I'm not as good as C*****'s A*********s

[Pretty things]

Oh no ....... I did a market yesterday where one of the other stallholders told me I was wasting my time making jewellery, as everybody does it these days and in any case a certain well known high street shop [beginning with C A] does it much better and cheaper and all the teenagers go there.

I did tell her that

a] CA's don't hand make jewellery

b] CA's don't do sterling silver

c] All my pieces are exclusive and you won't see ninety million other folk wearing them

d] I'm not aiming my jewellery exclusively at teenagers [although obviously I am very happy when they buy it].

Did she listen? Did she ******. She trotted off to her own stall selling bric-a-brac and glowing with self-righteousness at having put this poor misguided soul right.

Joking aside, it really upset me that this woman, who I don't know from Adam, took a swift look at my handmade jewellery and found it inferior to mass produced, plated, imported trinkets sold to pre-pubescent girls.

[Katianne]

Glad you gave her what for! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Makes me mad too. How dare she!!!

[Ruby-designs]

What a horrible woman, there's always somewhere out there waiting to pull you down but always more there to sing your praises, so don't take it to heart :)

[zebra]

Sounds to me like she was jealous of your lovely work - take no notice, these people are out to upset others. We can't all have good manners can we?
If it ever happens again - just reply with 'thank you for pointing that out, but I hadn't noticed that the high street shops has started selling handmade unique items! when did that happen?

Then go on to say....I wish I had time and lack of customers to view other peoples stands like you :D :D :D

Sometimes you got to fight fire with fire.

As you can tell - this has p***** me off

Hugs to u

[EMEvans]

Some people are so rude, i'm glad you gave her a piece of your mind. I don't think i would have been as tactful. The jealous cow!!!!!!!!

[beadsbydesign]

Some people just don't get this hand made malarchy. Their loss not yours!
Chin up and keep going. The clients are out there.
I've had some very nasty comments in my time. Often along the lines of "how awful to buy someone something homemade. they might think you are a skinflint"
"My six year old daughter could do that!"
"I don't buy cheep jewellery"
The comments are very caustic but then to make a comment in such a negative way does not say much about the people doing it.
I always try to be sickly nice to those sort of people and smile and say things like "Do you think so?". Hopefully they'll be someone else at the stall looking and you simply raise your eyebrows to them. they smile back and you have an opening to engage the next customer.
I never try to justify myself to the don't get its. If they don't get it then they probably never will.

[Beadsage]

She's a market stall vendor - you're a jewellery designer...............tell her to go and sell some carrots. :D
If anyone requires further lessons in snobbery - just ask. :)

[candles by lisa]

That was just down right rude. Some people were just not brought up with manners. I get it constantly with my candles. For gods sake I can get that in Asda for £1.00. Well actually no you can't you can get a mass produced peace of s*ite from Asda not something that has been made and designed with care!!!

I have pleasure in telling them this. And point out the exclusivness of what I do!!!!!!!!!

Next time just smack her in the mouth!!!!!!!! (no only kidding!!!!!!!!!!! Just imagine doing it in your head make you feel at whole lot better)

Lisa

[Pretty things]

Thanks everyone. I just find it hard to cope with rude people. Don't get me wrong, I can be sarky and narky with the best of them but I couldn't say anything so hurtful, and to a stranger too. Even if the things on someone's stall aren't to my personal taste, there's still something friendly to say about the colours or the amount of work in something. But I did have a long chat with an old lady who wanted some earrings for her goddaughter, and who wanted to be sure I had made them myself as her g/d is very picky about only wearing hand made and individual jewellery, and she was as pleased as punch when I told her I put a care leaflet into each pack with details of how the pieces were made and how to care for them. So she more than made up for Mrs Bric-a-brac. And the cakes in the tea room were very good. :D

[littlesnuggler]

Wish I knew what to say. Chin up eh? And when you're rich and famous you will be quite justified in smacking her in the chops!

[icecreamgirl]

Remember you should always include the word "tat" when referring to the aforementioned chainstore.
And the lady in question would know all about that - or was she only selling 'original High Quality' items on her Bric-a-Brac stall?!!!;)

[Pretty things]

From what I could see it was mostly pot vases and jugs. But she did have one of the crinoline lady loo roll hiders and one of those sponge animals with a bar of soap inside.

[icecreamgirl]

Oh well.... you should have said... a Crinoline Lady Loo Roll Holder...
I mean really, this lady obviously knows quality when she sees it!!!!!:eek:

[Pretty things]

AND ..... soap with frog pictures on, and an inflatable plant. Betcha wish you'd been there!!

[beadsbydesign]

. But she did have one of the crinoline lady loo roll hiders .

Didn't you buy it from her? You could have displayed your jewellery on it.
She'd have had to love your stuff then!!!
LOL:D

[swirlyarts]

I'm very sad - I have a crinoline lady loo roll holder!! But it is only in my downstairs loo to match the decor - I have tacky postcards decorating the walls and the crinoline lady seemed to fit! I'm not devoid of taste, honestly!

