Paige and Brian Greer set up The Fun Company tent every year at Cullman’s Bloomin’ Festival.
FALKVILLE – Cullman natives Brian and Paige Greer enjoy life on the road from their current home in Falkville, spending months at a time traveling to shows around the country to sell their line of custom jewelry made from recycled coins, silverware and other materials. Now, thanks to the Friends of NRA (National Rifle Association), “The Fun Company” can enjoy a little more national recognition without having to hit the highway- not that they have any plans to stay home and take it easy.
Early last year, The Fun Company had a booth at the National Wild Turkey Convention in Nashville. The Greers were hard at work when representatives from the Friends of NRA stopped by and took an interest in their arrowhead-shaped “Freedom Flyer” earrings, made from vintage quarters and featuring an eagle image.
Paige Greer related, “They walked into our booth at the Wild Turkey Convention, which is a huge hunting expo in Nashville, at the Opryland Convention Center. And they walked up to our booth and walked in, and said, ‘Hey, can you make 1,130 pairs of those earrings?’”
As one might imagine, it took a little time to check numbers and schedules, but the Greers determined that they could handle the order, and called the number on the card the representative had given them. Now, they’re in the Friends of NRA catalog. Their earrings, along with other items, will be given to members and donors as promotions, and will be auctioned at fundraising events.
The entry in the catalog for the Greers’ earrings reads:
Don your patriotism by wearing a piece of American history. Silver Standing Liberty quarters were only minted from 1916 to 1930 but became very popular in the early 20th Century. These silver coins have been cut in the shape of an arrowhead to highlight the eagle in the design and handcrafted into southwestern-style earrings with hypoallergenic surgical steel ear wire. Ten karat gold wire and a turquoise-colored bead accent the shape and style. Made exclusively for Friends of NRA by The Fun Company and limited to 1,130 units. Made in the USA.
The Greers have deep roots in Cullman County. Brian Greer is a 1984 graduate of Vinemont High School, and Paige Greer graduated from Cullman High School in 1988. Her parents Ed and Barbara Burrow owned the well-known Globe Restaurant and Barbara Burrow Realty, and the Performing and Fine Arts Center at Wallace State is named for Paige Greer’s aunt, Evelyn Burrow.
According to Paige Greer, “The Fun Company Jewelry was started 37 years ago by Brian’s father Jack Greer, a.k.a. Happy Jack. As a true artisan, Happy Jack was a full-time jewelry maker and creator. He traveled the US doing many art shows and making many friends who still remember his fun way to make people laugh either by a joke or a trick. Jack Greer also worked for the City of Cullman for 18 years reading meters before his dream of The Fun Company.
“He chose the name The Fun Company as his motto was love, laughter, fun and play. Happy Jack had a young apprentice, his son Brian Greer, who worked under him creating one of a kind jewelry designs.”
After Happy Jack passed away in 2002, Brian and Paige Greer decided to keep the tradition going as full-time artisans.
Today, The Fun Company attends around 30 shows and festivals per year, spends summers doing 10 of those shows in Maine, and maintains an online Etsy shop. Its shop description reads:
“The Fun Company is a full time home based business owned by Brian and Paige Greer specializing in unique hand-crafted coin jewelry and gift items. From a long held tradition of fine custom-handcrafted coin jewelry we use our collection of old American silver and copper coins. Hand crafted quality and customer satisfaction are the foundations of our business.”
Even with a growing online presence and merchandise in other people’s catalogs, The Fun Company has no intention of giving up the craft show circuit. The Greers plan to be back at the Bloomin’ Festival at St. Bernard Abbey, an event they’ve enjoyed for years. Things like a little national attention won’t change that, but they do make life more interesting.
“It’s a big honor for us,” said Paige Greer, “‘cause we’re just small-town folks trying to make a living from day to day.”
Visit The Fun Company on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/Shop/TheFunCompany.
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