Yes, that is a an odd title. I don’t really know where to start so firstly, let me say that there’s lots more new items added to my store =) I’ve been working really hard to create new designs, take good photos and actually list items. I had to sever my connection with a boutique that I sold my work through but it actually works out nicely for me because I won’t have such a hard time keeping my etsy store up-to-date and I won’t be under such pressure trying to add new items.
I was thinking about it for a long time and it’s such a difficult decision. My work sells for much more in boutiques and I get more money even when they’re screwing me. It’s also difficult to confront somebody with a professional attitude. What happened was that when they gave me a statement for the work that had been sold, they were listing the prices lower than what the work had actually sold for. They get a percentage of the sale price so this meant that they were basically keeping more money for themselves than agreed. I found out because I had an idea that there was something going on and I sent my friend down to buy a one of my designs from the boutique. Sure enough the price on my statement was different than the price she had paid. I was really livid about it so I went down with her receipt and my statement and confronted them about it. They said that THEY were disappointed by my actions!? I mean WTF? Was there an alternative? They said that it was just a mistake on that particular item probably because they had marked items down as 30% off. The discount was on their computers picelist and the statement had been generated from that but somehow the actual piece itself had inadvertently not been marked down on the price tag before it sold. Yes, well apart from my initial suspicions and the fact that I know what my works sells for, the ‘somehow” and “probably” or “inadvertently”, that was a reasonable enough explanation if it hadn’t taken them so long to come up with it! I said that I felt that there was no relationship of trust between us and that it would be better if I took my business elsewhere. It just goes to show how easily independent designers can get screwed, even the seasoned ones. I think that this is definitely a lesson for old and new designers to be careful with consignment even when everything seems to be in order on paper.
Oh well, on the positive side I’ve been featured on two blogs this week:
http://jellybeansart.blogspot.com/2007/08/etsy-feature-tenjewel.html&
http://visitatwhitsend.blogspot.comMy gorgeous new hill tribe silver arrived too! I kind of just want to get stuck in. When I see pretty things then I have difficulty pulling myself back and being considerate about my designs. I’m going to take my new supplies, my camera, my sketchpad and myself to the Japanese Gardens to gather my thoughts and designs. I haven’t been there in ages and I could do with some wind down time anyway. The peace and harmony there is unexplainable. The Japanese Gardens at Tully are world-famous, considered to be the finest in Europe. The gardens are a hundred years old and trace the journey of a soul from oblivion to eternity. It’s really fascinating and gardens are not just horticultural but artistic, philosophical and historical. It’s such a beautiful place where every element comes together and every tiny little thing is a part of a bigger overall design. I can’t wait to go and gather some inspirations and hopefully I will come back with great pictures and some good designs too!
Labels: consignment, design, etsy, featured, garden, japanese, jewelry, screwed
posted @ 8:58 AM
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