Nov 16, 2007

Retail Notebook: Couple in Ballard focus their curiosity on free tradeBy Kathy MuladySeattlePI.NWSource.com

While on vacation in Thailand with their teenage sons, Tammy and Andy James, the owners of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on the Seattle waterfront, had one of those moments that suddenly make everything else fall into place.

After days spent snorkeling, sightseeing and observing elephants, they decided to venture to a village so remote it could be reached only by an hourlong boat trip up a winding river.

When they finally arrived, they were captivated by the woven bracelets, embroidered purses and belts. They quickly spent $500 buying items for their stores back in Seattle.

“That’s really not that much money in our line of work. But as we left, the village elder thanked us and thanked us,” Tammy James said. “We were just having fun shopping.”

As it turned out, they had given the village enough money to send all the children to school for a year.

“It was kind of like our ‘ah-ha’ moment,” James said. “We decided to focus on fair-trade products, and see what we can do to help other people.”

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