Future of Glen's "crafty little place" in doubt

Now her time at the business is ending. 

She's offering the keys of the medium-size warehouse packed with antiques, wool and silverware goods to any comers.

She has hardly earned a quid doing the job.

"There's no money in it, I'm not selling the business, (just the building)" she said.

"I would just love to hand it on.

"Here's a gift - keep (it) going!"

At its height Artisans had some 67 knitters, painters and collectors. At the moment it supports maybe 40 due to natural attrition. 

She said the store may not make money for itself, but it does help bring money into the community. The "little crafty place" is an attraction and an asset for Glen Innes.

Suzanne says the trick of its tourist success is four magic words:

"The sign I put on the highway says 'antiques and old wares' because those are the words that grey nomads and travelers are looking for.

"They're not looking for 'craft' or 'art gallery' particularly.

"That got them 300 meters off the highway and down here.

"And then they found we had craft and paintings and pottery and this and that and they could learn to spin and learn to felt (as well).

"The grey nomads are running the country these days aren't they!"

Suzanne came to Glen Innes from Tweed Heads. She has a background in selling alpaca at farmer's markets all over the coast, from Mt Tamborine to Ballina.

She bought, with her husband, a 168 acre "run down" farm. Ther farm is totally paddock-to-plate, or rather paddock-to-jumper - part of the building is used for a massive darning machine they use to convert cut yarn into wool.

But the pressure of running a farm and a four-day-a-week shopfront is getting too much. A close friend recently died, and she had just three week’s warning of brain cancer; it was a big reality check.

Suzanne has fairly grim thoughts over the spinning wheel, she laughs.

"If I lost my life, if I knew I was dying, if I lost my husband…

"I don't mind dying, but if I don't have any time to find me before that time I'd be ticked off and I don't want to die angry.”

The business is for sale or short-term rent and there have been interested parties.