It was late in 1969 when I got a call from the owner of Red Square, the boutique up the stairs from Bongo Burger on Dwight Way. She was calling a meeting with all the craftswomen who were consigning their merchandise in her store. She wanted out of her business, and offered it to all of us collectively. About 20 of us went for it.
We soon agreed to a new name, By Hand, and moved the business to CJ’s Old Garage on Telegraph and Blake. We had many meetings to decide on job responsibilities, consignment percentages, hours, work shifts, etc. Whew! I don’t know how the Cheese Board does it still! The business had its ups and downs over the next few years, moving to several different spots in the two adjacent garages. I left the country and traveled the Hippie Trail for about a year and a half, and when I returned there were new members, but I slid right back in. Times were tough, though-- the Avenue was dirty, sales were down, membership in the collective was now only six unhappy ladies, and our lease was up. In 1974, to the collective’s relief, Elaine and I decided to form a partnership (I called it a bloodless coup) and move the business to Walnut Square.
What a good move that turned out to be. We instantly had new customers, as well as our old clientele, and they all loved the new space. We continued on as before for several years, same consignment rates, same work shifts-- the main difference was that our partnership meetings were much more effective. At some point we decided to add ready-made T-shirts to our mix, and over the next decade added sweaters and other basics to help round out the merchandise and make it easier to create whole looks. We also started wholesaling up and down the West Coast with our own line of basics, BIDZ, adding Paula as a third partner.
In 1985 we moved around the corner to Vine St., more than doubling our space. By that time Elaine and I were both working on our wholesale line with Paula as well as running the store, so we were buying more ready-to-wear to go with the locally produced clothing and accessories. And we added a menswear corner, which really took off. After the birth of my son in 1990, Paula took over BIDZ, renamed Paula Z, and Elaine and I continued at By Hand.
Many of you know the rest of the story. We moved the business again in 1995, where we remodeled the corner at Solano and Ensenada. I bought Elaine out in 2000, and in 2010 retired myself, turning the business over to Paula and Romy. Unfortunately, there was no negotiating with the landlord of our beautiful space, so the business moved right across the street to an even bigger space. Now, Paula is retiring, and Romy is ready for a new career.
It’s been fun, it’s been hard, it’s been easy, it’s been a lot of years with all kinds of adventures. Thanks to our great customers, this business has been able to support many, many people—salespeople, buyers, and makers. We are all grateful.
-Susan
