The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

  Just wanted to let you all know before you heard rumors on the grapevine.  This will be the last month you will ever get to see our little store before we close....


Because we are moving to a bigger better location just down the street in the Thompson Building!!!  ;D

Our building just got a new owner and wanted to renegotiate our lease which is up at the end of the year.  They were asking quite a bit more long term than the previous owners.  So we decided to look around and see if there were other options.  I have always had my eye on the Thompson Building and we looked at our numbers and think it will just be doable if we really work hard at it.  Things will be tight again, just as we were finally making a profit lol,  but we think this new space and location, though only a short distance from our current one, offers us better opportunities for foot traffic and for future growth.  

It's going to be tough, but I think the risk is worth it.  I LOVE the space.  20 foot ceilings in the front part with a staircase leading up to a second floor mezzanine that overlooks the front part.  Will feel so fancy to be saying stuff like, "Yes, that's in the Men's department on the second floor." 8)  And we will have just over 1,500 more square feet than our current location.  Our new space will be right next door to Jimmy Johns, across from Mod's and just a couple doors down from Elote.  We always felt like we were just a little too far down the street away from the center of things in the area. Now we will be right smack dab in the middle.

Now we will have room for real book signing events, children's book readings, I will be able to give art classes, we will be able to have art shows featuring local artists and craftsmen, and more.

Anywhoo, please come buy some stuff! lol. It will be the last time to see the old DECOPOLIS. We have some great gifts for people of all ages and likes.

 Support your local, downtown retailers!  We need a good Christmas to help us make the big move!

And thanks so much to all of you who have supported us these first few years.  We look forward to creating something even better for you.

NICE! :D

Oh, I was so very sad at the title. But yay for a bigger store! I think you have the best retail store in Downtown so I'm glad to see it move into a more historic building a bit closer to the action.

Good deal William! Excited to see what you dream up for your new space.

You have a vision for the space and how to expand programming for the store instead of just going into debt for more inventory to fill the space, I think you will do great!

We will see if we can help lighten up your inventory a little for holiday gifts.

Congratulations!

Go William!

Congratulations.  That's exciting news.

I just told a friend who lives in the Thompson and she was very happy that you're moving in.  She said she loves when Decopolis is open because of the music you play.

Awesome! That does seem like a better location for walkability in that area. And with you moving, it will open the door for something to move into the space you're in.

Will be interesting to see the new inventory! Would love to see what kinds of clothes you'd have there. I'm a fan of Hillman's Garage who make Tulsa T's but haven't seen them anywhere besides Indie Emporium/Mayfest (http://hillmansgarage.net/collections/t-townteez (http://hillmansgarage.net/collections/t-townteez)).

Shame on you for the scary title!! Yay for you and the move!

Thanks all!  Yes we are glad to have more space to do the kind of "programming" that would not fit into our current space.  I would think that merely being that next block over and in a higher traffic spot our sales will go up by about 15-20%, or hopefully more!

And we are learning that it isn't about having more product, but the right products, and getting the best sellers back in as quickly as possible.  Sounds easy, but it is very tricky lol.  I still learn something every week. So glad I have a good team.  No way this artist brain could have done all the legal, tax, employment, form filling out stuff on my own.  Very important to have the right mix of people on your team.

 Sometimes I feel like I am the least important asset here lol. I set out the vision and try to keep it going in the right general direction, and shuffle things around to make them look pretty, then everyone else does the stuff that is hard for me to do.  I wish I could pay them all more cause they deserve it.  Hopefully will be able to someday.

Great news!

Very exciting, and I'm thrilled for you.

I walk by the Thompson Building several times a week, and I've been wondering what tenant might move into that space....so good to know that it's going to be DECOPOLIS!

Decopolis set to reopen in new downtown location

http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/scene/offbeat/decopolis-set-to-reopen-in-new-downtown-location/article_5d6843d3-9e9f-581f-9bf7-adfeba1ad6f7.html (http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/scene/offbeat/decopolis-set-to-reopen-in-new-downtown-location/article_5d6843d3-9e9f-581f-9bf7-adfeba1ad6f7.html)



Looking forward to seeing the new place!

Thanks!

They are saying it's going to be a tough year for retail, especially brick and mortar.  But that just makes me want to work all that much harder to make a go of it and beat the odds.  

Will be going to the first "market" of the year in a couple of weeks to see if we can find some great products for the new place.  Hopefull we will find some top notch unique and fun stuff at good prices to bring to Tulsa!

MC and I dropped in yesterday, it is a fantastic space.  I really do think it will benefit from better foot traffic and being much closer to two of the major hotels in downtown will be a plus.

This is a great Saturday morning/afternoon destination!  There’s the pop up shops in the Philcade as well as the Art Deco museum and gift shop.

Great vision, Artist!

Thanks Conan!  Was good to see you both the other day as well as Cannon Fodder who turned out to be our very first customer at the new location!

Well darn, I didn’t think of that distinction.  We foolishly spent our pennies at the Deco Museum gift shop ;)

I'm #1!  I'm #1!

