forbes forbes


FORBES, March 11 ,1996

"SOMEWHAT INDIVIDUAL"

Want to do something creative, but in a hurry?
Some clever marketers have just the products for you.

  • by Juliette Rossant

    • PETROGLYPH, in Santa Cruz, California, is a "pottery bar." You pick out a mug, bowl, or serving platter that has already been thrown on the wheel and fired once in a kiln.

    You choose the paints and start doodling on the surface. Once you glaze your creation, Petroglyph give it a final firing. The prices range from around $3 for a small tile to around $75 for a [large] unfinished vase, plus $6 an hour for the paints, supplies, and workspace.

    Self-expression for the time-deprived, made fast and simple! You get the feeling of creation without most of the agonies and study that true creativity exacts. The first "pottery bar" opened up in New York City four years ago. This year there are about 70 in various parts of the country. "It caters to that desire of not having to commit," concedes Petroglyph co-owner Michael Rubin. "It's fast, and it's useful. No matter how badly you paint a bowl, you can still have cereal in it in the morning." Plus you have more time for yoga class.

    Shrewd marketers are applying that thinking to any number of tedious, time-consuming hobbies. "I call the trend 'half-baked,' " says market researcher Judith Langer.

    (More to follow)

    Back to Petroglyph Press Stuff

    Copyright (c) 1996 Forbes Magazine, Reprinted with Permission. All Rights Reserved. Visitor [an error occurred while processing this directive]