Sisters switch on ‘Witch Engine’, target hidden geek in everyone

The “time turner,” which is one of the iconic items in the Harry Potter movies, is one of the products that can be had in the Witch Engine, which is owned by sisters Joana and Nikki Uy.

Sisters Nikki and Joanna Uy have always had a love for pop culture and the alternative scene.

In 2013, they decided to turn this love into a business as they opened Witch Engine, an online shop that sells iconic items you would find in movies, television shows, games and other “geeky” stuff.

“We got into books, magazines, and the internet and see how art and culture entwines each other. And we saw that in the local scene, there seems to be little to no offerings to anything outside the ‘usual’,” said the 27-year old Nikki.

With a capital of only P2,000, Nikki and her sister stocked up on items like ear cuffs, vintage bookmarks, lockets and “odder” accessories like skull earrings which they sold online and through social media sites like Facebook.

Later on, they included in their list the Time Turner from Harry Potter, a fictional device which allowed Hermione Granger to go back in time and attend so many classes in Hogwarts in the movie.

“And there we found something out: Everyone has a hidden geek,” she said.

They further expanded the list to include more items from Harry Potter. They have Hogwarts robes, scarves, ties, and even wands. They also have Game of Thrones’ infamous Hand of the King brooch, Elven Princess Arwen’s Evenstar necklace, and the tempting One Ring, and Katniss Everdeen’s Mockingjay pin.

An assortment of weapons, characters, and iconic images fashioned into key chains and wearables from DotA, Shadow Hunters, and One Piece are also available.

For those who want a little bit of inspiration in writing, they also have journals for Le Petit Prince.

Their items range from as low as P50 to P200 for knickknacks.

Other items like their Hogwarts robes cost more.

The business picked up and the sisters were able to open a physical shop inside The Maze at the third floor of Ayala Center Cebu in 2016.

Family business
Nikki and her 34-year old sister Joanna both graduated from the University of San Carlos.

Nikki has a degree in Computer Engineering while Joanna finished Computer Science.

After graduating, both of them were set to join their family business. They own a motorcycle parts and accessories shop where they are now both managers.

Even with this day job, the two decided to open Witch Engine to channel their inner geeks.

It is also easier for them since in their set-up with The Maze, they are provided with sales staff who would watch over their stall.

The two of them would just drop by from time to time to check on the shop.

“It’s so much fun geeking out with people, whether they become customers or not. That helps inspire us to grow our business and seek out that particular item someone dreams of having,” Nikki said.

Some of the items they sell are made by Nikki and Joanna themselves. For the others, they source them locally while some items were brought in from Hong Kong.

Niche market
While they continue to enjoy patronage from customers, the sisters admit that what they are catering to is a niche market.

When they canvass and pick out items to sell, they sometimes think to themselves that these were too weird that nobody would like and buy it.

“Here’s the problem with targeting a niche market: It’s, well, niche. Meaning small. So we’re essentially playing darts, taking the target, and cutting it into a smaller circle,” Nikki shared.

“It’s harder for people to like and share if they haven’t even heard of Doctor Who, and don’t get the reference, or maybe they find spiders gross and will not even look at a picture of a spider necklace,” she said.

“And I don’t think those problems will ever go away. You’ll always have to evolve and change with your market. What we strive to do is to make people connect to the culture they wish to live in,” Nikki added.