Our Last “Sale” Ever

Local Shopkeeper vs. Online Retailer

We opened our Curiosity Shop at 69 Atlantic Avenue just over eight months ago and in that time we have realized something that might seem kind of obvious: being a shopkeeper in real life is way more fun than being a “retailer” online.

It’s not just that running a store in-person is more exciting and fulfilling, it’s also more intuitive. We act like human beings to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. We do our best to answer people’s questions or solve their problems. If someone’s hands are full, we give them a bag. If it’s raining we lend them an umbrella. We remember people’s names when they return and the shop has quickly become a meeting place for a vibrant, creative community.

We’ve always tried our best to run our website the same way. But in the twelve years since we founded artofplay.com, the internet has changed dramatically. Faceless corporations have effectively removed the human element from shopping online. Everyone from the designer of the object to the delivery person who drops the package at your door is rendered invisible. That kind of purely transactional relationship means the only thing that matters is numbers: price, rating, delivery time.

On the internet, quantity is valued more than quality. But the opposite is true in real-life.

It may seem old-fashioned but our hope is to act more like the greengrocer or the corner coffee shop and less like Temu or Facebook. The same way you might get some extra strawberries in the peak of the season or a free pastry at the end of the day, we want to share gifts with our customers.

Our goal is to create value through generosity rather than destroy value through discounts.

So today will be our last “sale” ever. Our entire catalog is now on discount with select items up to 90% off—these products are marked down to sell quickly and we don’t plan to restock them in the future.

From now on, we’ll be focusing on a highly curated selection of magical objects that do not fluctuate in price.

In many cases, we work directly with the talented people who make the things we sell. Artisans who do not wholesale elsewhere trust us to showcase their work with style and respect. They know we deeply value their craft and creativity. They also know that any object selected for our unique collection is elevated by association with all the other wonders that decorate our shelves. 

We believe that knowledge, taste and integrity are what inspire life-long relationships with collaborators as well as customers.

After this week, when our last “sale” ends, you will not find any discounts at Art of Play. What you will find is a surprising number of things that are FREE. 

Visit our curiosity shop in Brooklyn and you might get a map of our favorite places in the neighborhood, a cup of cold brew coffee, a sip of Japanese whiskey, a matchbox, a sticker, an origami penguin, or a helpful hint on a puzzle you’ve been struggling with. This is the kind of experience we hope to emulate online.

In the meantime, we hope you’ll take a look at our extensive catalog of puzzles, games, toys, books, home goods and playing cards and find something to fall in love with at a price that you’ll never see again.

Thank you for reading what is probably the longest “clearance sale” announcement ever written. If you have any questions about our new approach, feel free to send us an email. As always, we appreciate your curiosity.

Sincerely,
Adam Rubin, Dan Buck, Dave Buck
Art of Play