Questions for Lyndon Tsosie You are an artist, but you are also just as much an entrepreneur. This isn’t your first run at a business. What do you think attracts you to trying something new? As you stated, I am an entrepreneur and that’s what drives my soul. I’m also an artist and that is what has made me who I am today. It’s a part of what I have always wanted to do, even when I was a child. Hahaha. It’s always been in my blood. Stamping tools have always been part of your career, but did you ever think you would have a business selling them? And how did you get into this? Yes, stamps have been in my career since 1989. It was three years ago that I had an opportunity, through social media, to expose these wonderful stamps to the world; and through my experience in selling my own art, I was able to sell the stamps. The business sort of grew from our kitchen; the stamps went from our kitchen table to the world. It was understanding the unique history of Navajo stamps that catapulted our business. Jewelry collectors from around the world know the name Lyndon Tsosie. Just this year you won a First Place Ribbon at the Heard Museum Indian Fair & Market. Part of your House of Stamps business is teaching jewelry making. Does being Lyndon Tsosie make a big difference, or are the clients just attracted to traditional jewelry making? Yes, I did win; not only first place, but also Best of Category in Jewelry. It was an honor. I have been bestowed with many accolades in my 28 years of creating art. Yes, part of my job is explaining and helping customers understand the realm of a Navajo-made stamp. I do believe my name has helped in teaching the history of Navajo stamps. Our clients are attracted
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to the realm of making jewelry, not all of them use these stamps for Native Style Jewelry. In fact, we have customers from Dubai and Mongolia; they use these beautiful designs in their own creations. So, I think everything helps; mainly the 28 years of experience in creating art. What type of marketing are you doing to promote House of Stamps? How can people follow you on social media; do you have a website? Most of our marketing is through social media. You can find our business page, The House of Stamps, on FaceBook, Instagram, and our website at www. thehouseofstamps.com. Local ads include your wonderful magazine, radio, newsletters, and flyers around town. I know that in the past you have done business in Japan. Do they have a market for these stamps, or do they only like the completed piece? Also, where do you find the most interest around the world for these stamps? We still do business in Japan; there’s a market for both stamps and jewelry there. I can’t really say where most of the interest is; we have many customers from all countries. Like we mentioned above, you are always looking to create something new. What do you see the House of Stamps evolving into? We just invested in a CNC machine, so it will definitely change our industry. For example, I have a personal collection of 1950 to 1960 Navajo-made repoussé; we’ll be able to make exact copies of those stamps. We’ll also be contracting with stamp makers who will produce certain types of repoussé for The House of Stamps. The contracts will allow them to collect one-third of the net profit. The income will be a positive impact for our stamp makers.
