[Jewelry making - Article 01422] - Re: [Orchid] Wholesale catalog frustration

[Ron Charlotte]

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>     The "customer" then has a "wholesale catalog in their hot little
>     hands that they can then bring into your store & point out the
>     actual cost of an item to you.Yes, Rio does publish a catalog w/
>     no prices. And a catalog w/ a triple key pricing in it. Does anyone
>     believe that the average customer will know these differences? 

    You know, I see these diatribes periodically on this forum, and bite
    my tongue because I truly respect and admire those of you who are in
    the position to make a real living doing the art you love. Having
    done direct sales of my leatherwork for a span, I know how hard it
    is to compete against the mass market discount junk of the world. 

    That said: 

    Get over it!!! In this day and age, anyone with even a modicum of
    skill with a search engine can find the wholesale pricing of
    virtually any item sold in any retail venue you can imagine.
    Especially in the jewelry world, do you harbor any real belief that
    most of the buying public is unaware of the general degree of markup
    for things like jewelry? 

    I am a hobbyist, and a reasonably good one. I have had the pleasure
    of seeing a couple of my students over the years become respected
    professionals in their chosen path of art. Companies like Rio are the
    last places that people like me, who appreciate quality tools and
    materials have access to. 

    Perhaps, one day, I will re-enter the professional artist world, but
    not in the very near future. In the meantime, the skills that I've
    been developing in metal and lapidary have helped make my leather
    pieces better and more unique, so that I can feel proud of the
    periodic commissioned pieces that I do sell. 

    Don't want a flame war, but it needed to be said. Not all "pros" come
    out of the art school track....

Ron Charlotte -- Gainesville, FL
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