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Posted by Jim on October 15, 2007, 2:54 pm
Please log in for more thread options Sadly, thou art correct....
Twenty years ago I bought whole sheets of stamps for my kid's college
fund, figgering mint condition sheets of old stamps would really appreciate,
since stamp collecting is the biggest hobby in the world. BUT! Now all
anyone wants is the little blocks of four stamps at the corners of printing
plates. I cannot get even face value for them, except for Elvis stamps.
As for glass, I saw a nice foiled lampshade today for $24.50.... <sigh>
> Been doing stained glass now for 27 years, primarily for my own
> enjoyment. I've given up trying to convince people my panels and lamps
> were a whole different creature from the $89 lamps they see in
> Wlamrt/Kmart and other *fine* shopping and art establishments. Ergo I
> build for my own enjoyment and couldn't care less whether any of my
> pieces sell or not.
>
> Was at my local glass shop the other day and got into an interesting
> conversation with the owner. I mentioned the fact that I was
> considering dropping most of my magazine subscriptions due to the fact
> traditional stained glass articles don't frequent thier pages much
> anymore. Magazine editiorial content shifts with the times, and seems
> more focused on fusing, slumping, beading and mosiacs.
>
> The shop owner mentioned the same shift of focus in the business, most
> of the store classes involved in beading, fusing etc. have been booked
> full for months, but the introductory foil class has a mere 3
> students, and the introductory lead class was cancelled after only 1
> student showed an interest.
>
> I understand the fact that business has to change to keep up with th
> trends. I'm kinda curious though, are business ie) store fronts and
> magazines, leading the change to fusing, beading etc, to generate new
> income, or are they like the rest of us, running along trying to
> catch the hind teat?
>
> We generally concluded that people today generally do not have the
> time to dedicate to learning an art/craft and want a pastime with
> quick results. They just don't have the time or patience to cut and
> foil or lead for weeks before seeing the finished product. Much
> easier to throw some scrap and frit into a mould, turn on the
> automatic kiln controller, and viola, 6-8 hours later a finished
> piece.
>
> I guess craft trends tend to surge and wane. ten years ago you
> couldn't walk down the street without tripping over a pottery shop.
> Now they're few and far between. It leaves me kind of wondering if
> stained glass art, (as I define it, requires the use of lead) is a
> dying trend.
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