I've had a couple of incidents of shoplifting. I had a unique wine rack stolen. The heck of it was that I had agonized for two weeks after I bought it as to whether or not I was even gonna sell it! LOL

Another time the lady who runs the shop told me that she had found two of my classical CD cases in the restroom! I told her that, at least, they must have had good taste in music!

If there's been any jealousy involved, I haven't been aware of it. Have had a couple of things broken and left in the booth, however. Glad they weren't some of my nicer things, but still....

I don't sell in craft malls, but I do sell at live shows. I've never had trouble with someone shoplifting (it's harder to do that when I'm in my booth) but I DO know what you mean about the jealousy thing.

The majority of my products are utterly unique to the shows and Markets I sell at. Some aren't (tea cup birdfeeders) but mine have a twist to them, so they're a lot more popular and desirable. I get so many dirty looks from other vendors when I'm selling like mad, and they're just sitting there. I've learned to develop a thicker skin, but it does make me angry when I get home. I can't help it if my product is unique and unusual and you're selling soap you bought at Michaels and poured into a prepurchased mold that smells like lavender, french vanilla or rose scent.

I can certainly imagine there is a lot of pettiness at craft malls. My Humble Opinion is that there are a lot of crafters out there and then there are a lot of people who make an eyeglass case from a pot holder and all their friends say "ooh, you should sell those". Ok, no offense, but to professional crafters trying to make a living off their works, there IS a big difference. So then as a professional, you get shunted aside, particuarly if you have no control over the location/situation.

The solution here might be to volunteer more work hours at the craft mall or pull out of it if you've spread yourself too thin at too many locations and can't devote the time. That's why I don't sell at craft malls...the time I would have to spend working at the store. But if you can do it, you could control your product placement better.

Same here . I sold my things at craft malls for a couple years & as in any business - there is theft going on. Do you have a say in where your things can be displayed ? Can you complain to the owner about missing items? I got out of craft malls because of this . Craft fairs are HARD work - but well worth it. Good luck !

I can't move all my stuff, but I do rearrange. I'm adding new stuff to the other room.

My friend says she doesn't think I'm being shoplifted. We'll see. Two of my ornaments are missing for sure. I'll see if they show up in this week's inventory. My dh pointed out that it is a compliment to me (in a weird way) if my stuff is being shoplifted. My ornaments are unique and would be a nice present for the right person.

This is my first venture selling any of my work. I may try a Christmas craft show next year. I may see if I can market some of my unique things in the local gift shops. I may even try to do this show again. I'm out more time than money on my work and I'm still ahead in the money game.

I used to do specialized eucalyptus arrangements (had a little known supplier that was able to get me unique dye lots of euc). Sold mostly through custom orders, and also did a lot of detailed "still life" tole painting. There was a huge old landmark type building in a nearby town that a woman bought and turned into a gift shop/antique store/craft shop. The space available to rent out was by invitation only. I was so flattered when she called me with an invite to rent space, she had seen my work elsewhere and she offered me one of the areas right at the front door. (Prime location and right at the heavy traffic flow.) Started out a great venture but went sour within the first year, and for one of the primary reasons you mentioned.

Theft, not so much. I did experience some small items unaccounted for, but quite a few times it was a matter of someone picking an item up, changing their mind, and placing it down somewhere else in the store. A couple times it was just plain gone, but as my items were not small enough to pocket, whether theft was involved or clerical error, I can't say (although there was a good bit of theft going around, due to the old design of the building and it being separated into rooms).

The jealously and outright competitiveness to the point of stealing design ideas was unreal. I wasn't deeply involved with other dealers, just did my thing and kept my space stocked, chatted a bit with the owner and went on my way. But one woman there took it upon herself to start calling me on a regular basis and just constantly complained about everyone and everything. Who was backstabbing whom, yadayada. Did my best to get off the phone asap with her. But I did see a lot of copying from dealer to dealer. One design in particular I did was a popular seller and kept me busy with custom orders. I used a certain architectural piece as a base foundation. Next thing I know, the woman who had a space very ner mine was putting exact copies of what I did in her space. I mentioned it in passing to the owner one day, who could have cared less. I began to pay more attention and there was a lot of that going on: if someone had a hot selling item, someone else would try to copy it. I even had one eucalyptus design that I saw a "copy" of hanging above the stairway to the second floor. I found out the owner's daughter had put it together (and rather sloppily, as it hung there unsold for a couple months.) Owner asked me how I did mine and where I got my supplies from, her daughter "just couldn't get the hang of it." I shrugged it off with a smile and a "just years of practice, I guess." No way was I giving away my little design tricks and supplier info and losing that market I had (I was regularly selling those large euc arrangements to people who had new homes with open concept and needed larger wall space to fill.)

Upshot of it all was I left the store and went to strictly custom orders only. Just couldn't stand the politics and games. But, in some areas that's the nature of the beast, I suppose ;)

I worked retail for many years and my DH did retail loss prevention before moving on to computer security. Here's the harsh truth: MOST theft is done by employees, not store visitors.

Copying? OF COURSE. What about the speculation that Thomas Edison did NOT invent the lightbulb (stole the idea from someone else) or Charles Darwin stole the whole "Origin of Species" from a paper he was sent by a younger student? That is one thing I am learning; if you ever have a great idea, get in, make your money, and get out. What about that guy who made $20 million selling those weird rubbery octopus things that you fling against a wall and they slowly "climb" down? He had many, many knockoffs. The woman who invented the Hairdini (sp?) or TopsTurvy (?) -- that thing you use to make perfect chigons or twists or whatever -- she was pushed out of business with all the knockoffs. No matter how big or small your success is, if you have any, others will try to duplicate it. And your employees will steal it. Ha.

