| Q-1: When
and how did you start to make crafts from flatware?
|
A-1:
I started making spoonhandle rings in the summer of 1971
after I had seen one in a shop in Seattle, where I was living
at the time. After selling a few at a garage sale, I continued
by going to flea markets in the Salem, Oregon area. Since June
of 1974, I've been selling every weekend at the Portland Saturday
Market, a large outdoor craft market (open Saturday and Sunday,
March thru Christmas) in Portland, Oregon.
 |
| Q-2: What
material is used to make the spooncrafts? |
A-2: I
create most of my crafts from silverplated flatware. Its beautiful
finish and malleability make it ideal for my creations. Solid
brass, which is the metal often beneath silverplate, and some
stainless steel are used. If you happen to visit our booth at
the Portland Saturday Market, you can also see a selection of
sterling silver jewelry. |
| Q-3: Where
do you get your silverware? |
A-3: Some
I buy from people who frequent my booth at Portland Saturday
Market or other craft fairs. Also, friends who have second-hand
stores and antique shops save up flatware for me to purchase
on a regular basis. And, for the past several years, I have
been fortunate to receive scrap and seconds from a major silverware
manufacturer. All of my brass is acquired in this way. Much
of the curled fork jewelry is from new silverware. |
| Q-4: Do
you make all the spooncrafts yourself? |
A-4: Mostly.
Our children and some of their friends helped a lot as they
were growing up. Now that they are grown, it is just my wife,
myself, and one of the kids who came to help one summer, and
has stayed for the last 12 years. |
| Q-5: I
have old family silverware. Can you make something for me from
them? |
A-5: Yes,
I do this often. We have over 30 years experience crafting silverware,
but sometimes it does strange things. We will treat yours with
the utmost care, but cannot guarantee it won't break, chip,
or crack. We charge 50% more than our catalog price for an item
made with your silverware, due to the extra time it will take.
For more information, give us a call or see us at a fair. |
| Q-6: I've
seen crafts like yours in other parts of the country. Are they
yours? |
A-6:
Possibly. Our crafts have been featured in several national
magazines and have been seen on network television. Although
I don't have a corner on the spooncraft market, my crafts are
sold to shops throughout the United States. Spoonman Creations
gives a quantity discount to those shops who register with us.
If you want more information, give me a call and I'll send you
our resale packet. |
| Q-7: Is
my personal information safe with you? |
A-7:
Yes, we do not rent, sell, or give away the names on our mailing
list. If you call us, our phone recorder is in a secure location
and it is safe to leave your information on it. Your credit
card number is only used for the products ordered and not kept
on file. We treat your personal information with the respect
we would want others to treat ours. |
| Q-8: How
fast can I expect to receive my order? |
A-8:
We will ship within a week. Most items we have in stock or can
be made within a couple of days. We use UPS as our normal shipping
agent. They need a street address to deliver and can take 8
business days to reach the east coast from here(the great north
wet!). We can ship it 3 day or by air, but it will cost you
a bit more. It gets rather hectic around Halloween and Christmas,
so please plan ahead. |
| Q-9: How
do I get on your mailing list? |
A-9:
Call, write, or email us and we will be glad to send you a current
catalog and let you know if we are doing a craft fair in your
area. |
| Q-10: Your
jewelry looks so bright. What kind of polish do you use?
|
A-10: I
use a process called mass finishing. It involves tumbling parts
in a barrel with small steel beads. It's similar to, though
not exactly like, rock tumbling. Any silver polish will keep
your Spoonman Jewelry bright and shiny. The chimes, when hung
outside will often get pitted and coated with air pollution.
It doesn't affect the sound. Nothing will clean it up very well.
We call it 'character'.
|
| Q-11:
How many pieces of silverware do you use in a year? |
A-11:
We usually cut up and use between 40,000 and 60,000 pieces
of flatware yearly.  |
| Q-12:
Can I sell you my flatware? |
A-12:
We are always buying non-magnetic silverware, both silverplated
and stainless steel (no zinc please). We currently pay $0.30
each for stainless steel and $0.40 each for silverplate. If
you are in the area of one of our fairs bring them by, or give
us a call for shipping info. |
| Q-13:
How do I get a catalog? |
A-13:
Call, FAX, or email your request. It will be mailed on the
next postal run. We only print the catalog once a year (in March)
and will do a mass mailing of all names on our list who have
bought or requested a catalog within the last year. For those
on our list who have bought in the year before that, we will
send a postcard reminder that the new catalog is ready. |
| Q-14:
I really like your stuff. But I'm having trouble copying it.
Will you help? |
A-14:
We've been creating our products, learning tricks and and
refining our skills for 30 years. Call us after you've tried
for 30 years. We'll compare notes. |
| Q-15:
: What kind of drugs are you on when you dream these things
up? |
A-15:
We do this instead of drugs. It is a type of therapy. |
