More Disturbances In the Force

I already said farewell to the Mini Briefcase Business Card Holder, the last few pink ones notwithstanding. The return of the Create-a-Bird kite isn't as imminent as I'd hoped; the latest word is "May-June at the earliest," extending its absence to nearly a year and missing the lucrative Easter tie-in (Christians buy them for religious plays). Now it turns out that Switchables is switching things up more drastically than I'd realized. Their supply of covers was erratic all last year. This year it's next to nonexistent. Designs that sold dozens of pieces per year are gone, never to return. That's already put a crimp in Valentines Day. 

At least 67 designs that I currently stock are on the discontinued list. Two thirds of those won't be missed. The other third, though, were reliable standbys. If none of them were spectacular themselves, together they added up to a pretty good chunk of change.

A lot of new designs are coming in February and in June, but I see only six predictable hits among the 31 new styles that I'm bringing in. I don't think collectors are going to like the move to fused glass over traditional soldered construction.

The nice people at Switchables undoubtedly know their business better than I do. The number of designs in my inventory was unwieldy, and I don't even carry the religious or cartoon-cute ones. However it works out for them, though, losing so many Old Reliables is one more hurdle to overcome this year.

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Iggy the cat, Curio City's mascot and my friend for nearly 17 years, is going to be euthanized tomorrow morning if his cancer doesn't kill him before then. At least his long life didn't end in a prolonged decline; he was healthy until early this month and really only hit the wall last Monday. Of course, that doesn't make the end any easier emotionally.