Let me preface with this: I am in no way ungrateful to
pretty much everyone I have dealt with in regards to my face up shop. You guys
have given me a wonderful opportunity to paint dolls, see sculpts I've never
gotten to hold before, and to expand my portfolio and build my reputation as
reliable and trustworthy. Thank you also to everyone who has ever bought or
sold from me. This post is not about you- you know who you are. It's not really
about anyone in particular.
The problem:
Flakiness. People in the doll world seem to have problems
with commitment.
The nature of the hobby is what it is. We bond, we don't
bond, we get bored, we sell. Doll not happy in your cabinet? No problem! Ship
him off to someone else to be loved. Though there is nothing wrong with this at all (I've bought and sold many dolls over the years), but many people don't commit to the purchase
of the doll for whatever reason. This bleeds over into the market aspects
of the doll hobby.
Types of commitment:
Commitment to buy:
This is obvious. Don't commit to buy something, ask to have it
held until your next paycheck, etc if you don't plan on buying. Give ample time
for the seller to find someone else if you need to back out. I have lost many
opportunities for sales by holding items for people only to have the person
back out and the other interested parties having justly moved on.
If you need to back out, it better be for a good reason.
Don't negotiate with the seller to include shipping and extras, back out with a
"Oh I'm sorry, no money", and then post in the exact same sales or
other related group asking for other items. This IS grounds for flaky feedback,
and you deserve it. Granted facebook has no method for keeping records about
this kind of thing, but I as a seller do. I will mark you down as a flake, and
I am justified in refusing service to you in the future. All sellers should do
this.
If you must back out of a sale, don't drag the seller on.
Don't commit to buy fifty million things and freak out when it comes time to
pay for them. Sellers are selling for a reason- sometimes they need this to buy
another doll or pay a layaway (I've missed out on limited items due to
committed buyers backing out at the last second), or even a real-life bill.
Don't be a flake. If you need to back out please tell your seller and don't
leave them hanging. Don't back out unless you really, really must. Committing
to buy a doll and changing your mind when another doll comes up is NOT a valid
reason to flake (unless it's like an uber limited sculpt or something; I can understand that). Dog need surgery? Your glasses just broke? Flat tire? Totally
valid reasons.
Commitment to sell:
Pretty much like the above. If you commit to sell an item,
don't back out at the last second. If you really, really change your mind then
just communicate with your buyer. They deserve to know. If you take their
money, you better be damned sure you give it back and you include paypal fees
so they don't come up short. It's just polite. If you are iffy about selling an
item, post it as a feeler (this means you are iffy but considering offers and
it sort of offers you a back door if you need it).
Commitment to trade:
If you commit to a trade, you're under obligation to fulfill
your part of the trade. Do I really need to go deeper here? If you can't trade
anymore, admit it. Don't just disappear after giving your shipping info to your
trade partner or leave them hanging waiting to try and figure out where to ship
their half to you. It's just rude, and there are missed opportunities for other
sales and trades while they're waiting on you.
Commitment to complete a commission (lookit all that
alliteration):
This happens often enough there are dozens of threads
dedicated to this on Den of Angels. So-and-So ran off with my doll and never
sent it back…this person took my money and never made outfits… this kind of
behavior affects all artists. People are scared to send their doll heads off
for fear of never seeing them again. People are scared to commission
seamstresses for fear of never seeing the outfits or getting something shoddy
in return. If you can't complete a commission or it turns out to be more difficult
than you expected, communicate with your buyers. Let them know what the issue
is and work with them to resolve it. If you get in over your head, be honest.
Let people know. They're usually more understanding than you'd think, and the
ones that aren't can kiss your patootie. Give them their money and focus on
other people. Don't run and hide and dig yourself into a bigger hole than you
already were.
Commitment to requesting a commission:
This I have dealt with personally. Someone will contact me
with requests for a commission. They'll send me info on the sculpt they want
painted, what face up they want, and even give me an estimated shipping
date….then they vanish. Upon inquiring as to what has been going on, I tend to
get this response, "Oh sorry, I forgot. I've sold the doll." There
are several issues with this.
- Firstly, if you knew you were going to be selling the doll why did you commission it to be painted?
- Secondly, it is unprofessional to ask for information, book
a slot, and then flake.
Face up artists and other craftspeople need to confirm slots in order to judge how much time they need to complete a project, make sure they have the resources to complete the project, and they need to be aware of the item's estimated arrival time so they can watch for the parcel. Some face up artists even depend on these slots for income. Your flake may have just cost them needed money. - Thirdly, even if you didn't initially plan on selling the doll, it is your responsibility to inform your commissioned artist that you no longer need their services. This frees up slots for them and gives them time to fill that slot in your place. Plus it's just the polite thing to do!
Let it be known I really don't have a problem with people
backing out when they need to or when people forget…I'm trying to buy a house,
raise a baby, and run my business. I get so busy I can barely remember my name
most days. Empathy? I has it. But I expect the same respect I give. Update your
salesperson…don't leave them hanging.
People in this hobby really need to learn a few things…basic
market etiquette and commitment.
Apologies for the rant. I hope you'll forgive me and keep
reading.
Thank you for visiting, and happy collecting!