Craft Show Manners

One  HUGE irritation of mine when it comes to shows is the countless questions I get about my business. Not the general, genuinely curious questions, but the pointed questions that border on being invasive. The digging questions.

Oh how pissed off I get. I really have to try hard to not tell people I get my fragrance oils from child labor in China or my packaging from walmart. I also have to restrain myself from lobbing soap at them.

Frankly, they get rather ignorant when I give my standard line of “I get “X” from a variety of suppliers” and “I’ve been researching and perfecting my craft for years” instead of the detailed instructions that they’re expecting me to deliver.

Oh, people loooovvveee my soap, they love it so much that they want to make soap just like MINE and go into business for themselves. I’ve worked damn hard to get where I am today, and I’m not about to hand over my recipes and sources to the first person that asks.

I’ve heard so many stories in this province about people who have ripped off ideas from other people. An employee for instance who worked for a baker, then flitted off  to start their own bakery and go into direct competition with their previous employer. People stealing business ideas from each other, people blatantly copying other crafters style or ideas from year to year. Do you know how many crafters I’ve seen sobbing because their neat idea from last year gets duplicated and floods the markets the next year?

There is no sense of personal work ethic when it comes to stuff like that. No sense of boundaries. I know it’s just “business” but it’s shitty behavior.

The main thing to realize is that even if you do want to make soap, your take on the art would be different than mine. To make a truly great soap, you have to grow, practice and fail. If it’s simply handed to you, there is no pride, there is no passion. If you purchase someone elses business and simply carry on the business as it was created, then there is no part of you, there is no passion to it. It’s just a business. Don’t think that your customers don’t know the difference between a passion and a business, because they do.

I love to talk to other soapers, I love to know that others have a passion for the art, that others are sharing good soap with people and educating them about skin care just like me. I’m pretty realistic in the fact that I can’t make soap for everyone, so I’m cool with having competition.

Here are some basic niceties at craft fairs:

1) Never ask a soaper (or any crafter) where they get their supplies.

2) Never ask about a technique.  If a crafter volunteers the information, that’s up to them. If you show enough interest, they will likely tell you the process. I’m quite happy to supply you with the names of some books that will get you started on your way.

3) Never ask a crafter if you can come by and watch you make soap (or anything else for that matter!).

4) Never demand a discount because the soaper “over there” is offering a cheaper multi-bar discount.  Chances are, that soaper is offering that price because s/he can afford too. I can’t. My ingredients are high end, and the reason why I have unusual scents is because I bring them in from high end suppliers. You get what you pay for.

5) Never declare to all and sundry that you can “make soap JUST like this at home!” or that “I know just how to do this!!!” I assure you, that without several years of experience and learning behind you, you cannot.   I suspect that if you could make something “just like this!!!!!!” you would be.

I think my biggest beef of all, are other soapers who look at you as a threat. There is one local here who drives me batty. She’s dishonest, sneaky and is a wicked gossip. She blatantly ignores me. When I tried to introduce myself to her several times, she pretended I wasn’t even talking to her. At one show I was set up across from her and successfully introduced myself to her, she was “surprised!!!!” and hadn’t “noticed!!!” that I had soap too and “oh look, you’re RIGHT there!!!!”. Uh huh.  She has sent people over to check out my products, and to ask me pointed questions about where I get my supplies (like I didn’t notice the woman running over to report her findings as soon as she was done at my table).

It’s just the start of the season, and I’m already annoyed.