By Donald H. Harrison
EL CAJON, California — On nearly any given weekday, the Main Quad at Grossmont College is a place where a student, faculty member or staff member might find entertainment, taste new foods, hear a speaker, or sample the wares of vendors, who have the choice of paying a fee or a percentage of their profits to the Associated Students in exchange for the booth space.
Marty and Jayne Highton, who sell inexpensive jewelry, make a point of setting up their booth at Grossmont College five days a month, and similarly call regularly at San Diego State University. They also sell their wide selection of bracelets, necklaces, pendants, rings, and metal bookmarks at street fairs throughout San Diego County. A typical item price is $10, well within many student budgets. “We like to keep things cheap for the kids,” Jayne said.
Symbols from a variety of religions, including such Jewish items as menorahs, Stars of David, and Chai’s, are among the goods offered for sale. “College kids like good luck necklaces,” explained Jane. The diversity of religious symbols may also reflect the fact that Jayne is Jewish, while Marty is not.
Before the couple started selling jewelry, Marty incorporated butterflies into art pieces that Jayne said have been sold to such celebrities as film director James Cameron, country singer Johnny Cash, and Tommy Lee of the metal band Motley Crue. Because butterfly art pieces are expensive, the Hightons do not typically bring them to college campuses, saving them instead for art shows.
Jayne said she began selling jewelry after she became bored accompanying her husband to art shows. She said she wanted to find something for herself to do. Accordingly she started collecting religious symbols and other items that could be converted into inexpensive jewelry, finding them at garage sales, on E-Bay, and through overseas wholesalers, eventually amassing sufficient stock to become a merchant herself.
While high-end art shows may be more lucrative, Jayne said she has a soft spot for street fairs and college campuses. They are where you will meet an endless variety of interesting people, she explained.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com