Tin Can Tiger wholesale

About Tin Can Tiger

I've been selling African crafts out of my car and at gift shows for more than 35 years. Born in New Zealand, I left home at 18 with itchy feet and no real plan. After traveling Europe and Australia, I ended up in the USA, met Lisa, and settled in Kentucky. I'd save up, travel through Africa on the cheap, and started bringing back handmade goods to sell. Early results were dismal — no marketing experience, just trial and error. That part hasn't changed. A trip to West Africa with Lisa was the turning point. She pushed me to buy Fulani earrings I didn't like — I've since sold thousands of pairs. And I made a lifelong friend in Peace Corps Baba, who supplied much of my merchandise for over 35 years. Baba passed away in 2021 from cancer, and I now work with his son Fah — a friendship and partnership that spans generations. I built my customer list the old-fashioned way — vans, road trips, Yellow Pages, and library research. Over the years I have exhibited at the California, NY, Atlanta, and Las Vegas gift shows. I travel once or twice a year to source new goods across Africa. The friendships with my suppliers — Baba and Fah, Bart in Madagascar, Peter in South Africa — are as important as the products themselves. All of us have built better lives over the years we've worked together. No plans to quit. I love the freedom, the hunt for new products, and the open road. Lisa comes along more often now — she always did have a better eye than me.Read their story