Thieves steal merch truck from Olympia family's business
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - It will be a long road to recovery for a small family business in Olympia after thieves stole a rental truck containing all their custom cut-outs and printed merchandise while they were traveling in between festivals.
Elizabeth "Liz" Anderson and husband, Wes Anderson, owners of Cutout Creation PNW, say the theft happened while they were staying at a hotel in Federal Way.
The family loves Halloween and every year, the family uses their crafting skills to bring imagination to life in their outdoor display.
Elizabeth, who goes by "Liz" also uses her spooky season creativity in her business.
"It’s always the biggest beginning of the shopping season," said Liz.
She prints designs on bags and shirts and tins and also custom-designs enamel pins to bring Halloween home.
However, this October, the couple began living their own kind of nightmare.
"The worst spooky way to start the Halloween season," said Liz.
She and her husband Wes stayed at the La Quinta Inn in Federal Way, while traveling in between festivals.
The U-Haul truck, full of their creations, vanished overnight. The two tubs below were the only items from the business that thieves left behind.
"We lost about 60,000 worth of inventory. When we travel we have our entire business with us," said Liz.
One of the most horrifying details is that the kids lost their businesses too.
Liz's son, Liam Anderson makes 3-D ghosts for the market, and her daughter, Emily Anderson, makes decorative pens.
Their items were stolen along with their Halloween costumes and some school books as well.
"I lost a lot of my product and toppers," said Emily.
"The first thing that came to my mind was how did they steal an entire van?", said Liam.
Following the theft, the family decorated for Christmas to lighten the mood.
"Feeling of warmth and family and comrade," said Liz.
Ironically, the truck was dropped off by thieves at a U-Haul rental place in Auburn, with a tool left on the floor of the truck that may have been used in the theft. Liz keeps it on a shelf now next to a lump of coal.
Because fall has been so frightening for the family's finances, loved ones started a GoFundMe page to help them get back on their feet.
"Right now is our biggest time of the year, and we are missing it," said Liz.
Fortunately, Wes has another job, as the family scrambles to make more merchandise for upcoming festivals to make the season more merry and less scary in the weeks ahead.
"If we didn’t have his job, we would probably be homeless at the end of this month. Even as a business owner, we still live paycheck to paycheck like everyone else,"
If you'd like to support the family at the upcoming markets, they will have a booth at the Tacoma Haunted Farmer's Market on Saturday and at Sumner's Nightmare on Main Street Halloween Market on Sunday.
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