"Looks like you could buy it in a store.."

[Kevin McPeek]

I have heard that comment a few times now and I'm not sure how to take it. I know it's meant as a compliment, so I take it as one, but I'm not sure I want to make stuff that looks like it could have came from Macy's or something. Also I'm thinking that if it looks liek it came from a store people are more likely to compasison shop for prices. Yeah, I know it is two totally different things, and you[I] hope that people see/know the difference.

What do you guys think? Has anyone ever said that to you?

[Mark Pruitt]

No one has said that to me....which could mean (1) my stuff is way, way too ugly to be spoken of so well, (2) my stuff is way, way too nice to be spoken of so poorly, or (3) my family & friends are way, way too smart to say such a thing. Dunno which is true.:confused: :rolleyes:

[William Bachtel]

If they say it to me, I'll say get your @$$ down to Walmart.

[Curt Fuller]

I had to chuckle when I read this post because I've had similar things said about my work. One of my favorite comments came from my Mom when I showed her a nice Hollow Form I had done. She said "That's really pretty, what is it?" And I alway like the "What do you use it for" question. I think that's probably one of the keys to why it can be so hard to sell your work. Most people either don't know what it is or they don't know what to use it for. And I can relate to that myself because I've alway been the conservative (cheap) type that has to know what it is and what it's for before I'm going to open up my wallet. Then if you throw in the "it looks like something you could buy at the store" perspective you've probably included the consumer that will burn up a tank of gas shopping every store in the county for a $10 dollar savings. But in the end I think you have to take it as a compliment if they took the time to look it over and comment on it at all.

[Dario Octaviano]

Kevin,

It could go both ways...it is wiser to always take it as a compliment though (if you can).

Don't sweat the little things. You know you do good job...just enjoy turning and don't let anyone spoil it for you. :)

[Ralph Dobbertin]

I hate it when they say "it's not brown enough".

[John Hart]

I suggest that you take it as a compliment...because, chances are, it was meant that way. There are so many people who regard store-bought as being synonomous with "quality". Narrow view perhaps, but a compliment nonetheless.

My favorite is , "you made this?!!!!"

[Travis Stinson]

I bit my tongue so hard it bled when I was asked at a show "You imported all these?" :rolleyes:

[Bernie Weishapl]

Take is as a compliment. My favorite is "you made this! How'd you do that."

[Kevin McPeek]

Kind of a mixed bag so far.

One of the people that said this to me was saying it as they were opening up their wallet to buy a cigar pen, so it couldn't have been meant too badly. I've had people ask me to make a salad bowl set for them and when I gave them an estimate on how much it would be they said they could go buy it for less and I politely as I could told them that maybe they should.

Its funny when you have a log sitting there and people ask what you're going to do with it and you tell them you are going to make a few bowls from it. They sort of give you that look like they are waiting for the punch line. I tried to explain how I did a NE bowl and I even had the other half of the log there and they still couldn't figure it out.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I really think it's meant as a compliment!

[Dan Faux]

How do you respond when someone states " I thought it was made of plastic" This was after handling what I thought was the best bowl I had ever made so maybe it was a compliment that the finish was so good. I didn't ask him to quantify his comment. Perhaps I was afraid of what he might say (I sometimes have a very short fuse).
Dan

[Rick Levine]

I'm not sure how I'd take that kind of comment. I've been a photographer for over 40 years and I can't tell you how many times I've heard the comment "That looks just like a painting" or "It's good enough to be a painting" as if photography isn't worthy to be considered art by itself. Now that I'm doing woodworking also I guess I have that to look forward to as well! :eek:

[Justin James]

How do you respond when someone states " I thought it was made of plastic" This was after handling what I thought was the best bowl I had ever made so maybe it was a compliment that the finish was so good. I didn't ask him to quantify his comment. Perhaps I was afraid of what he might say (I sometimes have a very short fuse).
Dan

Take the lip of the bowl in either hand. Smash the bowl on a convenient surface, and hand the person the pieces, saying, "No, its wood. See?"

(Harsh? Perhaps. But if you did it once you can do it again, right?)

[Tom Sontag]

I have been in similar situations to those mentioned.

