Casto Creations - Elegant Jewelry Designs

Handcrafted jewelry using gemstones, glass, Swarovski crystal, sterling, Precious Metal Clay, vermeil, gold, and other materials. And some random thoughts thrown in just for kicks.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

What Not to Do...

Do you go to art / craft shows or fairs? Do you ever see artists or crafters with items that you either could do or actually do? And do you ever walk into their booth and say "I could do that" or "that's so easy"?

If so...STOP IT!

For one thing, it's incredibly rude. It's demeaning to the person who took the time to create their items and who put a considerable effort into trying to sell their wares.

Can you tell that I had a tough weekend? I was part of an art / craft show that was part of a food festival (one of those 'Taste of' shows). Last year my sales were fairly good, but I also had a couple great customers with large purchases. This year sales were down a bit but that didn't bother me as much as the comments and behavior I witnessed.

I realize that making jewelry is a popular craft and that many talented people exist who make lovely jewelry. A lot of people make jewelry for pleasure and that's great. But it is SO frustrating to have someone come in and examine, literally holding it up to their eye to get a better detailed look, each and every piece in your booth. Getting ideas is one thing, but trying to determine how I did something is another matter.

And if you ask how much something is, please don't DROP it back on the table and say "ew". I mean, really. What you're saying is, "Your work, skill, time, talent, etc. isn't worth that much." *sigh*

But it wasn't all bad. I met some really great people who DID appreciate my work, regardless of what they thought of price. I even had one nice woman ask why something was priced as it was, so I was able to explain the detailed process, the handmade beads, and the time that goes into a piece. And after I explained it she understood and appreciated it even more.

And I did sell items ... and those who bought were aware of the quality and knew they were getting a unique and special piece of jewelry.

Plus I got to hang out with my little cousin who was a HUGE help. I couldn't have done it without her...it's tough to get bathroom breaks when you're by yourself.

These shows are super exhausting so I'm trying not to do as many this year as I did last year. I have another one in two months so that should be enough time to recover. :)

Hope everyone had a great, safe, and happy 4th of July. God Bless America!!!

4 Comments:

  • At 3:35 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    You could always take the approach someone else did when they had an "I could do that" comment by someone at her booth...

    She walked up to them and said "Really?" and while inspecting the jewelry the girl had on asked her "Are you a jewelry designer?" The girl said yes, so she took the opportunity to point out that she needed a little improvement on her wire-wrapping and offered to give her some classes. lol The seller says that put her in her place pretty quickly.

     
  • At 1:40 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I completely agree with Sharla...Some people don't have A CLUE about the time it takes to make a piece. I've had so many comments from "So expensive!" to "So cheap!" I've learned to take the bad ones with a grain of salt.

     
  • At 11:38 AM, Anonymous Billy (Utopia Armoury) said…

    Great article!

    Usually, when someone looks at my work and offers a dismissive "I could do that myself for a lot cheaper" I will grab a handful of rings and a pair of pliers from my work tray, offer them to the person, and let them know that if they can match my quality for less than I'm charging, I'll buy as much as they can make.

    That usually gets people to shut up pretty quickly.

     
  • At 11:41 AM, Blogger Unknown said…

    I just did a craft show myself. I blogged about it. I am always surprised at how many people only come to eat. Comment on how expensive my stuff is and leave. These are the same people who do not buy anything any way. This big show I was at was very disappointing sales wise. I did have a nice 2 days. The weather was great and met some really nice people. It takes a lot to get ready for a show and set up break down, and not to mention all the time you put into your craft or jewelry weeks before hand. I love your blog. You hit the nail on the head. Check out mine if you get time. http://designedjewelry.wordpress.com
    Lynda

     

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