November 13, 2004
What Fun!
As you can see from the photo, Handmade Arcade was a big success. We got there just in time for piñata to be be broken. A lot of stuff to buy, even more to think about. The crowd and the vibe there just seemed to be one enormous "Amen" to everything. As I mentioned to crafter Al Hoff it reminded me of being in the Strip District at the nadir of the Reagan recession. "Ain't we got fun!"
Posted by mastr at November 13, 2004 09:45 PMI might have to explain some. Back in 1984, things were pretty tough in Pittsburgh. But on Saturday morning you'd see thousands of people down at the Strip. We weren't buying luxury goods, for sure. We were buying food. Better food, sometimes cheaper, and less prepackaged (makes me see more paralllels between Handmade Arcade and the Strip). If we bought something that was totally unneccessary, it was usually from Schorin's and was dirt cheap. The Strip has changed somewhat but it's just as crowded and full of just as much — maybe more — theater, and even though there's more shopping going on at Best Buy and Sam's Club and Aldi's, in the long run, places like the Strip and Handmade Arcade will win our hearts and minds.
Posted by: Mark Stroup at November 14, 2004 12:07 PM