedule

Woah!! We're almost there! We will be open on Christmas Eve, Closed on Christmas Day and Sunday. We will also be closed early New Year's Eve and will be closed New Year's Day.

Be safe and have a great holiday season!
AnnaLisa

P.S. We will also most likely be closed on Thursday!

Councilwoman LaFayette

If you haven't heard, I am now on the Board of Directors for the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council and am serving as Secretary. I have every intention of serving our community to the fullest of my abilities while further nurturing the artist population of the Puget Sound region.

Have something to say about Vashon? Send me an email, your input is welcome and very necessary for the island to grow!!

-AnnaLisa LaFayette
Secretary, VMICC (who can be reached at fairweatheraffairs@gmail.com for all VMICC inquiries)