WEST BANGKA – The Province of the Bangka Belitung Islands has a variety of unique crafts, one of which is the Resam skullcap. Resam skullcap is a cap made from resam plants.
Resam skullcaps can only be found in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, therefore they are often used as souvenirs for those who visit Bumi Serumpun Sebalai.
Usually, the resam skullcap is used by the community in various activities such as for worship, traditional and community activities, as well as important events.
Making resam skullcap is a hereditary heritage, in Dendang Village, West Bangka Regency, for example, which is famous as a resam skullcap producer. Having the raw materials and skills to make a resam skullcap is a tradition in this village.
Atisah (65), one of the resam skullcap craftsmen, said that since she was a child, she had the skills to make resam skullcaps from her parents, even in the past the resam skullcaps were used as a transaction tool that was exchanged for cloth and other goods.
Countless thousands of people have probably made skullcaps of various shapes and sizes. They peddle the resam skullcap in their yard, but unfortunately there are not too many fans.
In fact, they have created resam plants into various shapes, not only resam skullcaps but also bracelets, rings, hijab connectors and masks, hats and others. In addition, they have also made various motifs on the resam skullcap so that it looks no longer plain.
“We can make a lot, but selling is difficult. That's been the problem from the start," he said.
Not only Atisah, the problem of marketing is also felt by the Resam skullcap craftsmen in Dendang Village. Sometimes it can take months for the resam skullcaps they make to have not been sold. Even though they need money to produce the resam skullcap.
Seeing this problem, Suriadi, the youth of Dendang Village, began to think of ways to market this resin-based craft product. Currently, Suriadi said there are more than 100 craftsmen in their village, most of them are old, but there are also young people.
"I see the potential is good, so I try to buy their handicrafts and then I promote and sell them abroad. With me buying them, they can spend their capital to buy raw materials, buy needles and others," he said.
Countless thousands of people have probably made skullcaps of various shapes and sizes. They peddle the resam skullcap in their yard, but unfortunately, there are not too many fans.
In fact, they have created resam plants into various shapes, not only resam skullcaps but also bracelets, rings, hijab connectors and masks, hats, and others. In addition, they have also made various motifs on the resam skullcap so that it looks no longer plain.
“We can make a lot, but selling is difficult. That's been the problem from the start," he said.
Not only Atisah, the problem of marketing is also felt by the Resam skullcap craftsmen in Dendang Village. Sometimes it can take months for the resam skullcaps they make to have not been sold. Even though they need money to produce the resam skullcap.
Seeing this problem, Suriadi, the youth of Dendang Village, began to think of ways to market this resin-based craft product. Currently, Suriadi said there are more than 100 craftsmen in their village, most of them are old, but there are also young people.
"I see the potential is good, so I try to buy their handicrafts and then I promote and sell them abroad. With me buying them, they can spend their capital to buy raw materials, buy needles and others," he said.
Initially, he also had problems with capital to buy the products of these craftsmen. Eventually, he became a foster partner of PT Timah Tbk and created the Aloenghandycraft brand to market the Resam skullcap.
Not focusing on resam skullcaps, he encourages craftsmen to develop products, such as making rings, bracelets, key chains, cellphone bags, cowboy hats for boys and girls.
“After having the capital, I started marketing the products, selling them to the DPRD office, selling them to friends I know. Then start marketing using social media," he said.
According to him, the more people who use their products, the more they will be known, and make it easier for them to promote their products directly.
He has a strategy in promoting the resam skullcap by introducing the manufacturing process, telling the development of resam from time to time so that he does not sell a craft but also a story from the birth of a craft.
"The price of this resin is a bit high, according to the manufacturing process and the level of difficulty, starting from Rp. 100 thousand to Rp. 2.5 million. Many are interested but when they know the price they back off. That's why I tried to find a way to promote it by telling the process of making it," he said.
He was also assisted by PT Timah Tbk to market products through exhibitions held outside the region such as in Solo, besides that he also started to have several resellers.
“Being a foster partner of PT Timah Tbk not only got me capital but I was helped to market its products. There is also coaching, I was coached to make the packaging attractive and other strategies," he said.
In the future, to increase the marketing of Resam, he plans to create a Resam gallery. So that they can introduce and increase sales of Resam products.
"PT Timah Tbk has not only helped me in getting capital but also PT Timah has helped the craftsmen here because I bought crafts from these craftsmen," he said. (**)