I sold "dressed-up skeletons" for 1:12 scale dollhouses on ebay. I used ready-made plastic skeletons and dressed them in fun costumes, like pirates or bride and grooms. Well suddenly, their was an alternative to the "artisian" skeletons, where the skeleton was handmade. For some people, all they wanted was a skelly to haunt their dollhouse, and finding a scale skeleton was very, very difficult. I started out makeing the skeletons for me, and I sold extras, and buyers loved them.

I definately browsed all things haunted and skeleton-y on ebay for inspiration. Well one day, I happened upon an auction that was saying how these "plastic dressed skeletons were a rip-off on this artists idea, and told where one could get the plastic skeletons (for much cheaper than I was selling them) and how hers were TRUE art peices. HAHAHA. Dias De Los Meurtes, anybody? The mexican culture has been "dressing up skeletons far longer than any of us has been alive...did this artist really think she came up with the idea? Gimme a break! She obviously felt threatened by this new, cheaper way of doing what she was doing. But I tell you what...her skeletons looked amazing, and if I took away any of her customers, I was only taking the ones who didn't care about collector quality.

Now honestly, in a antique-space situation, I would be embarrassed to copy the ideas of someone next to me. But if I saw a piece and it inspired me to make my own version, does that mean I should not sell it? We get ideas from everywhere....nothing is new under the sun, and if we have an idea that everyone wants to copy, the answer is to brand our art and make people want the NAME as well as the widget. How many times have you heard someone slam Rachel Ashwell for acting like she "invented" shabby chic? Well of course she didn't, but she BRANDED the concept and made a fortune.

So if people are copying your ideas (generic you), make yours more special. Have delightful cards made up with your business name, or the artist name. Include a tiny dangling charm from the widget as your special touch, or wrap the item in gorgeous tissue paper. And keep the creative juices flowing!

And one day when you are all jaded like me, you will remember this line (Stephanie Powers said it in a movie where she played the owner of a modeling agency): "Better to collect 10% from every model that to be a model yourself."

And THAT, my friends, is my two cents, which many would argue is only worth half a cent :-)

I couldn't have said it better Trade. My product is not entirely unique...it's been around, but I've put my spin on it and I sell me, too, not just the product.

My reputation has grown, and I've got a good following. I'm also hearing more and more now of people trying to copy my work. I expect it. Hate it, but knew it was coming. When they ask me how I do it I, too, explain, years of experience. I see the handwriting on the wall and know that I'll only be doing this another year or so, if that. Then I move on to something else.

I do offer custom work (a concept I just started marketing) and THAT is helping a lot with the OICDT (Oh I can do that)crowd. I stress that when I talk with the fishers and I tell them that I can save them a lot of $ and time by making a custom piece for them out of their products. Then they know I'm on to them and they shut up and leave.

I think this is the universal curse of all artisans with a good product.

To prevent theft you can stick little metal tags on your items and a detector at your front door. That would increase your overhead of course.

Or put the more valuable things in glass cases, locked up.

As for theft of craft ideas, I'm not sure if you can trademark it or patent it, but you could look into it. Patent violation involves going to court and that involvoes thousands of dollars.

My friend patented a number of innovative ideas related to a type of stove that had been on the market only a few years.

Other manufacturers, most not large ones, copied several of his ideas.

He can't just have the authorities charge them and shut them down or force them to pay him a licence fee.

He must charge them with violation of his patent, sometimes in their jurisdiction. He must travel to appear in court, interrupting other work.

If they are a major company, they hire expensive lawyers, who appear in court, then have the trial adjourned till later. So - he goes home and must appear again at the later date.

When they claim that their way of constructing is enough different from his that it isn't a violation of his protected area.

If it's big company, with deep pockets, they can drag it out and drag it out until he goes broke.

If it's a small company, it would be years before the licence fees relating to possibly upfront money plus a fee for each unit sold would repay his cash outlay to defend his patent, let alone costs in terms of time and emotional stress.

In many jurisdictions there's an annual fee to the patent office to keep your patent in effect - and if you don't pay it, someone else may do so, then they'll own the patent.

He became somewhat disillusioned with patenting.

By the way: heating with grain is about the cheapest method in town - except wood that you cut yourself, which requires a lot of specialized equipment and much labour (heats the cutter, hauler and homeowner about eight times between standing tree and throwing block of wood into the stove).

This is even more OT than the original poster of the thread.

Have a wonderful New Year, everyone.

ole joyful

i when i yard sale for my booth, i don't pay much for my items in case they are stolen or broken. my booth is way in the back on the second floor so it would be easy to walk off with something. if i ever do have a fragile or big ticket item, the owner will place it in her case at the check out area. i have had a booth with her mall since the begining so she will do that favor for me because it does cut down on shoplifting, on her stuff also. i just don't handle too many expensive items........mom

I have only done craft shows, and have never had anything stolen.Of course, I stay with my booth at all times. My jewelry would be too easy to walk off with.

I am planning on doing a flea market with some of my yard art this spring. It will be the same principal, stay with the booth, and the yard stuff is a lot bigger and harder to walk off with, but still possible. A woman tried to walk out of Wal Mart one day with a computer between her legs. I am glad they caught her, that's just stupid.

Sharon