CHA Merchandise / Memorabilia - your opinions are needed...
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- jtaylor
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I was wondering whether the pewter and silver housey-boys are still available from anywhere, and whether there'd be a market for those again?
I have one, but it got slightly crushed in a move a few years back - it always raises comment though about what it is.
I can't remember when/why they were on sale, but I seem to recall it was a limited thing??
J
I have one, but it got slightly crushed in a move a few years back - it always raises comment though about what it is.
I can't remember when/why they were on sale, but I seem to recall it was a limited thing??
J
Julian Taylor-Gadd
Leigh Hunt 1985-1992
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Leigh Hunt 1985-1992
Founder of The Unofficial CH Forum
https://www.grovegeeks.co.uk - IT Support and website design for home, small businesses and charities.
- icomefromalanddownunder
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Sounds great! Unfortunately, I couldn't commit to a purchase until I had an idea of price, and I guess it will hang on how many Lladro require for a minimum order ..........jhopgood wrote:I have not posted for a while so forgive me if I return to the topic.
I have couple of porcelain CH mugs, which since they seem to leak when I use them for coffee, my wife tells me they are just for ornaments.
I live close to the Lladro factory, they make porcelain figures, and last time I was there I asked about special issues. They are desperate for new work and now do special issues, something they did not do previously. What they make is not cheap as they are considered collector's items. Also, they cannot do very dark colours, so it wouldn't be a complete match to the Blue coat we all know, but would there be any interest if I went along and got a quote?
The Lladro figures I immediately think of are their 'airy fairy' ones - very pale and misty. If they cannot achieve the required blue for the coats, how would people feel about approaching other companies?
I'm getting quite excited at this thought - the Blue Coat Boys from the Hertford gates, Sussanah, Edward VIth - guess what my family would be receiving for Christmas and birthdays for the next several years
Caroline
Caroline Payne (nee Barrett)
Hertford 6.20 1965-70
Adelaide, dear Adelaide; where the water is foul, but the wines more than make up for it.
Hertford 6.20 1965-70
Adelaide, dear Adelaide; where the water is foul, but the wines more than make up for it.
CH ARMS AND THE SWORD
Just for the record, I have done a bit of delving and the correct description of the Christ's Hospital coat-of-arms is:
Well, that has settled that!"...argent, a cross gules in the dexter chief, a dagger of the first on a chief azure between two fleurs-de-lis, or, a rose argent."
MEMORABILIA - GENERAL
I am amazed that it has taken the CHA so long to get round to the subject of badges, etc, apart, of course, from the CHA badge itself which was produced very rapidly by Louise. However, before we take off on any flights of fancy - pottery figures, tankards, beer mats, etc - I suggest that we should discover precisely what went wrong with the previous range - what was ordered, what lines sold and what did not, etc. The people who were involved must still be around and it would be invaluable to find out what went wrong and why, so that we can avoid falling into the same errors.
The base problem is, of course, that you need to buy in quantity to keep prices at a resonable level, and you also have to buy stock from producers who, not unreasonably, want their money up front. Thus, you need to be pretty certain that what you buy in is going to sell, because if not, you are faced with a financial loss and some useless stock.
My own suggestion is that the most pressing need is for some form of visual recognition symbol which can be worn by males and females alike and in as many forms of dress as possible, and that all other items (tankards, beermats, statuettes, whatever) should be left until later. It used to be that male Old Blues wore a CH tie at any time and for Old Blue events wore a blue blazer with an embroidered Housie badge together with the tie. Female Old Blues wore the crested pin refered to earlier in this thread. I suggest that tie, tie-pin and blazer are outdated, while a hoodie with crest would not be to all tastes. I therefore propose a lapel pin with a CH badge (not the CHA crest) in coloured enamel which is sufficiently large to be recognisable but not so large as to be an inconvenience. This could be worn by male and female Old Blues, and, if they wished to do so, by current pupils when not in the school uniform. It would also be quite cheap.
Once the success of such a basic item has been assessed and the lessons from the previous range of memorabilia taken into account, we can then - but only then - consider what other items might prove popular.
Foureyes
The base problem is, of course, that you need to buy in quantity to keep prices at a resonable level, and you also have to buy stock from producers who, not unreasonably, want their money up front. Thus, you need to be pretty certain that what you buy in is going to sell, because if not, you are faced with a financial loss and some useless stock.
