By Aaliyah McFarlane
Easter brings Anthony Taylor much joy because it is the season for kite making, a trade he loves, and selling kites brings another kind of excitement which he says he derives from the glow on the faces of children who come with their parents to purchase their favourite designs.
Taylor, 49-year-old, has been making kites for over 37 years and is considered a fixture at the Tucville Bridge every Easter Season. Taylor, whose other trade is masonry, recalled making his first kite at the age of eight after learning the tricks-of-the-trade from his uncle who passed away years ago. The first kite he made was the evergreen ‘Caddy Ol’ Punch.’ He used pointers, kite paper and glamma cherry, a gum from a local plant. He immediately recognized that he was good at the art, and years later, it has become his go-to trade. Even though he is a mason, he continues to enjoy making and selling kites. He starts to sell at 6:00 am which is when he combines making and selling kites until 6:00 pm in the evening.
The prices for his kites range from $1800 to $2500. The Guyana flag kite can sell for $2500, the ordinary star point kite from $1800 to $3000 and the bigger kites go for $4000.
“My kites are not too expensive because of who I am dealing with mostly, I make my kites myself, I make from frames to everything, I do all the pasting myself because I know it will be expensive to take on people to do this job”, he said.
He added that kites are sold wholesale and retail. Taylor said that even though it is a lot of work, he remains determined to get every job done with the assistance of his two daughters, 20 and 22 years old.
“I create this job and I will never stop selling kites on Tucville Bridge until Father ready for me.” He adds that he sells cross-gendered kites and for all racial groups; he is proud to proclaim that he holds no bias nor is he judgmental, and everyone shows him support.
Taylor notes that sales so far have been slow but he is certain that will change by Easter Saturday. “Sales will be so bright at this corner because every year I am sold out, even during the COVID-19 pandemic I sold out all my kites at this corner.”
During the interview with Stabroek News, two children and passersby stopped to purchase kites for themselves and children for the upcoming season.
“You don’t have to get a lot of money, you just come with whatever you have and I will meet your money, I will make it work, I will let you have a kite for your child or children and I will reach your budget because we all are living in hard times and sometimes money don’t run how we may want it to run,” he declared.
“I love selling kites, I love making kites for children, and they come looking for me everywhere because they know I have the best in town”, he said. He noted that the smallest kite he has ever made was 18 inches and the biggest, five feet.
Taylor says he makes kites to suit diverse choices, which sometimes places customers in a predicament as selecting can become difficult. He added that of late, materials are expensive, but nevertheless he tries to get around the cost factor by purchasing from a variety of stores.
“Don’t watch how pricey the materials selling, still show the children them love, deal with them properly, you might sell a child a kite for $200 and somebody can come and bless you up with $2500 more, bless the children dem up and have a heart when selling the kites and you would see how much support you will receive”, he counselled.
He urged the children to go on a ball field and fly their kites away from all electrical wires and poles.
“Parents please pay attention to your children, do not walk away from your child or children to follow friend and leave the kites in the children hands without your supervision, pay keen attention to your kids cause we do not want to hear any sad news this Easter”, he urged.
