I Wonder What People Are Thinking

when they come into a selling site forum and ask people how to make the things they sell, because ostensibly, they want to make it themselves for a gift.  They email specifically the people that make these items and expect them to just give them that information?  And they wonder why no one responds to their query?  Really?

Do these people not understand that Etsy, although a great community (at times, and under some circumstances) but it is a SELLING site, and most shops are in the business to make money off their creations.  Whether they are selling for pennies to replenish their craft supplies, or they need to live off the profits, I don't think anyone purposely is there to sell at a loss.  And as helpful as people can be toward one another, I believe there is a line in the sand you just shouldn't cross.

And where does the mentality come in that people think they can just pick up a given craft and with a few instructions and little to no practice, produce a pleasing and quality product?  Most crafters have worked long and hard developing their techniques and establishing a skill base upon which to build.  People dabble in other mediums, this is most apparent when perusing the jewelry category when you notice crocheters and paper crafters, and others whose main craft is totally unrelated to jewelry, making simple bead earrings by the boatload.  But, they excel in a particular area, mostly because of the time they've put into it,.

Think about it this way.  You have 2 people who know how to remove a gallbladder.  One is a surgeon who specializes in it, the other a lawyer who took a class and learned how to do it.  (aside from the fantasy and lack of legalities in this scenario)  which one would you want performing your surgery?  The surgeon, who has spent years not only learning how to take out organs, but what to do if other organs fail while they're doing it.  They are trained to recognize things that may not belong (like tumors), and they are capable of treating you for other things afterwards.  Now, the lawyer may be very skilled at that one task, removing a gallbladder.  He may have had several successful operations.  But he is not equipped to handle a situation if you should go into cardiac arrest on the table.  He doesn't have the experience built upon years of learning and honing his craft.  And there's the difference.

There's a difference between someone asking about a certain aspect of a craft they they've been trying, but not getting, and someone who wants it all laid out in a neat, pretty package with all the work done by someone else.

But I keep wondering what it is about Etsy that gives people the impression that we crafters and artists, who are trying to sell our things, will just hand over our suppliers, techniques and 'how-to's' to anyone who asks?