Help! A customer is asking where I buy my supplies...

[Former_Member]

A customer sent me a convo a couple of days ago asking where I bought the individual pieces for my jewelry and telling me she "can't find them anywhere". She also asked me if I would sell her the individual flower part of the earring without the earring post/packaging/etc. Just two flowers.

Since I didn't know how to respond to this (my initial reaction being "really??"), I have yet to respond to her. She only sent this convo a couple of days ago and now I just received the same message from her to my e-mail.

What should I do? I'm not a supplier! Am I making a big deal out of nothing? I don't necessarily want to say, "Yes, just go to 'X' supplier and here's the address..." In actuality, I don't know why she can't find them on her own.. It wasn't too difficult to find my supplies... She has no feedback and it looks like she just started her account, so I don't know if she's even a regular Etsy buyer.

Has anyone asked you where you buy individual supplies to make your whole product? What did you do/say? Should I just send her the two flowers, or should I tell her I only sell items as a whole?

Thank you for any advice. :)

[Former_Member]

It all depends on how you want to appear. You could offer supplies, (and to me it seems like she is really trying to replicate your items,) and you never know, maybe offer a kit or something along those lines and maybe make a few extra bucks. Or you could simply tell her "I only sell pieces as a whole, I don't offer individual parts", unless maybe they are a returning customer needing to replace a piece. I myself would tell them you are sorry, but you can't sell the pieces individually. If she is asking where you buy your supplies, tell her a friend makes them or they are custom mde for you, if you don't want to share the info.

[Chanchala]

I wouldn't feel bad about not telling her your supplier. If it is mass-produced she will eventually find it anyway, so probably won't make a difference whether you do or don't. It's entirely upto you whether you think it's worth your time selling it as a supply. Unless they're particularly rare or unique, I find that selling supplies is a very professional business of buying in bulk and not worth for most ppl in terms of profit.

[CrochetBabyBoutique]

You have every right to guard your trade secrets fiercely. You can politely tell her you are not a supplier and are sorry that you can't help.

I don't talk about my business much as then most people just want to know how I set it up! Do I tell them? Nope!

[Darbynwoods]

offer to sell her the supplies. make sure that you add in all your costs and then make a fair profit for your time. it takes just as much time to get one out of a box as it does 10..

my point of refrence is that we wood people do trade wood and no 2 people can mae the exact same thing

david

[Former_Member]

Thank you for the advice. It has definitely helped :)

I told her that I make my own supplies (because I actually recently started doing this - but prior to a few weeks ago, I did buy them from suppliers). I said she could probably find a kit online too, but it might be a little costly at first. I told her that I didn't sell individual pieces in my shop.

[SeedandSky]

I think you could say either yes you will sell them (and mark them up so it is worth your time) or politely say you are not a supplier and suggest to her to do a search for her supplies with the "search supplies" box on Etsy.

I don't think you should tell her the name of your supplier.
However, it does seem rude of her to ask this of you. I would try to answer politely and then distance yourself from this person if I were you.

[Former_Member]

One way to handle this is to say that you source from many different places depending on current prices and your needs.

You can also keep a list of generic suppliers on hand (like Fire Mountain Gems, Rio Grande, etc) that someone can go check out for themselves.

[Former_Member]

I don't think you have to tell her. That's your object and I think she wants maybe to copy you (or anyway to do something similar).
Maybe she can find something similar by herself if she really want (we find everything with internet)
Maybe you can send her an kindly e-mail but say you're sorry but that etsy is a shop of finished objects?...

[Former_Member]

If it were me, I would help another Etsy shop out and give her a link to an Etsy supply shop that sells something similar. I'm different than than a lot of people, I was surrounded by professors in college who graciously shared tips and tricks and said all I needed to do in return was pay it forward.

But I could understand where this would be a dilemma.

[Former_Member]

I agree about polietly saying "no". Etsy is an extremely competitive place (competitive in the sense that there are thousands of sellers, not community wise), you are in no way obligated to tell her. Obviously we all manage to find out own supplies easily enough so a simple seach could probably get her what she is looking for.

[Former_Member]

Steampunkfunk: As an aspiring teacher and college student, I normally go out of my way to help others. BUT, I don't think she is another Etsy shop. Just a random buyer.

:)

[Former_Member]

Or maybe she intends on becoming an Etsy shop. In that case... I don't really want to help someone copy my items. ;)

[Former_Member]

I respect your opinion, and ultimately you should go with your gut on this decision.

[Former_Member]

I think if you are not advertising as a supplies seller the question is completely out of line. Would you email VanCleef and Arpels to find out where they get their metal from? Probably not. As a fellow jewelry designer I have spent hours tracking the perfect findings, stones, etc. on the internet or through catalogs. I would kindly turn her down in my reply convo and be done with it.

[Former_Member]

It is common practice not to share your suppliers with competitors! Many work hard at finding the right suppliers.

[Former_Member]

Okay I have to jump in here for a moment. I make my own jewelry and have asked someone before where they get their supplies. I only did this after carrying on many conversations with her before hand however. She and I both live out in the middle of nowhere where supplies are hard to come by. I had no intentions whatsoever on replicating anyone's work and have not done so. I only asked so that I could purchase materials from an online supplier that I knew provided quality materials. That being said, I would never ask someone to sell me just a portion of a product. I agree with everyone else that it sounds like this person wants to replicate your work.

[Former_Member]

I agree with those who say: "I'm sorry, but I don't sell pieces separately. Thanks for asking, though."

[SacredPinesArt]

I agree with catesemporium. Well said:)

[JewelrybyKathyMattes]

I think that the question is inappropriate and that you should reply to her letting her know that a part of your business includes being able to find unique items so that your items stand out from the crowd. Respectfully decline to provide that information to her and invite her to join some of the groups on Etsy.

[Former_Member]

keep it to yourself! last year a girl emailed me claiming she was writing a book about fabric design and would I send her a fat quarter I didnt do it but she still copied my design anyways made a print in the same colorway and design ideas its not nearly as good as mine though ha ha she cant even do it well when shes copying anyways such scum exists in the world its awful but its the way it is. Look at all the high street shops knocking off designers!

[JaneStaufferPaperCo]

I agree that this is your information that you worked hard to find.
I would politely say, "no."