Written by Christie Crawford
Oak Grove, KY – “Giving craft supplies a new life”—that’s how Leah Wright describes her store. Ducking Wright is a hybrid thrift and craft supply shop that opened on January 1st of this year. Owners Leah and James Wright, who were experienced in retail from their home business, focus on buying and selling products on eBay.
The name came from a friend’s pun referring to a large bag of tiny rubber ducks Leah had just purchased. The duck theme was meant to fit somehow into the business, and it has turned out to be a marketing genius. A customer may forget their name, but if he or she searches for the word “duck” online, the store name pops up immediately.
The Wrights were familiar with another popular thrift and craft store, Smart Art + Craft Supplies in Nashville, but heard from the community that the traffic to get there was a real hindrance.
The Wrights were able to secure their storefront across from Fort Campbell’s main gate, which was strategic as they wanted to be close to the residents from the military post, the maker community in Christian and Montgomery counties, and take advantage of the Clarksville area’s growing population.
While James is a dabbler, Leah has been a lifelong crafter since age 7 in elementary school when she began sewing and cross-stitching. Although she has tried just about every craft out there, she comes back to crafting with cross-stitch. Once the store opened, craft donations came flowing immediately to their doorstep. For every donation, the recipient receives a 10% off coupon.
Supplies are marked anywhere from 30-50% of retail prices and Leah encourages anyone to check with them before going to the big box stores for supplies. She is a real proponent for keeping these used items out of the landfill and helping continue their creative journey. Estate sales are a favorite as many beloved treasures come in, and those unfinished projects are quickly snatched up as the buyer can see the work and love put into them.
Teachers receive 15% off all items with proper ID, and artists are given an opportunity to display their art pieces with contact information as well as access to a bulletin board to display their business cards. So Ducking Wright has paired with the free non-profit mobile arts program Arts for Hearts to provide free classes, but also offers paid classes in painting and crochet.
Another service they offer is if someone needs a craft item but cannot source it locally or perhaps is required to buy a quantity beyond their need. The store can do the research and possibly bring in the items, selling the extra quantity in the store. Another way the Wrights give back to the community is through their donations to local non-profits. If an organization is 501 C-3 eligible, it can be registered for a donation that the store makes on a monthly basis.
An unusual part of the business is the inventory produced with their 3D printers. Purchased three years ago, these printer-made items were previously marketed on Facebook Marketplace and through a vendor booth at a local business. The printers have been able to dovetail into the business through the creation of whimsical items such as dog, cat, and dragon-themed items, but also functional products such as custom templates for cutting quilting fabric, yarn bowls, and a new item yet to be launched; a portable yarn holder to use while traveling.
When asked what future plans are in store, Leah hopes to outgrow their current space and move to a site large enough for more classes, vendor booths and a possible art gallery where local artists can sell their work.
She encourages the crafting community to stop by as there is a wide variety of merchandise not found locally, such as macramé materials from the 1960’s, retro sewing boxes, and even sewing patterns from the 1940’s and 1950’s.
So Ducking Wright is located at 16476 Fort Campbell Boulevard, Oak Grove, KY. Hours are Monday – Tuesday 9:00am – 4:30pm, Wednesday – Friday 9:00am – 6:00pm and Saturday 10:00am – 6:00pm. The website is www.soduckingwright.com and the phone number for the store is 270.931.7856.
