For the practical person in your life, Objects of Use is the go-to place to pick up a classy, memorable gift. They sell tools handmade by skilled craftspeople all around the world, ensuring that each item is not only fine quality but also has an interesting history. We spoke to co-founder Hazel Dexter.
Tell us about what you sell.
We sell a carefully-curated selection of archetypal household goods from around the globe, made using traditional techniques and natural materials;
objects to elevate our experience of the everyday tasks and rituals we all carry out.
How long has your business been going, and what motivated you to start a business?
We’ve been going since 2007. We used to enjoy digging around to find the next household objects we were going to fall in love with – we loved to find really great quality items which have an interesting history – and then we thought ‘wouldn’t it be great to gather all these things together under one roof?’, and that’s what we’ve set out to do!
What do you like best about being based in Oxfordshire?
Oxfordshire is a beautiful county, with a great balance of ’town’ and ‘country’ — and there’s a really interesting crowd of people here, both residents and those passing through, who have the kind of curiosity that makes them really enjoy our store.
Do you think Oxford is a good place to run a small business?
Yes! We’ve felt really appreciated by locals and visitors alike, and there is a lot of support for independents from the people here. Obviously it’s not all plain sailing — I think any city has its good and bad sides in terms of how easy it is for small businesses — but it’s certainly been a good place for us to be, since we relocated from our original site in Ironbridge (in Shropshire) in 2011.
What's the best thing about running a small business?
The people we’ve met and the projects we’ve been involved in have been endlessly fascinating.
There’s a huge world of makers out there, and we’ve had some wonderful experiences going to meet them, and getting involved with things like exhibitions and running events in-store.
What’s the biggest challenge?
Our biggest challenge comes from our unusual method of sourcing - we have a very high number of suppliers (many very small-scale), which can make juggling to keep stock levels consistent very tricky! That and the fact that you have to serve all the needs of a business, from emptying the bins, to doing the paperwork, to ordering and displaying the products, promotion, and finally actually selling the pieces to the public!
What's the most interesting little-known fact about what you do?
We really feel that every item in our store has its own interesting history, which customers wouldn’t necessarily know about — so we endeavour to write a description about each and every item, listing the points of interest, its provenance and the materials and techniques used in its manufacture — which we then display alongside the item.
We’ve had people spend hours in the store, reading all the labels and telling us it’s like visiting a museum!
What’s your favourite product?
That’s a bit like asking me to name my favourite child! It probably changes daily, but some current favourites include our bone orange peeler, made in Carnforth, Lancashire; the Higonokami folding knife made in Japan; the Koh-I-Noor artist’s clutch pencil, made in the Czech Republic; the ’Stumpie’ hand-dipped beeswax candle, made in Cumbria; the beautiful Box of Bricks, made in the Camphill workshops at Botton Village, near Whitby; the red and white tea bowl by Leach Pottery in St Ives; actually I could just go on and on, so I’ll stop there!
Is there anything else you’d like to highlight?
We’re trying really hard to avoid bringing in products which have been outsourced to the far-east for cheap production - preferring to stick with products made in their indigenous countries – supporting makers to craft their products for a reasonable living wage in the kind of conditions we would want to work in. Sadly, this has meant dropping some of our favourite product lines, but there are always many more waiting to be discovered!
Welcome to Daily Info’s 2023 Advent Calendar – 24 days of festive tips, free activities & local shopping suggestions!
This year's calendar offers a mix of Christmas suggestions, taking in traditions in Oxford and the wider area, and free activities & events in the build up to the big day.
