Father, son bond with sales of their conversation pieces - Arizona Daily Star

A Tucson father and son are hoping the stars align for their business venture - astrology-based dating bracelets called Singlets that tell people whether they're compatible with potential romantic partners.

Craig Adair, a 37-year-old contracting company owner, came up with the idea as a way to bond with his 15-year-old son, Andrew, who had taken an interest in entrepreneurship.

"Sometimes when kids get to that age, you say 'Hey, what did you do at school?' they say 'Nothing. How was your day?' and that's the extent of your conversations," Craig said. "I kind of saw this right off the bat as something that would draw us a little bit closer in his teenage years. And it has."

Based on Chinese astrology, Singlets are color-coded bracelets imprinted with four hearts that signify the four most compatible and two least compatible zodiac signs to that of the bracelet holder.

The bracelets are meant to start conversation, not precisely predict the outcome of relationships. To get an idea of exactly how little stock Craig puts in the bracelets' powers, consider this: The bracelets say he and wife, Kimberly, don't match.

"We're not compatible on the bracelets," Craig said. "We've been happily married for 12 years. Mine is Leo. She's a Taurus."

Craig says he doesn't believe in astrology.

The Adairs say they are finding some believers in terms of customers, though. While he declined to share sales figures, he said the bracelets have been selling to customers from as far away as Kansas. Andrew, who designed the website (www.singletband.com), sells them to his classmates at Catalina Foothills High School.

"It's just kind of fun. Kind of cool to see it selling," said Andrew, who says the product is taking off at his school. "It's kind of a mixed reaction. Some people (at school) think it's kind of dumb, and some think it's kind of cool."

Craig is particularly proud of Andrew's website design skills. Andrew says he took classes for Web design at the age of 11 and is happy that he was able to give the product a presence online.

Craig said he expected the bracelets to be most popular with teenagers, but has found customers across the age spectrum, including senior citizens. He says the bracelets are far more popular with females.

"That's what we thought," Craig said. "But the more females that get them, the more males that are kind of in their group will tag along."

The Adairs started selling the bracelets in mid-July. Craig said he's not sure if or when they'll break even on their venture, and has no target sales figure in mind.

In Craig's mind, he's already reaped countless profits from Singlets in the form of bonding time with Andrew.

"This isn't something that I said, 'This is how we're gonna make a million bucks,'" Craig said. "If it goes (well), it goes, and that's great. I'll probably be too busy with other stuff to handle it. And if it doesn't, that's fine."

TO ORDER A SINGLET

Visit www.singletband.com

The bracelets cost $5, plus $1.89 shipping and handling.

Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at pvillarreal@azstarnet.com or 573-4130.