I need some guidance, y'all. We are in the Jewelry Category, we make "Ear Pin" style earrings. There is a team of people in Florida, that operate under 3 different names, interchangeable, selling the same exact products, attempting to book the better shows with 3 booths, not telling the promoter that they are related, and block any other "Ear Pins" from getting in the shows. So far, it has not stopped us, but we have had shows with all 3 of them there 'competing' with us. Some of these folks are saying disparaging things about us to our customers, and I am at a loss. Is this 'normal' behavior in our industry? A large percentage of their products are hand-crafted in South America, which should not be acceptable. They tell customers (in person and online) that they use 'gold', not disclosing that it is gold-filled.
Any ideas on what, if anything, we should do? Do I tell the promoters about it? Do I include an artist statement that simply outlines what we DON'T do and let them put 2 and 2 together? I am considering taking our show schedule off of our website, even though our customers rely on it to find us. HELP!
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Curious - what color did the oxidize to? Proper 14kGF should be Jewelers Brass inside and if anything, turn green??
I'm observing more and more "craft," as opposed to fine craft appearing in the shows. Obviously promoters are having trouble filling spaces, and/or the photos submitted for judging were misleading. Just another reason I am cutting down on shows and rethinking things.
Thanks, Mark. I have no proof, all hearsay on the production. It is far more an issue of attitude and intent, I think. Of course, I am a big fan of the jury asking to see the items created (facilities permitting, of course) on-site. This wire wrapped jewelry. If the artist is there, it can be demonstrated. If it can't be demonstrated, the artist is not there. Pretty darn simple.
Cheryl - one additional observation - if I were to invite my family to learn our craft, and teach them how to make money at it, and then they 'competed' for shows against me rather than working together to NOT compete, they would no longer be doing the craft. Doesn't that whole thing reflect character and intent? Or am I just bitter? If you treat family like this - what is the customer, and god forbit, fellow artists to expect? This group also has a rep for showing up late, leaving early, and on occasion, not even showing up for Friday on a 3 day show! (personally observed, not hearsay) At least now I know they are not just trying to make my life miserable - it is just how it is.
It does, Cheryl, but there are wide differences in the attitudes in that extended family. When you have a fellow crafter telling customers that we stole their designs, and we use inferior materials (which are both lies), and then one of them walks into your booth while a customer is trying on earrings to notify her that the credit card machine is now working, how do I believe anything they say? In contrast to your experience, we have witnessed several occasions where the people in the booth don't even have materials to make earrings or know how to make them. The import info came directly from one of the booths. I know that the team that started this many years ago are good folks. Unfortunately the status today is pretty sad, from our perspective. They also have non-family members operating under the same banner, they are pure resell of the originals, and one of them has tried to strike a deal to buy from us wholesale.
I know the family you are talking about and this is what I know. They are friends of mine and they are from South America but, they live here and their jewelry is all made in the United States. They have all learned how to make the ear pins from their uncle and father. It is a large family and essentially they compete with each other to get in to shows. They get frustrated also when there is several of their family members accepted in to the same show. I believe at one time they said there is 12 people in their family in the same business and they all live in Florida.
I am confident that they each know how to and do make the earpins. I have sat and visited with many of them as they work. Each has a little twist on their designs. Many promoters know them because the family started doing art/craft fairs over 15 years ago and the children have grown up with their parents doing shows on the weekends.
I hope this helps.
I've experienced a "team" of two (husband and wife, I think) that do the same thing. Not really sure who is the "artist" but I was at a show as a visitor and happened upon a booth. There was a man there selling his paintings. Fast forward a couple of months and I am in Westport, CT as an artist and, guess what? Next to me was the same art, but a WOMAN was the artist. These two could have been doing two shows at the same time and no one would know. They were both Asian... Personally, I wouldn't know if their name was a male name or a female name. I asked the woman if she was the painter and she said, "yes, I paint it all". Reeeallyyy..... I doubt it, but if she did, she and her partner certainly have an interesting scam going on. BTW, it really made me angry!