At 40, Carlisle Collectible Maker Holds Fast To Business Model
Wee Forest Folk
Carlisle-based Wee Forest Folk has been churning out original, hand-sculpted mouse figurines, like this one, since 1972.
Will Petersen, owner of Wee Forest Folk of Carlisle, says collectibles aren't as popular as they once were.
That may not bode well for Petersen's family business, founded by his mother, Annette Petersen, in 1972, but he said if the company stays true to its product – tiny stone mice characters – and customer base, it will endure, as it has for the last 40 years.
An Art To Live By
"We'll just keep doing it the way we are, and be true to it," Petersen said.
Petersen and his sister, Donna Petersen, joined the family business as sculptors shortly its founding. Their mother, a New York City native, was looking for a way to supplement her husband's income, so she decided to apply her artistic talents to make and sell figurines from home.
She started with owls then graduated to mice, which became hugely popular. Today, there are Wee Forest Folk Collectible clubs (a collectors event is being held Friday in Clare, Mich.), and the Petersens have even met some enthusiasts who have collected more than 1,000 mice over the years.
With a team of 35 artists, the company churns out unique, hand-made pieces in casting stone to be sold in retail stores across the United States. No two pieces are alike, and with prices in the range of $80 to $200 or more, the collectibles fetch the kind of money you'd expect from custom artwork.
Collectibles A Cooling Market
But not all is golden in mouse town.
There was a time when the hype for Wee Forest Folk was huge, Will Petersen said. Year after year, sales increased by about 10 percent. Then it leveled off.
The company still generates more than $1 million in sales, Will Peterson said, and Wee Forest Folk are still relatively popular gifts for special occasions and interests, so artists are focusing on those today, he added.
But collectibles just don't hold the same intrigue for the general population they once did, according to Petersen.
"It sort of peaked and people have a sort of negative reaction to it," Petersen said.
Despite their challenges, the Petersens are committed to selling to retailers directly only, and not offering their products online. The main reason is that it's hard to appreciate the beauty of a Wee Forest Folk sculpture on a computer screen.
"We're not something that looks good in a picture," Petersen said.
Petersen said he's exploring additional products that could be sold online to bolster the business, but part of keeping it successful is just a matter of paring the company down to a size that can be supported, Petersen said.
At 93, Annette Petersen still sculpts three days a week at the company's shop on Bedford Road, alongside employees who have been with her from the beginning.
"I love what I'm doing and I love the people I work with who have been with us for so many years. They came out of high school, and now they're grandmothers," Annette Petersen said.
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