Grab-bag goodies
Issue #25
The Sampler hooks you up with hot stuff from indie designers and businesses
By Sujan Hong
Published: September 1st, 2005 | 1:35pm
Marie Kare is the hardworking lady behind the Sampler, a one-of-a-kind DIY distribution project that uses an online subscription system and the contributions of dozens of crafters, zinesters, and small record labels to promote DIY business. Kare grew up in the Texas panhandle, surrounded by “country crafts,” and learned sewing, knitting, and decoupage at an early age. In 1998, she moved to California to study philosophy at Berkeley and also began making jewelry for local boutiques. Kare eventually opened her own tiny shop on Berkeley’s famed Telegraph Avenue, where the idea for the Sampler was born.
“I just thought it would be something I did in addition to having my store — something to do in my spare time,” Kare said.
She couldn’t have predicted how quickly the Sampler would take off. The first subscription package, which was mailed in September 2004 and included Plain Mabel wrist cuffs and CDs from indie-pop label Shelflife, was mailed out to the 30 people who had signed up. Since then, the Sampler’s popularity has soared. The latest subscription featured 113 contributors and was sent out to more than 300 subscribers.
A monthly subscription to the Sampler will set you back only $20 — or $50 for three months — and comes jam-packed with goodies and promos from the likes of 4Square, Backyard Clothing, Feed Your Head Books, and Wrong Number zine distro, to name but a few contributors.
What was your initial goal for the Sampler, and what’s your goal now that it has grown so much?
My initial goal was simply to get people to participate. The hardest part was getting people to understand the concept — that it wasn’t a scam but in fact super-awesome fun. Now my main goal is to make the Sampler support itself. Although it's proven to be a very popular project that has required me to work on it full time; I just haven't figured out a way to make it a financially sound. This is what I get for majoring in philosophy, instead of something like business, which my mom would have liked.
What's been your absolute favorite item featured in the Sampler?
That’s a really tough question, and I’m not just being coy. Several things that have really stood out were the fabric chokers from Mellifluous Couture, the glasses pouch from Art School Dropout, the jigsaw puzzle pins from Copacetique, the jars of felt beads from Lili la Malice, and the Tin Can cards from Pencil Shavings. But I could go on and on.
Have you ever had to reject anything?
The things I usually have to pass on are depictions of genitalia or items of a potentially offensive or inflammatory nature. It's not really that they're bad items or anything, it's just that there are minors who receive the Sampler. I would feel really awkward about being responsible for initiating "the talk" between an 8-year-old subscriber and his or her mom.
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To subscribe to the Sampler, visit homeofthesampler.com.
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