It Happened to ME!!!!!

[jillsy]

So, I'm minding my own business while browsing hand carved Santas on Ebay. I haven't posted any in a while and was wondering what was selling. Imagine my jaw dropping to the ground when I see two of MY Santas being sold as "One of a Kind Originals"!

At first, I thought the woman who bought this pair of Santa kissing Mrs. Claus on Oct. 8th decided she didn't want them and was reposting them. (which was weird because she said she loved them). Then, when I got into it, it wasn't her at all. Some jerk took my EXACT patterns, made them into pins, and is calling them his originals.

Now, I'm not talking there are similarities, I'm talking my exact patterns - even my mistake!! I was originally going to have Santa's belt wrapping all the way around his belly, then made a mistake while carving and didn't carve it long enough. I salvaged it by making it look like Santa's belt is hanging over the belt.

The only difference is he made his into pins, while mine are figures. And his paint job stinks! He's making my Santas look bad!

What gets me mad is just what some of the other carvers on here have complained about. It's not so much that he's using my pattern, but he's calling it his one of a kind original. And he mentions how he's "self taught" and has multiple award winning carvings. Yeah, I guess it'd be easy when you're copying someone else's work!

Also, it's not fair to the person who bought mine who paid for having something unique and different. And it's not fair to anyone who bids on these pins thinking they're getting an original.

And another thing...while I'm venting...some of you may remember that I'm in the middle of a trade with a woman who's giving me 300 little wind-up toys for 30 carvings. Well, 20 of them are this set of Santas. While carving so many of them, I've really had fun adding more details, especially to Mrs. Claus' dress and aprons. I was thinking of possibly posting a different set on Ebay once the trade was over, with newer details and such. Now with this joker posting my Santas, I don't want to associate mine with his. So, I don't want to post my Santas because he is!

If anyone's interested in making sure I'm not being trivial, you can go into Ebay, Advanced Search write the item number 140035436769 and check "Completed Listing Only". This will bring up the Santas I sold in Oct. You can compare them to whats being sold now from stonedragon44 as "OOAK Hand Carved Wood Santa Pin" and "OOAK Hand Carved Wood Mrs. Santa Pin". My sister brought both up on the computer so she could compare them side by side and couldn't believe this guy did this.

I can't get over the nerve! (although I have to admit a bit of me is alittle, teeny bit flattered!) I'm not even angry as I write this...more like flabergasted at someone's audacity!

I can really feel for those who have written about this topic lately. Mine is just alittle Ebay auction. I can't imagine opening up a magazine to see someone taking first place for someone else's "original" carving!

*whew* I feel better now. Thanks for letting me vent! Oh yeah, I DID report him to Ebay. Not sure if they'll do anything, but it felt good anyway.

Oh, and if that carver happens to browse this site - Shame on you!

Jillsy

[Blake Lunsford]

Jillsy,

I think I would be mad too! I too a look at both and you can clearly tell that they are the exact same pattern....and you're right, his painting is aweful! Feel pride that you created something original. No, Ebay probably will not do anything about it, but at least you have voiced your concern. I agree, I am always a little skeptical about e-bay...although I have purchased and sold some things on there. Go get them girl! I'm sure you have 500+ people from this site that will back you on this one!

Blake

[Thomp]

Jillsy,

Keeping people from using your pattern,
some variations in your picture taking might help you conserve your pattern to some degree.. is all you can do.

by taking pictures full frontal and full side view flat or squair to the camera your providing a resizable pattern to the viewers, and jerks that will take them without your permission.
heck i download lots of pictures for ideas, but i dont sell the items i make, i wouldnt have the nerve to especally right out in front of you where your selling your wares... i f i did try sales it would be localy where it wouldnt effect anybody on this board... but i dont sell my items so dont worry...

if you never take a photo of your work at 90* degreese to the camera you will protect your pattern to some degree, by taking 30-45* degree angled away from the camera. it is very difficult to make a pattern from a picture of this type.

it causes one side to be littler than the other and screws up all the symertary
never take all 4 sides of subject and post them, becuse they could be simply put togather again... post 2 one front right and one right front dont give them the left or rear...

some folks are going to use what sells best maybe simply from not understanding how some folks think about their art.. then some folks dont care ither way...
your skilled enough to vary your carvings a little so your pattern changes and evolves, dont let this get your goat,, just get better and dont give it away...

you know When viewing images on the internet, that are produced on your screen when visiting web pages the images are actualy downloaded to inside your computer internet files cache anyone can just go there and retrieve the photos even if you lock the right click on your postings... in picasa or pictree or other web albums. so you cant stop folks from having images of your wares, just dont make it easy on them... if a prospective customer needs a better picture you can email it to them without giving it to the world

On ebay there is options about the sellers percentages of satisfied customers to dis satisfied customers called sellers ratings,
dont know if you have to buy his wares to make a complaint, but too many complaints will knock him off ebay or detour his customers.

couple thoughts
spellcheck broken

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Anytime you publish a photo of your work you open the door to others so you really shouldn't be surprised when you see your work reproduced. Sad to say but that's just the way it is.

Now, coming at it from the opposite direction, I'm glad people copy my work. I encourage it! Please.....copy me! Need help with a certain technique that I use that will help you in your copying? Please.....just ask and I'll try to explain it more fully.

I accepted long ago that I will never be another Rembrandt, a Remington, a Charlie Russell. I'm stuck with just plain old Lynn Doughty. So if someone, anyone for that matter, feels that my work is good enough to try to reproduce I'm flattered. Now, that doesn't mean that someone can start publishing my designs for sale. That's an entirely different matter. But if an individual wants to sell something he or she did based on one of my pieces I hope they get enough to encourage them to do another copy!

[jillsy]

Thanks for your responses; I appreciate your viewpoints.

The only REAL problem I have with this is that this seller is claiming them as "One of A Kind Originals." Plus, he's selling them on the very site where I sell mine. And it was just a month ago I sold these! The nerve is incredible.

Tom, good idea with taking pictures; I'll try that next time I decide to post!

Thanks again guys, it's good to get others ideas and empathy!

Jillsy

[AlArchie]

Lynn, I don't know about Rembrandt, but you are right up there with the best of them in western caricature! And sharing your tricks and techniques is a special gift to all us aspiring carvers. And another thanks from me.

Jillsy, it looks like eBay has removed that offending set of carvings......at least I could not find it among that guy's other carvings nor under the search topics of Santas in any form.

Al

[jillsy]

AL! You're right! I just went in and couldn't find it either. I never got a response from Ebay, but it looks like they took it down. I feel so vindicated! Little guy - 1, Establishment - 999,999,999!

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

maybe the offender is here on this forum? I would hope not......but you never know?Cowboy

[woody01]

Jillsy,
It happened to me also. Some guy used the Nov-Dec 2005 issue of Chip Chats front & back cover pictures to copy my Santas. He didn't change a thing, not even the colors. It just happens to be for sale at the gallery I used when I was selling. Some friends that sell at that gallery took pictures to show me.I feel the same way Lynn feels about this subject. I must admit it was a shock to see it happen.

Woody01

[Ashbys]

Jillsy

I can only tell you it wasn't me ! Ice Cream