My own suggestion is that the most pressing need is for some form of visual recognition symbol which can be worn by males and females alike and in as many forms of dress as possible, and that all other items (tankards, beermats, statuettes, whatever) should be left until later. It used to be that male Old Blues wore a CH tie at any time and for Old Blue events wore a blue blazer with an embroidered Housie badge together with the tie. Female Old Blues wore the crested pin refered to earlier in this thread. I suggest that tie, tie-pin and blazer are outdated, while a hoodie with crest would not be to all tastes. I therefore propose a lapel pin with a CH badge (not the CHA crest) in coloured enamel which is sufficiently large to be recognisable but not so large as to be an inconvenience. This could be worn by male and female Old Blues, and, if they wished to do so, by current pupils when not in the school uniform. It would also be quite cheap.
Once the success of such a basic item has been assessed and the lessons from the previous range of memorabilia taken into account, we can then - but only then - consider what other items might prove popular.
Foureyes
- Richard Ruck
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Thanks for all the feedback.
Re. learning from previous mistakes, yes, I agree that this is very important. I believe that the CHA office are already trying to look at any records which remain from the merchandising activities of Christ's Hospital Enterprises.
As for trading terms, while it's true that most suppliers will require a payment in advance of or upon delivery for any first order, the majority of companies will then offer credit terms. Whether such terms would allow for a reasonable amount of the merchandise purchased to be sold before payment has to be made is, of course, another matter!
Re. ties, I certainly don't believe that they are outdated per se, although the tie / badged blazer combination as described by Foureyes may indeed not hold much appeal for younger Old Blues.
It's also worth noting that some companies, once a design has been agreed, are able to supply certain items of clothing (e.g. fleeces, hoodies etc.) as and when required, thus removing the risk of having funds tied up in stock that one cannot be certain will sell quickly.
The company which currently supplies the clothing worn by C.H. security and estate staff already does this.
Re. learning from previous mistakes, yes, I agree that this is very important. I believe that the CHA office are already trying to look at any records which remain from the merchandising activities of Christ's Hospital Enterprises.
As for trading terms, while it's true that most suppliers will require a payment in advance of or upon delivery for any first order, the majority of companies will then offer credit terms. Whether such terms would allow for a reasonable amount of the merchandise purchased to be sold before payment has to be made is, of course, another matter!
Re. ties, I certainly don't believe that they are outdated per se, although the tie / badged blazer combination as described by Foureyes may indeed not hold much appeal for younger Old Blues.
It's also worth noting that some companies, once a design has been agreed, are able to supply certain items of clothing (e.g. fleeces, hoodies etc.) as and when required, thus removing the risk of having funds tied up in stock that one cannot be certain will sell quickly.
The company which currently supplies the clothing worn by C.H. security and estate staff already does this.
Ba.A / Mid. B 1972 - 1978
Thee's got'n where thee cassn't back'n, hassn't?
Thee's got'n where thee cassn't back'n, hassn't?
- J.R.
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Hence, the name will be changed from CHA to CHAv, eh, Richard ?Richard Ruck wrote:Thanks for all the feedback.
It's also worth noting that some companies, once a design has been agreed, are able to supply certain items of clothing (e.g. fleeces, hoodies etc.) as and when required, thus removing the risk of having funds tied up in stock that one cannot be certain will sell quickly.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
- DavebytheSea
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Well as a CHA Veteran, I shall certainly want my hoodie duly emblazonedJ.R. wrote:Hence, the name will be changed from CHA to CHAv, eh, Richard ?Richard Ruck wrote:Thanks for all the feedback.
It's also worth noting that some companies, once a design has been agreed, are able to supply certain items of clothing (e.g. fleeces, hoodies etc.) as and when required, thus removing the risk of having funds tied up in stock that one cannot be certain will sell quickly.
David Eastburn (Prep B and Mid A 1947-55)
- J.R.
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Is it supplied with a Burberry baseball-cap ?DavebytheSea wrote:Well as a CHA Veteran, I shall certainly want my hoodie duly emblazonedJ.R. wrote:Hence, the name will be changed from CHA to CHAv, eh, Richard ?Richard Ruck wrote:Thanks for all the feedback.
