Original makers in Cornwall call on shoppers to seek out genuine handmade products like this tough wool item
Members of the artisan community in Cornwall reported noticing an increase in cheap imported products being sold as authentic local handmade items.
They harbor concerns that some vendors are bulk-buying fully manufactured products online and then selling them at inflated prices at marketing events such as Cornish craft markets.
Organizers of some markets stated that they conduct strict checks on traders to ensure their goods are genuinely manufactured in Cornwall.
Eleanor Lamond of the Cornwall Crafts Association said: “You have to have some kind of vetting process just to maintain quality and weed out all those small things coming in from abroad and being sold as genuine art products.”
Joanne Bailey, an artisan who makes candles and soap at her home in Redruth, said she was at one fair where shoppers walked directly toward products that were not handmade.
Joanne Bailey, who makes candles and soap at her home in Redruth, said she was at one fair where shoppers walked directly toward products that were not handmade.
“There’s so much shoddy stuff being bought and sold for ridiculous prices,” she said.
“It makes you angry, you feel like you have to tell every customer that you made it yourself, there are a lot of people out there buying shoddy goods.”
She said vendors are inflating prices, sometimes multiplying the going price on favorite online sites by five times.
“You just go online and look for it there, and if you want it then, you buy it for pennies. It is just so wrong. I have seriously noticed the difference this year.
“It’s a shame for the people who actually make it, you think ‘I’ve made everything I have, I’ve got all the customers around your table and it’s all bought in’.”
Amy Joy, a jewelry designer who was selling at a winter fair in Penzance, said everything on display was genuinely handmade but she was aware of untrustworthy sellers at other events.
Jewelry designer Amy Joy was selling at the Winther fair in Penzance, and everything on display was genuinely handmade, but she was aware of untrustworthy sellers at other events.
“They buy goods online and then inflate the prices, but they intend to undervalue the goods that are actually handmade,” she observed.
“And there are some people who cannot distinguish, and I think that is tragic because I can say professionally here in Cornwall we have some of the best jewelry makers.
“We have a team of people who know their art; ceramicists, jewelers, and printmakers, so they know their world and how to spot fakes,” she said.
Hannah Saint sells her moisturizing products at the Truro Christmas market
Organizers of Cornish artisan markets spoke about how they work to maintain the reputation of their events.
Hannah Saint, who attends the Mousehole market, is designed to exclusively support original artisans over online sellers.
“Some people see it as a way to make money without needing to develop special skills, it’s easy to buy and sell it, and sell it for a very large price,” she said.
“I’ve had some shade requests but I ensure at Mousehole in particular that it is predominantly handmade.
“We follow an $85\%$ handmade policy, so even if vendors bring soap, they buy a soap dish because they are not a craftsman, and that is fine because it promotes the goods.”
Graham Bradshaw, head of the Truro Farmers Market, said: “Organizers bear an increasing responsibility, and what we do here is we bring together a committee to audit applications.
“We allow a little buying in because that is normal for business activity, but the vast majority must be handmade or made in Cornwall.”
Eleanor Lamond, director of the Cornwall Crafts Association, said she supports any effort to vet artisan vendors, adding: “You have to have some vetting to maintain quality and weed out all those small things coming in from abroad and being sold as genuine art products.”
She added that one should always consider what an event is actually marketed as before evaluating the goods being sold.
“The thing is, if it’s not called a ‘Craft Fair’ but rather a ‘Christmas Market,’ there is more room to bring in goods that are not necessarily made in Cornwall by an artisan here,” she said.
“But I think if it is going to be called a ‘Craft Fair,’ it means it is artisanal, and it is a market, and it is a level above just a Christmas market.”
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