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Pijangibears Sep 3, 2006

I wonder - are there anybody in the advertisinggroup, who
got some feed back from collectors or others.
I am not counting the lady, who want photos.  :photo:
I am looking forward to hear from you.

I haven't heard a thing. 

Pijangibears Sep 4, 2006

Hasn't anyone got some feed back?  :pray:   

bearlyart Sep 4, 2006

Yes, I've had several people make contact from both the Teddy Talk issue ad and an ad I took out in the previous issue.  They all want to see our updated web site, so I've been slaving away to get it finished, LOL!  We were lucky, none of the individuals who contacted us was the "infamous picture lady".

Best wishes,
Kelly

All Bear Sep 4, 2006

One lovely lady emailed me and mentioned she was contacting me as a direct result of the TB&F ad ... the hits on my website increased ... trouble is, not everyone remembers to say how they've found you!

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorSep 4, 2006

We were lucky, none of the individuals who contacted us was the "infamous picture lady".

Best wishes,
Kelly

Speaking of, I got ANOTHER call from her on Saturday.  That's four calls within a month.  I'm going to ask her what she does with all the photos she requests from artists the next time she calls.              

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorSep 4, 2006

Well, I didn't have to wait very long to ask Margaret what she does with the photos . . . I just hung up from talking to her.  Now because I have a pretty severe hearing disability, I may not have heard her correctly - but I was talking on my "bone phone" (a special telephone for the hearing impaired) and this is what I concluded from our conversation.  She asked me about the photos and I then asked her what she does with them.  She said I'm calling to see if you have put them in the mail yet.  I said I had not mailed any, that I was having computer problems and again asked her what she wanted the photos for.  THEN, ladies and gents, she said it was not in my best interests to be rude to her and she was reporting me to Teddy Bear and Friends!  Then she hung up on me again.  Say what???  Really, I wasn't rude to her . . . I just asked her why she wanted the photos.  Mindy - if she actually does contact TB&F, that's my side of the story!                  

kassiebears Sep 4, 2006

Hi Sue Ann  ,

I don't know this "infamous picture lady", but I think she is the rude one. If you hang up on someone that is being rude.  :crackup: Some people need to go to obedient school.

whos' pictures does she want? Sounds kinda fishy to me. hhmmmm?

hugs kassie

Eileen Sep 4, 2006

:crackup: How weird, Sue Ann--maybe she's using the pix to wallpaper her kitchen?

:dance: I've sold enough from the ad I placed in the Sept/Oct TB&F to pay for that ad and most of another ad in the Nov/Dec issue . . . I'm very pleased with the result!

bearlyart Sep 4, 2006

Good grief, somebody needs her telephone privileges revoked!  (Not you, Sue Ann!)   

I can't remember from the last conversation, but has this lady ever actually bought a bear from anybody that she demands photos from?

I wonder if it would help to tell her that you can only send photos out for a nominal fee to offset the cost of ink, postage and such.  The fee could be reimbursed with the purchase of the first bear.  But I bet with someone like this, as soon as you mention needing a payment of some sort, she just disappears instead...  Well, maybe.

Good luck with her!
Kelly

Dilu Sep 5, 2006

How funny you all are.....

I think she is studying the piccys to see if she can either reproduce on her own or farm out work to China and flood the market with little Sue Ann and Birgitte bears.....hmmmmm

Me thinks she has a guilty conscience......

:crackup:

Daphne Sep 5, 2006

I got a call from her again today too! Thank goodness I wasn't home!!! She clearly stated that she couldn't give out her phone number but was sure to repeat her address 3 times to me and then abruptly hung up.

I've learned a couple of things about her.... she lives with her mother, we know she's 42 as her date of birth has been shared here, and apparently she's not supposed to make long distance phone calls. Her mother has been spoken to in the past about her calling artists. So my questions: does she know about caller ID and does her mother see the phone bill??????

Kelly, I was just thinking today that a fee is justly in order!!! You send me ___ dollars and THEN I'll send you the photos.

The sympathetic side of me wants to think that perhaps she can't afford artist bears so collects the PHOTOS instead. The skeptic in me can't come up with a sinister reason but I'm sure there are oodles. Has anybody Googles her? I'll have to go do that. Just because she doesn't have a computer.........

She's doing good book keeping..... keeping track of those she's called whom she hasn't received photos from. This is definitely a serious business for her. 

As for my TB&F ad this issue.... not a peep. Could say something about my ad??? I dunno!

chrissibrinkley Sep 5, 2006

After hearing all of this additional info, my guess is she's impaired in some fashion.  If she's 42, living at home, not allowed to give out her phone number (her mother's been involved in the past), repeats things like her birthday and address, is habitual about calls and then makes childish toned "threats" that really sound silly to us...sounds like she may just have special needs or a disorder of some type.  If she's latched onto collecting something, the photos may be her outlet (like a baseball card )...could be driving her in some fashion. (??) 
Since it's becoming annoying I think you can have her number blocked from your phone.  I believe it's a service similar to *69...the info may be in the front of the phone book.  GOOD LUCK!!!

