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The
Past Looks Bright at Nostalgic Images
The executives
at Nostalgic Images didn’t build the firm
into a leading wholesaler of collectible vintage styled metal signs
by sticking their fingers into their ears. Quite the contrary,
the company has built its thriving business upon the principle
that when customers talk, they listen. Not just some of the time,
but always.
“We listen to customers’ needs, because our number
one goal is to help them make money,” said Bill Westrick,
president of Nostalgic Images Inc. in Defiance, OH. “We believe
in doing whatever we need to do to help them make money. For instance,
three years ago when we first launched our website we did not take
it as seriously as we do now. We are getting where we want to go
with the website. We are still not exactly where we want to be,
but we are getting closer.”
Nostalgic Images’ metal signs often commemorate classic entertainment
entities such as “I Love Lucy,” and Elvis Presley,
that will seemingly live on in pop culture forever. But the firm
understands that business schedules are anything but timeless.
As the adage goes, time is money. And since Nostalgic Images has
always been ready to tune into the needs of past or prospective
customers, it did not hesitate when one of them suggested the idea
of implementing a quick order tool at www.nostalgicimages.com.
Only one month later, site visitors were able to type product code
numbers into an easy to use box, sending the ordered items straight
to the shopping cart. This fast and handy process not only conserves
time for customers, but also energy.
“I seriously think it saves them a lot of breath, due to
not having to speak all the product numbers into the phone,” said
Deborah Collins, general manager at Nostalgic Images. “And
it alleviates us of work hours by not having to take as many of
the orders over the phone. Indeed, as we work out easier ways for
people to navigate the site and go through checkout, we will continue
to grow online. The customers have sent us some great comments
that have helped us make the site improved for them, and also better
for us. We welcome and encourage that sort of dialogue because
it makes everyone happier in the end.”
Collins said that her company’s steady stream of mom and
pop retail clients using the website will someday look more like
a rapid river. Everyday, more and more retailers are purchasing
at www.nostalgicimages.com.
“Some customers are still not totally comfortable with ordering
on the web,” Collins said. “But I definitely think
mom and pops will become more at ease placing orders online in
the future. We’ve already seen it in the last six months.
Sometimes we step them through the process over the phone, and
we show them the ease of web ordering. It’s as simple as
clicking on the picture and it adds the product right into their
shopping cart. Once they get the hang of it, they end up being
very pleased.”
Classic Signs Send Nostalgic Images on a New Wave
Nostalgic Images was launched in 1984 and initially focused on
closeouts, logo watches, tee shirts, transfers and embroideries.
But within a few years, it was one of the first firms to get
a grip on the potential market in classic metal signs. In the
late ‘80s, there was a boom of restaurants adding throwback
dÄcor to their dining room walls. During the last 15 years,
the trend has expanded out of the bistro and diner scene, and
now teenagers are hanging the signs in their bedrooms, and Baby
Boomers in their dens.
“We’ve always been into the business of images, and the
move towards the metal signs was just a natural way to go,” Westrick
said. Collins added, “So, that’s the direction we headed.
There were not many companies doing them at that time. It was a good
market. By 1989, it was going full force. Since then, our selection
has gone from around 15 signs to more than 700.”
In addition to Lucille Ball and “The King,” of rock ‘n’ roll
the signs utilize the iconic images of Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne,
Betty Boop, James Dean, The Wizard of Oz and Route 66, among others.
Yet, “Personalities,” is just one subcategory used
to organize the hundreds of metal signs at www.nostalgicimages.com.
There are also collections called Street & Parking, License
Plates, Beverage, Collectible, Rustic and Transportation.
The signs cost $6 apiece, unless orders exceed 100 units. In that
case, buyers will only pay $5 per sign. Collins said that median
order sizes tend to be in the $175 range.
The signs will arrive at your store in a display ready box that
can be installed in virtually no time. Along with the basic display,
an artist rendered blackboard promoting the signs is included.
The packaging is put together to get the displays up and running,
as well as to protect the product in travel to a shop’s address.
“The retailer doesn’t have to worry about getting a product
that looks damaged,” Collins said. “They will always
be scratch free and ready for the floor.”
