someone comes into your booth and picks up item after item to see how it is made?

I can ALWAYS tell when it is another glass artist. I had one person show up at the same show in her own booth with exactly my designs for sale at lower price points. When I told her that her things looked very familiar she actually said to me that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

That did not feel good.

Met a jeweler last week who says she tells suspect people to leave her booth immediately. Somehow that seems harsh.

What do you do?

as a new crafter i'm very curious as to what others will say to this............i'm sure some are there with similar things just coincidentally......reminds me of a quote about writers dealing with the similar issue intheir world.....paraphrasing here.........everything that can be said has been already???........but i do know that there are people out there who can't seem to come up with an original idea and just have to piggyback on those already 'doing' it............
here's my part of this.........we started making these more utilitarian baskets than art ones this past winter ......have been growing flowers and selling them around our state for 10-12 years now to florists very succesfully.....one of our better florists one day bemoaned that he was losing his provider of these baskets he developed into his signature thing.........the couple were aging out....wouldn't we be interested in doing them??.....we thought about it......prayed on it...talked about it.finaly after visiting the elder couple decided to buy their business and do the baskets......initially for the one florist wholesale but eventually as WE aged and couldn't do our more intense flowers.(it's farming folks)....we would hopefully be able to get more into baskets in more of a retail fashioin still possibly providing them to the florist as a favor but not wanting to wholesale them in possible as there is a lot of time spent in them....and not enuff return..........long story short.....we have been on here reading.....going to trade craft fairs.....talking to others.....all the while making and beginning to evolve eht basic basket designs into our own.....still pretty basic baskets tho.........
we went to a show....one of the gilmore promoted ones in state.....(nc)....and saw there was one basket lady and tried to be respectful of her position.............after a little nice talk she finds out we are not a pure basket making team..........we are not totally weaving ....but using particleboard bases and stapling pine uprights to them THEN weaving...............not a classic artform for sure........admittedly.........but we found her attitude to be a bit rude after taht..............and it reminded me of when we first got into flwoers...............and how one florist we approached pointedly remarked at how we were one of 'those people'...............meaning i spose that we were little growers...........nto serious??......i can only say at this point.............that now...........ten + years down the road............our flwoers go to the best florists in the state....(not at all to her btw....laffs)..............and are often used in all the four and five star places and events in our reach.....................
moral of this is i guess........do what you do...........if it's basic........make it yours.................add your flair........................and don't worry about those who immitate......i've found that those who are serious about their craft/art........will prevail in the long run..............but you ahve to do it for you.........not to be better tahn them................don't play their game................as i tell the young people who help us with the flowers........be the best you you can be and let the rest be..............let it all come to you...when it will........it will be better.....and all you..........be well........
we are going to our first ever 'fair' this next weekend..........it's going to cost us $10...........is about 10 miles from home...........we have a new shiny tent and tables..........not made our shelving for display yet.............and it may well rain..............but we will be two happy idiots .............onward thru the fog...........laffs......gary

Thx for your reply, Sunrisebaskets.

"Originality" and "buy/sell" are difficult issues as I have noticed that they have been hashed and rehashed in the pages of SA.

Your advice to "make things my own" is good, and it is what I try to do. The mind is always working trying to come up with new ideas.

Just wanted to wish you the best in your new endeavors. If you are selling to all the florists in the state of North Carolina you must be doing something right!

There used to be an exhibitor with the following sign in his booth:

"Attention fellow artists. I have the copyright on my designs and a pitbull of a lawyer!"

When he saw someone trying to figure out his work he pointed out his sign.

He also had a sticker on every piece saying Copyright (his name) and the year he made it.
Copyright 2010 Joe Artist

Were his pieces actually copyrighted? I dunno. But either did anybody else.

So if you see the imitator in your booth, you now say all your work is copyrighted and you WILL take her to court if necessary. Sometimes all you need to do is a little bluffing.