It's also worth noting that some companies, once a design has been agreed, are able to supply certain items of clothing (e.g. fleeces, hoodies etc.) as and when required, thus removing the risk of having funds tied up in stock that one cannot be certain will sell quickly.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
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One of the problems must have been advertising; was there any? I never saw anything and even now I don't know what is on offer for how much under what terms and conditions apart from what has been mentioned here.
The old striped OB tie was available freely in London from tie specialists but the crest was not. (BTW the striped OB tie, when not pulled very straight was identical to the Wavy Navy tie - RNVR to the higorent). Ties remain useful but crested ones are not currently fashionable in normal circles.
Lapel pins - actually sounds a good idea. They could have sold tens of thousands a few years ago when they were the "in" thing to collect in France.
Just my sou's worth
The old striped OB tie was available freely in London from tie specialists but the crest was not. (BTW the striped OB tie, when not pulled very straight was identical to the Wavy Navy tie - RNVR to the higorent). Ties remain useful but crested ones are not currently fashionable in normal circles.
Lapel pins - actually sounds a good idea. They could have sold tens of thousands a few years ago when they were the "in" thing to collect in France.
Just my sou's worth
What happens if a politician drowns in a river? That is pollution.
What happens if all of them drown? That is solution!!!
What happens if all of them drown? That is solution!!!
MORE ON PINS, etc
Can this be that difficult? The last CHE stocvk was sold off at OB Day 2005, so some of those involved must still be around. Also, I preumse that the Counting House must have produced papers about the failure of CHE and why it needed to be wound up. Also, I would be very surprised if Wendy doesn't know all the answers anyway!Richard Ruck wrote:I believe that the CHA office are already trying to look at any records which remain from the merchandising activities of Christ's Hospital Enterprises.
Richard Ruck wrote:Re. ties, I certainly don't believe that they are outdated per se, although the tie / badged blazer combination as described by Foureyes may indeed not hold much appeal for younger Old Blues.
I was looking for something that could be common to both male and female OBs and a lapel pin seemed the most obvious choice. There is no reason why there could not be a tie, but certainly not a blazer.
ExcellentRichard Ruck wrote:It's also worth noting that some companies, once a design has been agreed, are able to supply certain items of clothing (e.g. fleeces, hoodies etc.) as and when required, thus removing the risk of having funds tied up in stock that one cannot be certain will sell quickly. The company which currently supplies the clothing worn by C.H. security and estate staff already does this.
My message is - keep it really simple and cheap, until things get going.
PS Does the CHA have a trading fund?
- englishangel
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There was a flyer in 'Housey' each time.sejintenej wrote:One of the problems must have been advertising; was there any? I never saw anything and even now I don't know what is on offer for how much under what terms and conditions apart from what has been mentioned here.
The old striped OB tie was available freely in London from tie specialists but the crest was not. (BTW the striped OB tie, when not pulled very straight was identical to the Wavy Navy tie - RNVR to the higorent). Ties remain useful but crested ones are not currently fashionable in normal circles.
Lapel pins - actually sounds a good idea. They could have sold tens of thousands a few years ago when they were the "in" thing to collect in France.
Just my sou's worth
"If a man speaks, and there isn't a woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"
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- GE (Great Erasmus)
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I suggest that you get in touch with other schools and see what they are up to. I know that some sell their wares through the internet successfully. Others sell all their products through third party resellers who do all the boring bits like processing orders, marketing, post and packaging. They do, of course, take a cut of the profits.
Talking of profits - do you intend to make them or are you going to sell at cost?
Talking of profits - do you intend to make them or are you going to sell at cost?
- icomefromalanddownunder
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Mrs C. wrote:I think something that would appeal to visitors to the school as a "souvenir" would also be a good idea- plenty of people on Verrio tours, Open Days etc etc would possibly like the opportunity to take a "little something" home with them.
OMG, I can't believe that I am suggesting this, but (aimed solely at the visitors) what about tea spoons? Aaaaaarrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh.
Cheers
Caroline
Caroline Payne (nee Barrett)
Hertford 6.20 1965-70
Adelaide, dear Adelaide; where the water is foul, but the wines more than make up for it.
Hertford 6.20 1965-70
Adelaide, dear Adelaide; where the water is foul, but the wines more than make up for it.