Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Craft-makers seek niche holiday market THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AUGUSTA, Ga. — Toy maker Kerry Dortch has simple advice for parents this holiday season: Don’t worry about the trendy toy or anything connected to an electrical cord. Go with a classic low tech toy and kids will still love to play with them. Showing off homemade puppets he calls “fuzzy wuzzy” puppets, the Ila, Ga., man joined other toy artisans recently at a convention called Christmas Made in the South. Dortch and other toy makers are finding more interest among shoppers for one-of-a kind toys that won’t go out of style in a year or two. Obrtch showed off his monkey-like puppets and said old-fashioned pizazz has kept him in business. “There aren’t many puppet-makers around, which helps, but I think the only thing that sustains me is the three minute demonstration that I do with Freddie,” he said of his puppet. “I try to bring him to life.” Dortch makes several thousand puppets a year and sells them for $22.95 each. The puppet idea came to him while he was working for a music booking agency and he wanted to make a little money on the side. It only took a few weeks of trial and error to find the right materials, and now Dortch finds selling the puppets is more fitn than making them. “Making these is pretty much like being in a factory, because you still have that repetition,” he said. “But when I’m doing the demonstration, I love to see the reactions on the kids’ faces. Some smile, some laugh and some don’t react at all. But even the ones that don’t react, it’s fun.” Another toy maker, Francis Martin of Martin’s Wooden Crafts, got the idea to start selling toys after seeing high priced “retro” toys in a Lumpkin, Ga., store. “The general store had some folk toys, and we just looked at them and said, ‘Well, we can make those a lot cheaper,’” said Martin, who lives in Cantonment, Fla. “So we started with whistles, paddle boats, push ducks, and slingshots, which we made with the fork of a tree. It sort of progressed into cars and trucks, then action toys like bows and arrows.” Martin has made toys a full-time occupation since 1987. Birch plywood, yellow pine and white pine make up the bulk of Martin’s toys. He said he rarely sees changes in demand for specific items. “Toys as a whole have been pretty much the same through the years,” he said. “It’s not like a Nintendo game, where one year it’s going to be hot and then just like that it’s over.” Martin is not immune to the demand for something new, though, and last year he started selling a PVC pipe-constructed marshmallow shooter for $6. This year, he experimented with MICHAEL HOLAHAN/THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE Kerry Dortch poses with his handmade puppets during the Christmas Made In The South craft fair Nov. 19 in Augusta, Ga. different colors for the cars, and next year, he’s hoping to offer a different kind of bow and arrow. “Trying to come up with something new is hard,” he said. “There’s only so many things you can do with wood and keep it affordable.” higher r test scores guaranteed » or your money back Attend all required classes or make-up sessions, complete all scheduled tests, and do your homework. If your score doesn’t improve on test day from your Kaplan diagnostic or a prior official ■'"* test score, you can choose to repeat our program for free or get a full refund of your tuition?* It’s that simple. World Leader in Test Prep and Admissions “Test names are registered trademarks of their respective owners. H ^B { ■ ^^k I ■ l' ^B **To be eligible for this offer, you must be enrolled In Kaplan’s full classroom, tutoring, or online courses. In addition, you must 1 -800-KAP-TEST present a copy of your official score report . and your course materials within 90 days. Kaptest.com yy. ■ ^ .$v.-'y y ■/ : '; v--' ' y • '*y. " 'y ,'y I • • • i aST s^BliiiiwHB^^ EH > $1000 OFF RENT 2 BEDROOMS STARTING AT $595 • spnRKLine pool u>i suodecr • conuEniEnT to fiue poiiits, • PLflUODRV FRCILITV OR SITE RRD IHALLS, ITITERSTHTES 1-20 6 1-26. • connECTions in all • lots & lots of huge closets • APHRTmEnTS • LARGET ROOIRHTE FLOORPLAnS • CARWASH AREA WITH UACUUIH • FIREPLACES • CLUBHOUSE(GREAT FOR ili r^n"C3, BMAiHunS fflES (803)772-9409 _CALI TODAY!!_