About Tom Pollard
About Tom Pollard Designs
Thank you for visiting the website of Tom Pollard Designs. At Tom
Pollard Designs of Pittsburgh, PA, we specialize in producing the
finest gold-plated custom brass ornaments.
These unique gifts and commemoratives are stunning works of art
manufactured to the most demanding specifications. Our pieces are perfect
for commemorative ornaments, fundraising drives, custom Christmas ornaments,
mascot pieces, and more.
Our custom brass ornaments are perfect for:
A History of Tom Pollard Designs
I've been doing this, making custom ornaments, for over 15 years now.
Long before that, I was one of those kids who loved to make things,
including potholders. Well what do you do with a collection of homemade
potholders if not sell them to neighbors and friends? From an early age, my
entrepreneurial spirit had me creating things of value and finding ways to
put them on the market.
Now, everything we make at Tom Pollard Designs tugs at someone's
heartstrings or puts a smile on someone's face. What better business could
we be in? Our goal is to bring to life something of beauty and remembrance.
We create unforgettable, one-of-a-kind ornaments for that special purpose
you have chosen to commemorate.
In my career (after the potholders), I've done commercial photography,
and I've sold postcards and souvenir items both for the city of Pittsburgh
and for attractions across the country. I'm a niche marketer, and when I was
first asked to do one of these ornaments, I thought it would be a nice piece
to add to my line. I was selling postcards and souvenir magnets, and I
walked into a store where the owner had lost her source for specialty
ornaments. The timing was right. She asked "how can I get these done?" and I
answered with "Oh, I'm certain I can get them done for you." At first our
production costs were four times what we made on each piece, but from then
on I knew what I wanted to sell.
In time, custom brass ornaments would take over my business
entirely and become my passion.
There came a point where I had 30 or so ornaments in stock and I was
getting calls for them every week. I didn't even have catalog numbers or a
proper inventory, but it was obvious the time for the business had come.
From those first days, we have made it our goal to deliver excellence. We
will hand hold you through the process and do everything in our power to
deliver a custom ornament that will truly serve as a stunning commemorative
piece. When people talk for hours over the memories kindled by one of our
custom or stock ornaments, we know we have done a great job.
I am made happy by the challenge of the whole thing. Some of the
commissions I like best are when we work with young people, especially high
school fundraisers. When they achieve a certain level of success with their
fundraiser, it is very exciting. When we do something like a church that is
closing down, we take away a little of their pain, and we hope the project
can help keep the memory of the church alive in their hearts. Our biggest
sellers are stadiums and other landmarks that have been torn down, like
Three Rivers Stadium here in Pittsburgh. Sometimes I will walk into a retail
store and hear people saying "There he is now!"
I enjoy the individuality and personalization that we can deliver. I go
to retail stores, a lot of retail stores, and I see the same stuff
everywhere. Where is the choice for people? Where are the unique gifts and
gift ideas? People laugh at our dialect in Pittsburgh, our "Pittsburghese."
It's not a bad thing to have some character in the way you speak, that's a
good thing. It's not a bad thing to make a special product that helps people
remember the values and the good things in life. That's what we do with our
custom brass ornaments. We hope you'll browse our site and take away
something special for yourself.
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