Nostalgic Images notifies past customers via email about the arrival
of new products. Additionally, the company uses its website as
a multiple channel marketing engine. For instance, recipients of
the firm’s monthly email newsletter can download a Portable
Document Format (PDF) version of its current print catalog. This
feature lets them print the file and, either read it over coffee
break or conveniently hand it
to a co-worker.
“There is a link to the website in the email as well,” Collins
said. “They can read about the offers on their computer screen
or print out the catalog and carry it around, whichever they want.
I definitely think it’s helpful to give them different ways
of seeing the products.”
Needless to say, Nostalgic Images continues to take advantage of
being a premiere supplier in the metal sign market. Escalating
sales over the years have allowed the company to operate out of
a 100,000 square foot facility on a 15 acre complex in Defiance,
a northwest Ohio town of 16,000 residents. It is strategically
located near UPS and FedEx stations, which allows three day shipping
to be possible. Nostalgic Images’ service staff will see
that the products get to the buyer right away.
“If you need an order by the weekend and get the details to
us by Monday, we can turn it around,” Collins said. “We
do our own order fulfillment, so we can make sure to get your products
to you quickly. We don’t drop ship anything. We are very focused
on supplying fast and accurate service.”
Hot Products at NostalgicImages.com
Sales at NostalgicImages.com over the last five years have grown
significantly, and the site has helped the firm increase overall
revenue by more than 30 percent. Collins said that her company
has avoided becoming a one trick pony.
“The growth is partly because of the selection that we carry,” she
said. “We are not just metal signs. We carry closeouts, we
carry trend items. People can come to us and fill their stores with
a variety of products without having to call 10 different vendors.
We have a diversified product offering that can fulfill a retailer’s
many needs. And we have price points that fit the needs of both high-end
stores and flea markets. We have products and prices for the whole
spectrum.”
Nostalgic Images has recently added a slew of fun kids’ items
that all have a minimum order of 24 units, but offer differing
price points. For instance, there’s the Space Lava, a non
toxic substance that can be squeezed and formed into virtually
any shape. It is offered in orange, green, pink, yellow, gray,
white, blue and rainbow. The Space Lava is safe and recommended
for ages 5 and up, wholesaling for .50 cents each.
Rocket Lights are another exciting new kid’s item from Nostalgic
Images. Users simply slip the item on their fingers, flip on the
switch and they will see an ultra bright light. They are excellent
for sporting events, parties, camping and night fishing, while
being priced at .20 cents apiece.
Perhaps the funkiest new product is the Super Fly Monkey, which
can skyrocket up to 50 feet after users place their fingers in
the paws of the monkey, and then aim, stretch and release. The
item costs $2.50 per unit and comes with a free display kit at
www.nostalgicimages.com.
Collins said that such product influxes at least slightly challenge
her firm to keep the website up to date and the warehouse tip-top.
However, she said Nostalgic Images’ twenty five employees
can handle any task thrown at them. She said that the group stays
close knit and enthusiastic, attributing the positive atmosphere
to annual social outings like summer cookouts, Halloween field
trips and Christmas parties. Extended families and friends of employees
bring together as many as one hundred attendees for the company
events.
“Everyone here is very family oriented,” Collins said. “We
all work close in hand to keep things running smoothly. We all look
at each other as friends, and we like to keep it that way. We keep
our employee numbers low enough where we all know who is who.”
Seven years ago, Collins moved from her native North Carolina’s
eastern coast to Ohio in order to learn the wholesale business
under Westrick’s stewardship. She describes her boss, who
was raised in the local area, as an intuitive and hard working
marketer who leads a company that reflects his small town upbringing.
“I have learned so much, even more than I initially thought
I would,” Collins said. “I went from the beach and came
to the snow. I left my sand shovel behind and brought my snow shovel
along. But I certainly do not have any regrets, because of the type
of company we have at Nostalgic Images.”
For more information, contact:
Nostalgic Images, Inc.
26012 Elliot Rd.
U.S. 24 & St. Rt. 281
Defiance, OH 43512
Toll Free: 888-571-3748
Tel.: 419-784-1728
Fax: 419-782-9459
Website:
www.nostalgicimages.com
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