THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 22, 1995 TAG: 9502210091
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: EARNING A LIVING IN VIRGINIA BEACH
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
THE MYSTERY: Why do Marilyn and Don Nachman, who live right here in a beach resort, routinely have 50-pound bags of fine, grainy California sand delivered to their Ocean Park home?
They do it even though they think they pay more in freight charges to have it shipped than it is worth.
Why? Because sand is the main ingredient of the couple's business, Sandy Pals, a sand art venture aimed at children.
As part of their business, the Nachmans often go to craft fairs, carnivals, and festivals and set up a table full of plastic containers of sand - 17 colors in all, including one bin for ``mistakes.''
Customers are invited to take their pick from 10 to 12 differently shaped bottles made of glass and plastic. Once a container is chosen, children are invited to stroll down the length of the table, scooping and funneling their choice of colored sand into the bottles.
``This is their own personal art they can put on a desk or shelf,'' said Marilyn Nachman, a former dental hygienist.
``We have to book our sand around our social life,'' said Don Nachman, who is a vice president in the company run by his wife of 40 years. ``Which is OK, because if they (kids) can't walk away happy from this, then we've failed in our mission.''
Customers pay only for the bottle they choose, not for the sand, and none of the 10 or so varieties are priced over $5.
Some of the bottles offered include baby bottles, football and baseball bottles, plastic bear bottles and the No. 1 seller, according to the Nachmans, the ordinary Worcestershire bottle.
In addition to the bottle and sand, children have a choice of several accessories, including miniature eyes, sunglasses, skateboards, basketballs and baseballs, pompoms, feathers and other things that are glued on with a hot-glue gun by Marilyn Nachman.
Most of the accessories cost a quarter and the Nachmans will often throw in a set of eyes, or maybe a mustache.
They've seen ordinary bottles filled with colorful sand and turned into masterpieces like cheerleaders, football players and even a turkey.
``It's definitely a creative craft,'' said Marilyn Nachman, the grandmother of two and mother of four grown men. ``I'm always looking for things that'll work on the bottles, like fabric.''
The Nachmans decided to try the business after seeing kids gathered around a table at a street fair in Massachusetts last year.
``We couldn't imagine what it was (that had so many children gathered),'' said Marilyn Nachman. ``We never saw anything like that down here, so we thought it'd be interesting to try.''
Don Nachman, the owner of a janitorial supply service, began to research the idea at the library. Although the business idea seemed simple - a little sand, a few buckets and bottles - the couple ended up having to research where to buy the sand and the bottles. They chose a company in California.
And for the idea to work, the Nachmans have to be sure that the festivals attract children.
``Even though adults like to do this, too, we need children, and they're so much fun anyway. Their little eyes just light up,'' said Don Nachman, who works with his wife whenever he's needed.
The Nachmans have taken their new business to several local activities, but they're hoping to reach those interested in birthday parties. The couple is willing to haul their sand, buckets and bottles to nursing homes, day-care centers and area churches.
Locally, they've been invited to sell their sand art at the Knotts Island Peach Festival.
One of the first things they do when they start a show is put down a huge tarp and set the table on top, so that sand doesn't end up everywhere.
If all else fails and the Nachmans aren't successful in attracting children to their table of sand, or if the event isn't geared toward children, they still have one for-sure customer - their 5 1/2-year-old granddaughter, Ricki.
``We definitely have one customer wherever we go,'' chuckled Don Nachman. MEMO: For information about Sandy Pals, call 464-4646.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Samples of Marilyn Nachman's ``Sandy Pals'' artwork include 10 to 12
differently shaped bottles, 17 colors of sand and various glue-on
accessories.
Marilyn Nachman recently started ``Sandy Pals'' out of her home. She
takes California sand, bottles and other materials to carnivals,
parties and other functions so children can make their own sand
art.
by CNB