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This letter writing campaign by a retail store owner trying to hurt the shop that help him feed his children for twenty years highlights the problem and fear of mixing commercial wholesale tradeshop activities with maintaining a robust presence on the web. While I was distressed at reading this mailing, sent to hundreds and hundreds of commercial accounts, I did totally agree with it's premise. The fact is that 300% markups are hard to justify once a person has seen our prices, and if I had a brick and mortar store I would also fear the reduced lowerhead, lower prices and the web's ability to connect the client with the jeweler, and cut out the clerks and overhead of retail.

I'd fear that alot actually as a store owner, but you should enjoy the difference as a "real person" for the lower prices and direct connect with the people who will build your dream ring. I sort of like this guy standing in front of you explaining his fear, and why. I think it's lovely to see this person find their massive letter writing campaign pointing the way, away from their over-priced self important showroom, away from the mundane products they sell and towards a new way that gives the clients greater value, higher quality and professional assistance. To the bbbbig Seattle corporate that I did their work for over a decade, as you remember coming downtown to extort from me the closure of my web site, as I fired you as a client, and gathered up the work in the shop asking you the line I shall long remember... "Paper or Plastic, and get out!?!?" Your stupid insipid stuffed teddybears are no substitute for honest value or outrageous prices... To you I bid a fond farewell, be sure to forward those holiday greetings to my new address... {Grin}... If you have any stamps left from that malicious mailing campaign that is... {Grin}... Frangos are no substitute for professional service and products gentlemen, and that is a fact.

As long as a large portion of the work came from resellers , and retail jewelry merchants it was they who had the ultimate say, and by pulling their work they could damage my ability to make my web production as vital and successful as possible.It presented a serious threat to both of our endevors, so I wanted to make this very clear, I decided that the conflict was irreconsialable, and that unless I made this natural separation I could not do either the commercial trade work, or be of service to my new web clients and friends effectively... ...and to all the self important store managers, middle corporate types who swagger and use their work as a weapon... To those who think that because someone does a fine job for them that they own them somehow, to those I say "DEAL WITH IT!"... ...and when your best client dropps my diamond pricelist on your counter please think of me fondly... {Grin}...

What was "forced on me" by things like the store guys and gals thinking that they "owned us" and that the reason we were put on earth was to support those 300% profits and keep that off shore garbage jewelry alive as long as the warranty for them have got to learn. Rather than put up with the small minded middle managers of some of America's largest jewelry retailers I have come to the webto make a difference, not just build other's reputations any longer. I must say that the thought that when I put up my website that the retailers started trying to prevent me from showing what I can do, well that was just too much. I've had all the decades of supporting the glitter showrooms and poorly trained disinterested sales-clerks I can handle, so now I work for the coolest and nicest people in the world. The fact is that each person we work with takes the time to express their thanks, something the trade was never smart enough to understand is important to a craftsman. I always resented the markups that were so common, and now we do something about it... I serve no commercial interests before my real people visitors, regardless of size or how much they spend here, the public comes first. Imagine that!
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