"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.com...
On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 22:05:21 +0100, Mary Fisher wrote:

It's a specialised market, not a site which is of any interest to
people who don't know what the stuff is all about, those who do know
what it's about know what things look like :-)

The sewing stuff yes but bone/wooden combs? I can see that being of
interest to many people who may like to see before they buy.

I doubt it, we've never yet sold one to an OMP even when they've been able
to see and handle them. They really are very specialised.

As for dipped candles thats a mass market item.

horror!)

Not beeswax ones and a dipped candle is a dipped candle. To make people want
them who don't know them they have to be able to feel the silky smoothness
and smell the delightful aroma. The special property of my candles is their
burning quality and no still picture can express that.

OK you say (here)
you'll send pictures to anyone who asks but I didn't see that on your
site

The penultimate sentence on the 'policy' page says it.

and it's making your potential buyer jump through a hoop that
other sites don't.

Ah, but how many other sites in UK - or anywhere - offer what we do? When
you're unique and people have been searching for what you offer they'll jump
through any hoop - and enjoy it. We're not talking about impulse buying
here.

In truth there IS another UK site which offers needles, pins and hooks and
eyes and shows pictures of them. They are far more expensive than in our
list - and they are made by us - we sell them to that supplier (a great
friend) at the price in our list. See www.chimera-costumes.co.uk :-)

Which one are they most likely to buy from the one
where they can see the product or the one where they can't...

In the above case they have the choice of paying more for what they can see
(and we have exactly the same return but in advance) or paying less and
trusting us. We have a reputation to maintain, it's a very good reputation.

A second look shows that you are into authentic reproduction for your
articals, but remember many people may find your site from a google
search, indeed guess who has the first two hits from "beeswax
candlemaker"...

No idea - but I suspect it's a US company which doesn't specialise in period
candles.

And we have sent them to USA, despite telling enquirers that they can get
similar ones there or make their own. I even send instructions, free, on
line. They still order ours - because of our reputation.

Some things are more important than bulk sales. We're too old to want to
expand and have to employ people and have all our time taken by our hobby.
Gini at Chimera is like that and while she loves what she does she's worn to
a frazzle and has lots of outworkers, that's not for us.

We're also control freaks, we need to know that what we offer is absolutely
our own work :-))))))))

Mary

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail