This National Pig Day, we’re highlighting a couple of our Market Merchant Supporters who deserve to “hog” the spotlight. Check out our partners whose pig products make a difference in the Market community!

PIKE PLACE PIGS

Meet Stephanie Shull, owner of Pike Place Pigs! Making piggy banks started as a way for Stephanie to remember and honor her uncle. He was a potter and created a special piggy bank for her when she was five years old (it still sits on her mantle today). 

When Stephanie became a parent, she wanted her daughter to experience the same thrill she did when getting her first piggy bank. Stephanie bought a bag of clay and got to work creating her very first piggy bank. “I soon started making them for friends and family as gifts, people really enjoyed and seemed to cherish them,” she remembers.

It wasn’t long until she got the idea to start selling piggy banks at Pike Place Market. She set up a stall in 2006 and named her business “Pike Place Pigs”. Stephanie says, “My pigs sold so well that the following year, I devoted myself full-time to making my piggy banks.”

Each pig is crafted by hand and completely unique. “People have a joyful nostalgia towards piggy banks, they represent so much possibility,” says Stephanie, reflecting on how the symbol seems to resonate with young and old fans alike. In her piggy banks, Stephanie includes a collectible coin that includes the location (Seattle, WA) and the year it was made. “It’s such a satisfying sound, the coin landing in the bank! I love watching kids’ faces light up as they really connect with it.”

Stephanie is one of the Market Foundation’s Merchant Supporters, donating a portion of her piggy bank sales to the social services of the Market. “It started with wanting to support this organization that was bringing in customers to my table, but I’ve really come to see how it takes care of the people who make up the Market,” says Stephanie. “The craftspeople, the farmers, the tenants, the commercial businesses… We’re all one big community. We’re looking out for each other, and the Market Foundation facilitates all of that.” 

She’s also the Market Foundation’s unofficial Pig Ambassador. When stationed on the MarketFront, you can find her chatting up visitors and answering all of their questions about Billie the Piggy Bank. “I’ll say, “You know, she’s a working piggy bank, the money supports our community programs. Drop a couple of coins in there!” she says with a laugh. “I tell them that it really adds up, tens of thousands of dollars in donations. They’re astounded that a piggy bank could bring in that kind of money!”

We are so grateful for Stephanie and her love for the Market community. To check out Pike Place Pigs and support Stephanie’s work, visit pikeplacepigs.com or visit her in person at the Market! Her most up-to-date schedule can be found on her social media, so make sure to follow Pike Place Pigs on Facebook and Instagram.

GOLDMINE DESIGN

Goldmine Design Jewelers, the Market’s fine artisan jewelers, creates a solid gold Rachel the Piggy Bank pendent to do more good for the Market. She is made of 18k yellow gold and weighs just under a 1/2 ounce, and has all of the important features that her larger counterpart – the torn ear, the enigmatic smile, and the lovely dainty hooves as well as the piggy bank slot on her back! And, the profits from the sale of each and every Rachel charm sold goes directly to the Market Foundation and our work to support the social services of Pike Place Market! 

The pendant is also available in sterling silver. Visit Goldmine in the Market or visit their website to order your very own Rachel the Piggy Bank pendent!