When so-called craft items are mass-produced imports.

@hvedra (1619)
August 23, 2012 8:14am CST
I have a friend who started up a craft business. He does woodturning and carving and makes some very nice items. He often uses "waste" wood he gets from a local tree surgeon so he's eco-friendly as well. His prices are good considering the work he puts in. He also paints pictures (when he has the time) and sells his original artwork. So far so good but now his wife wants to join in the business but she doesn't make anything. She buys cheap, imported beads and crystals and strings them together and calls them "hand made" jewellery. She also buys mass-produced gothic/pagan stuff like resin goblets, posters, pentagram pendants and the like. Again she calls these "craft" items when you could buy them in any bad-taste giftware store! I think it's pretty much dishonest what she's doing and it also detracts from his work. I think if she wants to buy this kind of stuff wholesale and put the mark-up on it she should keep her business separate and not call it crafts. What do you think?
3 responses
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
27 Aug 12
That is a problem. It's more hand strung. His crafts are made from scratch and hers are more of a value added after the initial making of it. This debate goes back and forth where I live. The crafters who make things from scratch versus the ones who manipulate or put things together that were made by someone else. Some craft shows have one or the other and some allow both. He is more of an artist. She is moer of a crafter. But it depends on what you define each one. If you want all like he does, that's a juried art show where we are. If you want what she does, it's a lower level craft fair. It's their business. They can define it the way they want. People who do original artwork often label it as such. It's hard. Let's say I was a glass blower or glass turner making beads from scratch and I'm right next to a booth where someone is stringing glass beads made in China. At craft shows, that's where hard feelings come in. I had friends who made everything from scratch, but people didn't want to pay those kinds of prices. So they started doing value added. But they have a gift store. They just call them gifts. But they did start out doing a from scratch art business. The problem is that what people buy determines what people sell. The from scratch original artwork starts at $50 and goes up. It sits there for months at a time. Some cheap thing imported and just arranged a little can sell for half the price and people walk in saying they don't want to pay very much. $10, $15 often times. That stuff flies off the shelves. Sad, but true.
1 person likes this
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
23 Aug 12
I think you should say something to her. Let her know she's undermining her husbands business. And if you have to be blunt, be blunt.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157665)
• United States
23 Aug 12
The jewelry might count as arts and crafts depending on the design and quality, but the other is just junk.
1 person likes this