Holidays really do amplify the festive spirit. Everybody wants to enjoy, look like they are celebrating, involve everyone, and even want their homes to look like the family is in a festive mood and celebrating the holiday with zeal. This means plenty of holiday-appropriate decoration, lights, etc. And while some people like to keep it traditional, others want to have it modern, subtle, or however, they like.
However, there are certainly décor items for Christmas that are a must. Many people don’t even remove them after the holidays have passed and keep them adorning their homes all year long. One such item is a cute little gnome figurine. You must have seen them in people’s home gardens, serving multiple purposes or even not serving any purpose at all other than simply adorning the home garden. They suit the Halloween theme, the Christmas theme, and even Thanksgiving.
So seeing how popular gnome figures were with people, Wendy Hoffmeister and her daughter Amber came up with the idea to create their own gnome figures inspired by western folklore. Back in the 1800s, this tradition came about when people started keeping gnome figures in their gardens as a custom to bring good luck. And so now we have theme-based gnomes even for Valentine’s Day.
Hence, it wasn’t a shocker when the mother-daughter duo walked in on the sets of Shark Tank with a pitch of $200,000 in exchange for 20% business equity. All the judges pranced on the idea. It is essential to mention here that Wendy backed up her idea with a solid business model that she applied while making sales through Etsy. The judges were thoroughly impressed with the sales figure amounting to almost $690,000 in just 18 months.
She went on to boast her figures and statistics as she and her daughter looked goofy with the elongated, blue gnome hats and white beards. The judges were amused and entertained but not distracted because what they were hearing sounded like business and revenue. Wendy told the judge that it took her just a few months to break the internet and become the gnome queen.
Right now, she is the top gnome seller on Etsy but wants to expand her business with a dedicated website. Next, she handed over the cute furry little gnomes to the judges, who were visibly overwhelmed with how adorable the figures were. However, three out of the five sharks agreed that although she had an impressive business model going for him, gnomes weren’t their kind of business to invest in, so they quit on her.
The only two left were Daymond and Barbara, who then began to negotiate. Daymond was the first to make a counteroffer with 35% equity instead of 20%. Barbara chimed in and went for 5% less for 30% but added a dollar per unit in royalties. Daymond countered his offer again, but he came at 30% this time too. The catch? He dropped the royalties all to $0.50 per unit. This prompted Barbara to drop her royalties entirely.
It was Wendy’s turn to intervene as the choice was getting tougher by the minute. So having made up her mind, she asked if Daymond would drop the royalties too, to which he surprisingly agreed. Hence, the deal was done as Wendy shook his hand and was congratulated for making a great choice. Safe to say, the show’s popularity and funding greatly helped Wendy’s Gnome Shop. She got her website Wendy’s Gnome Shop, and sells through it even today.
Our Review of Wendy’s Gnome Shop
Wendy’s Gnome Shop Farmhouse Gnome
Although Wendy’s Gnome Shop sells her gnomes through the website, you can also find them on Amazon. We got our hands on one of her bestselling all-year-round designs, and safe to say. We were beyond impressed. The quality of the figures, given that they are for indoor décor purposes, is just mind-blowing. They are cute, furry, and minimalist and blend in perfectly no matter what aesthetic you follow in your home.
Pros of Wendy’s Gnome Shop
There are many advantages of Wendy’s Gnome Shop products. Apart from obviously being a great home décor item for every holiday celebration, it makes for the perfect housewarming gift. As gnomes are tied symbolically with good luck, you can gift them to a friend on almost any occasion, from a new home, or graduation, to marriage and childbirth. It would be a cute little gift that they can place anywhere that will remind them of your good luck wishes.
Cons of Wendy’s Gnome Shop
There aren’t any significant cons to Wendy’s Gnome Shop products as they are very theme-based and niche-targeted. However, the fact that they are made of the fabric means that they would get dusty and dirty over the course of time and require a good wash. The chances of losing the fur beard because you showered your gnome figure are highly anticipated. So that might be the only drawback to take out of an otherwise incredible product.
Who Is Wendy’s Gnome Shop For?
Wendy’s Gnome Shop products are for anyone and everyone. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love cute little furry figures that are supposed to bring good luck to your space? We should have a positive mindset and not let go of such quirks just because it is ancient folklore and might not be true. Believing in these little things and being positive can sometimes be the best way to bring good luck to your life and your space.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Naturally, there are many alternatives, as gnomes have been around for quite some time now and are a holiday tradition must-have for a lot of people. So you can find plastic gnomes, ceramic gnomes, clay gnomes, crystal gnomes, and much more. The variety and choices are endless whether you want to hang them or put them on the fireplace, shelf, outdoors, or indoors – the world is your oyster, and gnomes look extremely cute and theme-based for every holiday.
Our Final Thoughts
Wendy’s Gnome Shop idea was a big hit for people and also on the Shark Tank episode, given how Daymond and Barbara head-butted for the investment opportunity. Not many entrepreneurs are able to get two sharks going for their deal, but Wendy managed to do it. This goes on to show that if you really put your mind to your passions and work hard towards your goals, people do see it and appreciate it (financially) too!
