Valley Road Woodcarvers

Ozark Woodcarver · March 16, 2012, 11:11:00 PM

By the way, the opening of the woodcarving shop was the original introduction of the concept of demonstrating craftsman in Silver Dollar City.

Ozark Outlaw · March 16, 2012, 11:37:52 PM

Wow, lots of great trivia information Woodcarver! I love woodworking, and the shop is definitely a must see.

Quote from: joshblakebran on March 16, 2012, 08:54:40 PMHaven't they had all off season to get things moved so that it was ready for business on opening day? I guess I don't know how all this works. It just seems if they were going to make this move it would've already been done and ready for day 1. My family loves both shops and I look forward to seeing their new locations.

I wonder if Silver Dollar City's core employees are off during the off season just like teachers are off from school during the Summer? That would be the only explanation I can up with.

Ozark Woodcarver · March 17, 2012, 09:32:29 AM

The largest part are off over the winter. M&C works over winter to repaint, repair, and refurbish as necessary, plus do any projects like shuffling stores, and rebuilding things that require it. I watched them completely rebuild one of the skillet cook shacks in about 4 days during the woodcarving seminar one year. There is another small group of year round opeartional employees, but for the most part the characters and craftsmen that you see year after year get rehire notices around February.

joshblakebran · March 17, 2012, 10:01:16 AM

Thanks for the explanation...That makes sense. I'm still suprised they wouldn't hire temporaries during the off season to make the move, however, maybe it's an expense they just don't want to have. It would be interesting to see what the cost of hiring temps to get the move made by day 1 compares to the amount of sales lost by not having the shop open on day 1.

Junior · March 17, 2012, 01:48:50 PM

My thoughts on why the woodcarvers was not open on opening day...let me tell ya, they will only open a shop up if they think they will have the crowd there to support opening it. Many of the shops were closed opening day. Several won't even open until early May. The Leather Shop was closed opening day, so was Granny's Lye Soap, so was the knife shop. Apple Butter was open, but the Case engine was not operating. Brown's Candy Shop was open, but the hewn log demonstration guy was not around. It all comes down to can they make money by opening a shop. Not until it is financially feasible to do so...remember each shop has a staff and inventory, electric bills, and so on.

rubedugans · March 17, 2012, 02:06:26 PM

This is very common for many stores to remain closed until World Fest or so.

sanddunerider · March 17, 2012, 05:17:06 PM

i was there twice last year, before the leather shop,knife store and the shops by lake silver were open.

Joy · March 17, 2012, 08:42:39 PM

SDC used to not open for the season until World Fest started in April. These Spring Break days really exist to pull in the teens and college students who are on vacation. So, I can see why the stores and shows have limited times/etc. The main draw is going to be the rides.

joshblakebran · March 17, 2012, 09:53:54 PM

That makes sense...

oldsdcer · March 18, 2012, 07:48:41 PM

Really Junior, Couldn't you at least open Dugan's?

Junior · March 19, 2012, 08:13:35 AM

If Dugan's were in my power to open, I'd sell something other than sundresses and pooka necklaces! (Would anyone out there be interested in a slightly used and damaged diving bell that has only been sitting at the bottom of Lake Silver for uh, about 28 years?)

jmc75 · April 03, 2012, 10:26:50 PM

So I have a question and not sure if this would be related to the wood carvers. Last Friday I notice two other changes. The first the shop that made the engraved wood signs was not down by FIH it was that sweepstakes deal with the time share. Second at the ozark market place at the back of the store where you exit there was the wooden name shop that was no longer there now a tee shirt print shop. Anyone have any thoughts on where they may have moved these.

craftsman73 · April 04, 2012, 10:33:43 AM

My guess is they did not relocate them (removed them)..I can't see them relocating them to the Woodcarvers, due to space limitations. I wonder if they are only going to be set up in a booth somewhere for certain festivals like Kids Fest. It seems like the changes being made are going for more of a generic theme park feel. Now the engraved signs if I remember right was done by a machine? So I imagine that they moved it off site and will offer them in a store somewhere, the scroll saw names seemed to be busy all the time, so? I guess time will tell. Just my two cents worth.

Copper · April 04, 2012, 10:44:52 AM

QuoteIt seems like the changes being made are going for more of a generic theme park feel.

Not all of SDC decisions are made by evil plotting and planning execs.

The sign shop was a lease shop and he chose to close his doors because of his own reasons.

Ozark Woodcarver · April 04, 2012, 07:32:35 PM

That sign shop would have been a good retirement business.