In article ,
Kevin Miller wrote:

To some extent thinking that lowball woodturners should raise their
prices is like asking if the makers of a Chevy shouldn't double their
prices to keep the makers of a Lexus going. Bit of an exaggeration
perhaps, but it draws the point. If I'm selling at a flea market, I
expect to sell at flea market prices, competing against other flea
market turners. If I'm selling at a gift shop, or moving up a notch at
an art gallery, I expect to compete at gift shop/art gallery prices. It
doesn't matter what the flea market guy is doing - my customers aren't
looking at his pieces.

But Chevy isn't making and selling a clone of a Lexus. That's the whole
starting point for this discussion. Copying someone else's work.
Ellsworth drew a distinction when the copies are put up for sale. In
effect, copying is OK for skill-building and personal enjoyment. Copying
to make sales is unethical. Many of these imitators don't charge prices
comparable to the creator's prices and are not only using someone else's
design and ideas but may be pulling sales from them as well.

By the time someone has the skill to compete w/me, he's going to have an
idea of his skill level and what his work is worth. Until then, he
really isn't competition. Just like I'm not any competition to John
Jordan or David Ellsworth. I'm just not that good.

I say let the market decide. If someone is undercutting another to the
point that the latter can't earn what they think they need to, then they
need to redirect their marketing efforts in a new direction. If there
is no market for their turnings, then the market has decided.

I think the effect will be that turners with unique designs and
techniques will no longer feel they want to share with others. The
market for turning seems fairly small - why show others how to make what
you make so they can copy you and potentially take away sales? Consider
that this phenomenon of wide-spread sharing only goes back 25 years or
so. I have heard and read many times that the turning community appears
to be unique in that successful turners are so willing to give of
themselves so that others may learn. Will imitation to make sales bring
about the demise of the open community?

--
"Sure we'll have fascism in America, but it'll come disguised
as 100% Americanism." -- Huey P. Long