Combining several philosophies helps:
1 - don't sweat the small stuff.
2 - comments from unknowing people just aren't worth much to us, even when they are glowing comments. It is ourselves and those who understand what we do and why that give us meaningful feedback. I don't mean to say that the wide eyed wonder of some neighborhood kid can't please us; it is just not the same as the way that the praise of our peers move us.
3 - if you lose your cool, you lose. There just isn't anything a stranger can say that is worth blowing up for. I once admired a curvy bookcase shown in an art fair woodworker's portfolio and said it was a good idea for a sweepy set of cherry boards I had. His wife got all defensive and suggested I owed them something for the design it sounded like I wanted to 'copy'. Sheesh, I was just being nice! Adios.
4 - if you put it out for comment, expect any kind.

[Jonathon Spafford]

Simply walk them over to your lathe, chuck up a blank, hand them a gouge and say, "Be my guest!"

[Glenn Hodges]

Someone asked me how I made a hollowform, and I replied, "It takes a crooked man with a crooked tool."

[Art Mulder]

Folks, it's the same in any handcraft/art field.

I remember my mother having the same struggles 20+ years ago. She was trained as a tailor in Holland where she grew up, before emigrating to Canada as a young woman. When I was growing up she was happy to be a stay-at-home mom, and confined her sewing to stuff for herself and the family.

She also used to be bothered when someone would look at a shirt or dress or suit that she had made and say "it looks good enough to be in a store." she told me how she had to learn to take it as the compliment that it was intended to be.

Of course, the truth was that anything my mom made was far superior in quality to the clothes you can buy in a store, and often was of a design that you simply couldn't get in a store.

And the same is true of the custom woodworking that we do.

[Tim Brooks]

Simply put--

The glass is half full.

It is all a matter of perspective. Yes, we want to be told our work is really good, awesome, and/or unbelievable because it is a “work of love”. We love turning out a quality product. What I always remind myself of before I show anyone anything I make is: "they don't have the time invested in it to love it the way I do". My perspective is maintained and their response doesn't cut quite so deep, if it is contrary to what I expected. It works in almost every instance. It is only the ones closest to us that can hurt us as we have let them into our most meaningful circles. And those are the people we can usually depend on to give an honest opinion. Sometimes honesty is painful.

That is my .02 worth.

[Paul Engle]

After reading some of the above I had to laugh, one lady in my office, upon seeing a vase I made in spalted birch asked me if I used a mold.... now don't laugh ( no pun intended), it was funny tho. I explained to her the process and she
oh'd and aw'd for about 10 seconds... so there ya go, it is a matter of educating the public maybe that causes some of the comments that make us shake our collective heads. So a good way to educate these people is to keep turning and showing ...... remember the artist in us see what could be not what is...

[Scott Loven]

I made a wood fire in the fire place the other day and my son said; "Wow, that looks as good as a gas fire!"
Scott

[Bernie Weishapl]

I think my granddad said it best before he died. I made a jewelery box a few years ago. It was the best woodworking I had done. I was so proud of it. I had a guy tell me he thought it was plastic and almost looked like the one at Wal-Mart. His wife said I didn't know you could make things like that. I think it's like my granddad said, in this day and age of the Super Wal-Marts, Super Targets, etc. a lot of people don't have a clue. That is all they know. So granddad said don't take offense because he said they don't know or have a clue. He said most of them have never had a tool in their hand or made anything in their life and when they say to me, "

IMHO he is right. I don't even think about the comments any more.

[Ron Sardo]

I'm not sure how I'd take that kind of comment. I've been a photographer for over 40 years and I can't tell you how many times I've heard the comment "That looks just like a painting" or "It's good enough to be a painting" as if photography isn't worthy to be considered art by itself. Now that I'm doing woodworking also I guess I have that to look forward to as well! :eek:

My favorite (not) is "It looks like a post card!"

[Ron Raymond]

Me (handing my very first pen to LOML): "Well?"

LOML: "That's nice. How'd you get it so smooth?"

Me (tongue firmly in check): "I'm good."

LOML: "No...really...how'd you make this?"

Now I just ask the kids for their opinions.:D

[Neal Addy]

I made a wood fire in the fire place the other day and my son said; "Wow, that looks as good as a gas fire!"
Scott
ROTFL! That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time!

Thanks for the giggle.

[Stephen Hibbs]

With pens, I take it as a compliment since it means I got a good fit and finish (I'm still fairly new at them). But with small carvings and my bowls, I usually get the "you made this??" and then the, "is it wood??". The first doesn't surprise me since it's not that common and it seems amazing if you've never seen a lathe, but the second makes me try not to laugh.

I would take it as a compliment though, unless they're comparing it to some of those wooden bowls that are sold for a mint that are 2" thick with tearout you wouldn't believe. How do they sell those?