I walked by yesterday.  Didn't have time to stop in, but IT LOOKS AMAZING!  Great job, Artist!

Thank Ya!

Congratulations!  Cannot wait for the weekend to try to come by.

Nice job with the new space! I like the new layout.

The wife and I stopped by Decopolis for their Grand Opening today.  This is the third time I've been to the new space and we were both very impressed with the way it's set up.  So many unique items I've never seen in any other store.  Obviously very well planned and the Grand Opening seemed very well attended.  Good things are happening in the deco district and, as a native Tulsan, I'm loving every minute of it.  Great job, Artist!

There was just a spot on Discover Oklahoma with Artist.  I missed the very beginning.  I think it was the museum rather than Decopolis.  Still, nice spot Artist.

I enjoyed his 1940's county clerk look. Bow tie, horn rimmed glasses. Very cool!

Thanks all!  What a day.  Super busy.  The TFA tunnel tour sure brought a lot of people to the area and helped make our grand opening a smashing success.  Though I did ask a lot of people how they liked the tour or if they were going on the tunnel tour and was pleasantly surprised at the number who said they came to see our store!  Quite flattering.  Just makes me want to try harder to keep finding unique items at better prices and to make the store even more enjoyable and interesting.  

Also heard the museum gift shop did very well today.  I am completely surprised at the kind of sales they have some days.  I have a little protege over there, Luke our Museum Operations Manager, that has turned into a little monster competitor lol.   We had to kind of have a little "gentleman's agreement" to settle on who would get to sell what stuff we would find at market and what items would be best for each store so we would not step on each others toes lol.  DECOPOLIS is passing on a lot of Art Deco and artsy/museum gift store type items so they can have them, which is fine cause we can do a lot larger range of items, and of course I want to see them succeed as well.   

I am also very excited about the unique custom items we will be creating just for DECOPOLIS this year!  (which is also great because, if we are the only ones who have an item, we will not be competing with Amazon)

Kinda like QuikTrip and Love's...?



Love's has a new place going in at Nowata...getting close to Tulsa area!   Maybe their agreement is slipping...

Discover Oklahoma (OETA/KETA Oklahoma City) did a short feature on your (William Franklin) store today; it was very professional.  You look very sophisticated in eye wear  8). Can't wait to put it on my list of 'must see' at your new Boston Avenue store.

(http://kotv.images.worldnow.com/images/4594286_G.jpg)

Best of luck with your new location; keep up the good work.

Note:  posted a piece on the OKCTalk Forum about Decopolis - under Tulsa & Suburbs (Tulsa trip suggestions).

Thank You!

It was nice seeing you today.

Lovely "new" location...   :)

Artist,

Will you have these new books on sale?

http://www.newson6.com/story/33728657/new-book-highlights-historic-part-of-downtown-tulsa

For those who haven't heard, there's a new book out called 4th & Boston: Heart of the Magic Empire. Seems right the alley of most folks on this board.

Looky, looky: https://www.facebook.com/decopolis/photos/a.560545027295567.148164.556647177685352/1493109994039061/?type=3&theater (https://www.facebook.com/decopolis/photos/a.560545027295567.148164.556647177685352/1493109994039061/?type=3&theater)

Ah, thank you!

I have a copy of the book.  I have not made it all the way through, but I like it so far.

Yes, we were the first place in Tulsa to get the book!  We even had it for sale before they had their launch party lol.  

And yes, its really a beautiful, well put together book.  Looking at it from the "design/book layout" perspective, its amazing.  Really well done. If I were to do a book, I could only hope to create one as well put together and could only imagine how much work it took.  And I have heard it reads really well too lol, but as an artist and designer I could wax poetic about it to the point of being absurd lol.

But anyway, I think we sold about 10 today alone and will have to order more boxes first of next week.  

Oh, and we will be having the authors at DECOPOLIS the Saturday after Thanksgiving "Small Business Saturday" from 12-6 to sign the books!  

Some photos of the book...
https://www.facebook.com/decopolis/photos/a.1480329211983806.1073741833.556647177685352/1480329315317129/?type=3&theater

One neat thing for us Tulsa history nerds is that they used many, rarely seen photos from the buildings own archives and collections. 

Did I see a familiar face?
http://www.fox23.com/news/lights-shine-on-historic-tulsa-building-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-40-years/476053142

I like the idea of restoring the old NBT Weather Teller, but I was a bit underwhelmed to see it was just some LED floodlights.

The original was an impressive array of neon and argon tubes that could be programmed from a rotary phone on a leased line.
It was segmented in that the neon lights could sequentially spell out letters (like N -B -T). The present arrangement is just a wash from up-lighting (and sort of an environmental no-no because of spill light).
Im guessing if they had set up LED segments like they did the neon, the temptation to use it as just another LED billboard would always be there.

But I digress; I hope to get by the new DECOPOLIS location before Christmas.

Bringing back the weather lights at 320 S Boston would be awesome!  I'll have to check out the book.

Sorry about that!  :P