CRAFT - A Brief History

 CRAFT is a descendent and successor to two prior associations active in the industry, ACRA, American Craft Retailers Association, a volunteer led and administered association, and ACA, American Craft Association which was created upon ACRA’s absorption into ACC, American Craft Council.  Although both organizations held themselves out as associations interested in meeting the needs of storefront retailers of American craft, neither was able to deliver much in the way of programs benefiting storefront retailers, other than in the area of education.  The ACRA/ACA model for Table Topics is the foundation upon which CRAFT’s current programs are based.

 A few years after ACC dissolved ACA, events and changes in the community of storefront retailers led several gallery/shop owners to enter into discussions of the necessity and viability of forming a trade association to succeed ACA in serving the needs of American craft retailers.  After informal conversations and emails, a meeting was held in Philadelphia during a Buyers’ Market.  Approximately 20 owners were present and it was evident the parties present saw a need for a totally independent trade association of storefront retailers to address both the previously raised issues as well as a variety of others.

 After more than another year of conversations and meetings it was determined that there would be sufficient support within the retailer community to create the association with the assistance of professional administrative/management help.  With the help of Fernley & Fernley, the oldest association management company in the country, and the monetary and philosophical support of about 20 Founders the association was incorporated, bylaws, including the following mission statement,

 The mission of the Craft Retailers’ Association for Tomorrow is to:

• Support and encourage creativity and artistic excellence of American craftspeople
• Promote high ethical standards and business practices within the craft community
• Foster the appreciation and understanding of American craft by the general public

 were adopted and necessary IRS filings and approvals were completed and obtained.

Initial association officers and directors immediately set out to solicit membership and take action to satisfy the mission of the organization.  Almost immediately affinity relationships, some more valuable than others, were developed relating to packaging materials, property and casualty insurance and long term care coverage.  Educational programs were the most successful of the early programs.  The Table Topics programs, so popular with ACRA, were quickly resurrected and have grown.  An offshoot of Table Topics has been a series of educational telecons.   Encountering difficulty in obtaining acceptance the telecons have floundered recently but interest remains in strengthening this year round addition to Table Topics.

 In an effort to position itself as a voice of storefront retailers with the craft community the association has sought dialogue with other recognized participants in the community.  Beginning with issues raised by the timing of the 2004 winter shows, the association entered discussions with ACC and The Buyers Market in hopes of improving the major wholesale markets.  Despite association efforts promoter cooperation has been limited.  Over the last two years a relationships between the association and George Little Management (gift show promoter) and Wholesalecrafts.com (internet wholesale market) have been initiated which are hoped will lead to further improvements in the wholesale marketing of American craft.  Most recently CRAFT has presented a program on the buying of craft at the New York International Gift Fair, begun preliminary discussions with GLM about providing access to the Handmade sections of their shows to “emerging” artists and participated in a number of programs at both the Buyers Market and ACC shows.

 Although not well publicized within the community, in furtherance of the association mission, the Business Practices Committee has completed 2 projects, preparation of a prototype purchase order and drafting and adoption of the first written CRAFT Code of Ethics.

 To date, the most well received program has been the associations’ credit card processing relationship with Bank of America.  After over a year of negotiating, the association’s committee assigned to the project was able to deliver a program that CRAFT thinks will compare favorably to other offers currently available.

 The success of the credit card program as both a member benefit and member generator points to the importance of economic issues to craft retailers.  Other than credit card processing, health insurance appears to generate the most member interest.  Until changes occur in the market relating to HSAs (health savings plans) and, more importantly, AHPs, association health plans, little likelihood of a CRAFT member program is foreseen.

 The Business Management Committee continues its attempts to development benchmark information relating to craft retailing through its surveys.