Strange stories from the front lines
We had a young boy in our store who thought our showcases were tasty. He started at one end, stuck out his tongue and licked his way down the front of four showcases. SUE P., ESCANABA, MI
We have a customer who buys jewelry for his wife every year for Christmas. After several years of receiving jewelry for Christmas, the surprise factor had worn off. So we started to come up with interesting ways to wrap the jewelry in packages she wouldn’t recognize. We would use a makeup bag, nail kit or a larger box, etc. Last Christmas, we used one of the candy boxes we hand out to customers as a gift-with- purchase. An employee put the candy box with the jewelry inside in an isolated area of the safe (so it wouldn’t accidentally be given away) until the customer could come to pick it up. Well … our plan failed! The candy supply was getting low and the box was accidently given away to another customer! And we didn’t realize it until the original customer called to say that he would be there in an hour to pick it up! We scurried around trying to remember the last few people we gave candy to. We eventually figured it out and were able to call the customer and ask them to ?Please bring the box back!? Just as the box made it back to our office, the rightful owner came in to claim it. Scary situation ? but we had a chuckle when it was all over!
NICOLE S.,
LORAIN, OH
We make jewelry
for our customer’s cat and iguana. Why? Well, first he brought us a picture of his cat ? from a portrait studio, no less! ? and asked us to make a pendant that matched the cat’s blue eyes. Then he came back asking for a bracelet for his iguana. My guess? The iguana was jealous!
DOROTHY R.,
CHICAGO, IL
Our in-store jeweler fell off a chair trying to change a light bulb at home and broke his shoulder. And now our store has a new joke: ?How many jewelers does it take to change a light bulb?? Aren’t we cruel?
MARTA V.,
YORK, PA
We operate in a very diverse area and have had customers ask if we will polish their gold teeth!
EILEEN D.,
RAHWAY, NJ
Advertisement
Ready to Relocate? Wilkerson Makes Your Move Seamless
When Brockhaus Jewelry decided to leave their longtime West Main Street storefront for a standalone building elsewhere in Norman, Oklahoma, owners John Brockhaus and Brad Shipman faced a familiar challenge: how to efficiently reduce inventory before the big move. Their solution? Partnering with liquidation specialists Wilkerson for a second time.
"We'd already experienced Wilkerson's professionalism during a previous sale," Shipman recalls. "But their approach to our relocation event truly impressed us. They strategically prioritized our existing pieces while tactfully introducing complementary merchandise as inventory levels decreased." The carefully orchestrated sale didn't just meet targets—it shattered them.
Asked if they'd endorse Wilkerson to industry colleagues planning similar transitions—whether relocating, retiring, or refreshing their space—both partners were emphatic in their approval. "The entire process was remarkably straightforward," Shipman notes. "Wilkerson delivered a well-structured program, paired us with a knowledgeable advisor, and managed every detail flawlessly from concept to completion."
