I have always admired Rudy and Irene Patton.
From our first days in the Virgin Island, I knew they had two stores. One on St. John, and the other in Aspen. I thought, “How smart are these people? Six months each place. Great!”
YouTube is showing how smart they still are. Their 31-year-old business, R&I Patton, has posted a video on the video sharing site and also linked to it from their own Web site.
It was produced by Bill Stelzer, a former graphics director for an ABC-TV station and consultant on a number of island-produced video, educational, print and computer graphic projects. He said it took him half a day to shoot the raw material and then another day-and-a-half to do the final editing and production.
In the spot, the Pattons introduce themselves and show how goldsmiths, like themselves, hand-craft jewelry pieces.
Certainly the cost of producing a video like this is manageable for many other St. John businesses. In fact, you don’t even need Stelzer (although he is darn good and reasonable). It’s just that the Internet and computer and video camera costs are so low, anybody can go into show business.
Finally a VI business that gets the web. All they need now is to update their website and get a facebook page and a twitter account.
Go to You tube and search ST.John VI.
You will see that Palm Tree Charters
has been posting videos for several years.
We put ours up about a year ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU7PJBEjAkQ
We were not smart enuf to tell anyone. Only about 130 views in a year. I see the R&I Patton let people know,and they have 450 + views.
Sloop Jones
We have purchased jewelry at their store each trip, I love the store!
My favorite special pieces of jewelry come from that store. Irene is very talented and the store is lovely.
Almost 29 years ago I found the most exquisit south seas blue pearl set in 18k gold with small breath taking diamonds in this jewel box store. I was married with no wedding ring (read no $ ). I shared my find with my husband of four years ( and one set of twins later ) that I now found “the” ring. I thought that went over like a lead balloon until he several months later presented me with this gift of love. I think I almost fainted. I am wearing this ring right now and there is no other like it.