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Jewelry stores in Ketchikan
By Kathleen Chambers

 

August 22, 2007
Wednesday


When my husband and I came to Ketchikan to live a year ago we were amazed at its beauty and diversity. However, I could not believe it when I saw how many jewelry stores there are here! Since when did going to Alaska involve every kind of jewelry known to man?!! There are so many good things here and so much talent in the local native peoples as well as all of the other residents. I would love to see a shop that was managed and staffed by local artisans and I believe that it would be unbelievably popular with both the locals and the tourists. I know that I would shop there and I also know that there is plenty of room for those kinds of shops.

I conducted an experiment of my own and drove through downtown on several different days at several different times. What I noted, most overwhelmingly was the lack of customers in the jewelry stores. Places that had other things uniquely Alaskan, like Julies, were swamped busy, yet in most of the jewelry stores, the sales people were standing around. Enter one of these places and you are approached very quickly, often before you actually get in the door and some will not take "I'm just looking" for an answer.

It becomes immediately apparent when you realize what stores are on the cruise ship "lists", who is profiting here. I have talked to hundreds of tourists from the ships and I hear one theme constantly repeating, "We came to see Alaska and Ketchikan, NOT jewelry stores". We have such a rich history and a beautiful land, why are we wasting it on jewelry stores?

Kathleen Chambers
Ketchikan, AK

Received August 19, 2007 - Published August 22, 2007

About: "My husband Michael and I moved to Ketchikan a year ago for health reasons. We love it here and hope to make it our permanent home as we have already purchased a home here and are improving the property daily. We are both disabled but we enjoy going gold panning, beach hiking and meeting local people."

 

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