BLD — Attraction in Bellingham

This is a small shop that is a cross between antiques and repurposed antiques.The owner does creative things with some of the items. While my mother was in town visiting, we stopped by and there was an old typewriter on display. The shop was being looked after by a relative of the owner and she said the typewriter was $45, which was a great price. When she heard my mother mention that she lived in Florida and would be too heavy to put in her luggage, the woman said that they ship within the U.S. and it would be a flat rate of $15.

I looked skeptically at her and repeated the amount because the weight alone would be much more than $15 and when I said so--to my mother's elbow in the ribs--the woman stated that the shop was trying to expand its online store and offering low shipping rates. That rate was definitely going to be a lot less than if we boxed it and sent it as an additional checked baggage on the flight, so my mother went ahead with the purchase.

A little over a week later my mother notices that the charge on her credit card is reversed and there's no package waiting for her when she returned to Florida. She sends me a screen shot of the receipt, that included shipping costs and I contacted the shop. The owner answered and this is the story I received:

He claims, first, that there was no way to contact us, even though my mother had provided that information. He then states that his sister-in-law should never have sold the typewriter (which was on display). He said he had intended on making a lamp out of the typewriter and never explained why it was displayed in the main area if it wasn't for sale. He then continues by telling me that the typewriter, if sold, would not be the $45 it would be $50--okay a $5 difference, still a good deal, until he gets to the shipping and states that it would cost him over $60 to ship it and he couldn't afford to loose $60 in shipping. When I explained what his sister-in-law mentioned he didn't contradict the information, he simply reiterated that it would cost too much to mail.

What irritated me is that he was unapologetic about it AND did not offer anything along the lines of "if you'd like to pay for the shipping, I'm happy to sell it"....there was no verbiage to that affect. There was no indication that he was willing to compromise and find a middle ground to the situation. He continued with repeating -again-that the typewriter should have never been sold to begin with and-again-that he intended to make a lamp with it.

The entire matter was poorly handled enough that I will not only never go in that shop again, but I definitely would deter any visitors from going in as well. I mean, what's the point, you'd never really know what was or wasn't for sale! It's disappointing because he has a lot of cool stuff. Thankfully there are many other antique shops around the area to get...

A friend and I visited the shop based on the recommendation of a local in the area and we couldn't be happier with our experience. The art and other things for sale were all unique and reflective of the owner Barrett's creativity. Everything felt reasonably priced and Barrett made us feel very welcome. We got to learn about his creative process and felt very lucky for having the chance to meet him. It was hard to choose just one thing to buy with all of the variety. Barrett is an incredibly creative and genuine guy, and this is 100% the shop to visit if you're looking for something...

I just can’t say enough goods things about BLD Studio in Fairhaven. Barrett is the kind of artist that takes your vision and adds all the flora and fauna needed within your budget and if it goes a little higher, you are so impressed to pay him that plus a huge tip! He is thought provoking, deep and masterful with whimsical charm. Some photos are attached from a few jobs we had him create for...