[Jewelry making - Article 00124] - Re: [Orchid] Hagglers at your jewelry booth

[Richard Hart]

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>     But usually I tend to think that if the haggler doesn't value a
>     piece (or me!) as I do, perhaps the piece could find a better home
>     with someone else who does appreciate it, and I'm content and able
>     to wait. I like to think that I'm maintaining my self respect,
>     even if I do have to go home without the $ the sale might have
>     meant. 

    What is the way for "Artisan"s" to deal with people who try to
    negotiate so that they can take responsibility to respond in a
    gracious way. Behavior other than a gracious response might indicate
    judgement on your part of the other persons intention, and an
    assumption of how they perceive you and your work. It is about how
    you feel and attach meaning, has nothing to do with how the other
    person feels about your work. When a person asks for a discount it
    does not automatically mean that you or your work is being
    diminished. That is your story. It is not inherently true. If that
    was true, mark your stuff up 10 or 20% and get more self respect
    Please watch some videos on Byron Katie's site. It will help those
    that want to negotiate, and it will help those that are offended when
    asked if their prices are firm. It is only perception and
    communication. 

    Since bargaining is cultural, if you are intorerant of hagglers, it
    might be considered a form of bigotry. And if circumstances made it
    necessary to discount, would you then lose respect for your self? You
    can make more stuff, you cannot take it with you....hopefully who
    you are is what you are and not what you make. 

    I am glad I stirred the pot. 

    Giving a discount might be a way of showing respect for a person
    over material goods, something we seem to have trouble with in the
    U.$. I do not know how the issue would be different for those of you
    doing art shows instead of having to deal with the issue as a store
    owner, but if I have a piece that is marked $500, the way I price, a
    discount of $50 certainly would not hurt me financially, and I seem
    to not feel undervalued. 

    Giving a discount realistically means I "lose" about 1% or 2% of my
    monthly gross. If you choose to not give a discount, don't give a
    discount, please do not make it such a sad story of feelings and self
    worth and having to make more and those mean hagglers that don't
    understand you. 

    What I do is a coordination between my brain and my hand that is a
    gift that is far beyond my comprehension. That I am able to express
    myself with metal and stone is the grace of my life. The business
    part has to just make enough sense for me to continue doing what I 
do. 

    Someone missed my point about Walmart. I watched a PBS special and
    Walmart buys a product and when they need more they negotiate a lower
    price, all or nothing, if it means moving production to China to
    produce Walmart does not care. Americans lose jobs. If you shop at
    Walmart, the company has haggled for you. That is how Walmart gives
    you value. They crush people. 

Richard Hart
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