[Funkyhand]

I'm sorry I am late offering my support over your ill informed bric-a-brac woman. Some people think that they can say whatever they like.Because they never get anything back from the people they are rude to, due to the shock of nice people at the rudeness, they think they have a right to keep doing it!
I have had some experiences with retailers being rude to me. At the recent exhibition a lady came along to my stand, she asked to see a demo of my CD's which I duly gave to her then she stood with a smirk on her face and said ' Oh, my customers wouldn't be interested in that sort of thing they wouldn't buy papers on CD's they like to buy the 'real' papers that I sell in my shop' as quick as a flash, and I don't know where it came from, I smiled back in just a as condescending way as she was at me and said ' oh, I assure you they are they are just buying them from your competitor because they already stock them!' and turned my back and started to talk to another customer! (It was true as well!!!) I don't mind if people don't like your stuff, or are not interested in it, thats life..but making an effort to be rude just for the sake of it..grrr were they born with no manners?? :mad::mad:
End of rant!
Anice xx:):)

[Katianne]

What gets me as well is that people actually have the nerve to come out and say these things!? Society today amazes me (I sound really old don't I?!!!) I don't know what I'd do if someone was rude about my crafts or made any of the comments others have had to endure. Then again, selling mirrors, I could always ask that they move away from my stall, before I have to charge them for looking at the mirrors for too long and breaking them!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[candles by lisa]

Do you know what I tend to find though is the really rude people tend to be elderly ladies - seems to be they think because they are old they can speak their mind and be rude. I was brought up not to be cheeky to my elders so you really don't want to let go with both barrells but one of this days I will!!!!!

Lisa:mad:

[twilightsewn]

Years ago I (with my ex-husband) used to make handcrafted wrought iron gates, which were quite pricey because of the work involved.

One day a man came in waving an ad from the local paper. "Why should I pay several hundred pounds for one of your gates when I can get one of these for £50?" I stared at him and took a deep breath. Then explained that ours were individually designed, handcrafted etc etc. So he says; "Do you do discounts for cash?" "No" was my firm reply. "Well I'll go and buy a cheap one then". "Fine, that's your choice" I replied and walked away.

The man walked out...15 minutes later he returned..."Had a look at the cheap gates, they'd fall apart in no time...can I place an order"

I've never forgotten that, and I still grin smugly even now when I think about it!

Shana

[Apple Tree Crafts]

....when they've shut up, just smile your biggest smile and say happily....

"I'm sorry madam, for a minute there you mistook me for someone who gives a damn!" ;) Or a four letter word to that effect...

A good one, if they've left their own stall unmanned, is to glance over at it, and then say 'I think someone's just pinched something...Oh! no...he put it back, he has better taste' They'll leave you alone pretty sharpish after that...and hurry away to guard their treasures....:o

What though, I mean wtf, was Bric a Brac doing at a Craft Fair...Car Boot sale yes, but a craft fair? The mind boggles....:confused:

Jules

[Pretty things]

Ah well now, that's the question. Opposite my stall was a lady selling coloured soaps wrapped in cellophane and bottles of Carex hand wash. I heard someone ask if she made the soaps herself and she said 'Oh goodness no dear, I haven't got time for that, I just buy them in'. A bit further down was a lady selling beautiful decoupaged & bargeware type painted wooden boxes, all made by herself, and she was cross because next to her was a lady selling fossils. I mean, fossils?????????????? When I went to get a cup of tea, I saw a lady selling tinned cat & dog food. Admittedly she was selling for charity but you don't expect to see someone selling Whiskas at a craft fair. [My cats would never touch the stuff]

I'm not sure I'll go back to that craft fair .......

[swirlyarts]

It does sound like bit of a dodgy craft fair to me!! I would be so disappointed as a crafter or even as a member of the public to go to a fair that did that.

[Xantia]

This "lady" obviously never saw Bambi, remember the line from the little rabbit 'If you can't say nothing nice don't say nothing at all'!;)

[Pretty things]

I prefer the bit where the big wolf comes and wallops the nasty lady round the ears :D :D

Just in case you were wondering ['Flipping heck, her stuff really must be bad .....'!], this is one of my pieces. It's a shell diamond in lavender, with a mother of pearl leaf & rose coloured crystals, on a chiffon ribbon choker.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h206/Bridie114/mopdiamond2.jpg

[Heart and Design]

Hi, I can't believe the woman was so rude about your jewellery! The one you have posted is lovely. I don't suppose you can please everyone all the time, but you can feel superior in the knowledge you have taste and talent and she has no taste and is selling tat at a craft fair.
Hopefully your next craft fair will be better.
Paula

[Xantia]

Well no wonder she was bitter and twisted if that's the sort of thing you were selling, it's gorgeous!:D