Musings from an overworked translator

A customer wanted to purchase a beautiful Wire Wrap Bracelet and spotted an artist who did absolutely amazing work, but she charged a good price too. The customer thought that the artist’s price was way too high so she approached the artist and in quite a brisk fashion stated “I want to buy a Bracelet from you, but I think you charge too much.” The artist was a little taken aback but replied, “Ok, how much do you think I should charge?” The customer replied “I think you should charge “X” much, because the wire will cost this much, and the clasp this much, and the cabochon this much. I even factored in the price of your pliers.”

The final price the customer had calculated was a lot cheaper than the artist’s original price, but she said “Ok, deal. You will get your goods in a week”. The customer was very pleased with herself and can’t resist telling all her friends what a fabulous deal she has negotiated and how smart she is, and that in a week she will have her gorgeous bracelet.

A week later her parcel arrives in a lovely packaged box. She opens it and inside is Wire, a Clasp, a Cabochon, and 2 sets of Pliers. Angrily she contacts the artist asking “How could you do this to me? I asked you for a Bracelet and you sent me a box of Wire, a Clasp, a Cabochon and 2 sets of Pliers?!?!”   The artist quietly replies “My dear, you got exactly what you paid for, if you think there is something missing, then you will need to pay for it.”

Moral of the story, when you buy handmade you are not just buying the materials you are buying the artist’s time, effort, love and dedication that goes into making your pieces.