:hug:
~Chrissi

rkr4cds Sep 5, 2006

Does this person have a double first name, with M B being the initials? I was hounded for years and she finally gave up.
She was definitely developmentally challenged. The rest of her profile fits, too.

Daphne Sep 5, 2006

Margaret Daniel (her name has been stated on here before so I figured it's alright :redface: )

edie Sep 5, 2006

Daphne, I'm glad to hear that I am not the only one who hasn't heard boo regarding my ad in the TT section. Of course I don't have a web site but I did give my email address. I was rather proud of how my ad looked but who knows???

Jare Hares & Bears Sep 5, 2006

HA HA HA AHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes we get calls from her on a regular basis.
She just called right before Expo and asked for new pictures.
I don't think that she ever buys anything from anyone.
She calls several times and then doesn't call for awhile.  Kinda like the directions on the shampoo bottle. Wash, rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat...
I know she lives here in IL, I have her number on my CID... But somehow I don't think it is polite to post that information.

She has since called atleast 3 more times asking for pictures.
Mom sent her our pictures in the Spring 2 times.
I know that she just sent her stuff last week or the week before.

When I see that on the CID I leave it for the answering machine.
She did leave the strangest message on the answering machine the other day...
I could barely understand her... something about my wife... and pictures...
I figured out that she meant mom...

Sue Ann -
You were brave!   You know you might just lose your subscription to Teddy Bear & Friends for a year for being so mean. You must be nice to the collectors. :crackup:
But I'll still stand by you.  :thumbsup:
:hug:  :hug:

Jare Hares & Bears Sep 5, 2006

I am not counting the lady, who want photos.  :photo:

Did she call you?

Pijangibears Sep 5, 2006

Hi Jare

No - I haven't my phonenumber in my ad, only my E-mail
and my www.

Just Us Bears Sep 5, 2006

I've had one enquiry through my ad..but that's it.   It didn't result in a sale. 
But still...it was a thrill to be part of it all. I don't feel so bad now I know I'm not the only one...thanks girls.

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorSep 5, 2006

Don't forget, folks, that these magazines are kept around for YEARS in many cases.  They're not like PEOPLE or US or IN TOUCH or whatever, that we read in 30 minutes from cover to cover and then use to line the guinea pig cage before we add litter.  They're more like reference books or resources, both for artists and collectors, since they contain so much shop information; tip & technique information; contest information and photos of past winners; artist contact information; etc.

I know that when I started out in the industry I scoured eBay for lots of old bear magazines and won a gigantic boxful of them on more than one occasion which I studied and pored over like a third year law student brushing up for the Bar.  That's where I read all about the foundational folks in the artist bear industry, like the entire Port family, Denis Shaw, Bev White, The Woessners, Arlene Andersen, Pam Wooley, Ted Menten, etc. 

So it's still likely very EARLY to tell what impact your advertising has had, over the long haul.

Switching gears entirely... Regarding the "phone lady" ... You have all just reminded me of the precise reason why I don't invite phone calls into my home, and include only my site address in my advertising.  If I had an office I'd include my office phone number in my ads -- or if I had a dedicated business line or cellular line -- and I certainly don't want to limit my sales or seem to be discriminating against those without internet access, or who prefer using phones to keyboards. 

But I also don't want my children, who are still young, having to deal with phone calls like this that come into our home, when they don't yet have the maturity and life experience to do so.  They're old enough for me to leave them alone from time to time while I run errands.  But I'm not sure they'd know quite what to do with someone who won't give out a phone number, but wants them to take down an "order" for photographs and leave her address, while treating them with less than the best of manners.  Not quite what I've taught them to expect, and offer, on the telephone!  And they are under orders from mom to PICK UP when I'm gone, so I can check in!  So "not answering" is not an option.

What a conundrum... How to handle this person?  I agree wholeheartedly with Chrissie.  She sounds like someone who's maybe developmentally disabled, or has some other mental health issue which results in high functioning, but odd, behavior.  Even if she's a nuisance, I wouldn't necessarily suspect anything malicious or ominous.  Doesn't mean you have to send her photos, though!  I learned in econ 100 that time IS money.  So you're wise to spend yours wisely, and not on fruitless endeavors that have no productive result!  If you could "feel good" about sending pictures that would be one thing... but if everyone feels mistrated and annoyed then even THAT altruistic outcome is denied.  So not a whole lot of good comes from continuing to snail mail brochures her way.

Maybe someone could send her a show schedule for her area???

All Bear Sep 5, 2006

I just took a terrific order from a lady who had been given a handful of old UK bear mags.  She had no idea about artist designed bears, but she spotted a picture of one of my bears in the mag and phoned to see if it was possible to have a bear made for her husband ... the mag must have been about four years old!  So, don't give up hope everyone, good things do happen but sometimes they are very unexpected!! 

Pijangibears Sep 5, 2006

Still hope.

Jare Hares & Bears Sep 5, 2006

Shelli -
Did that take you all of five seconds to type? he he he...

Yes you are right time is money. I know that last time mom sent out stuff to her twice and with the cost of postage going up  it can get expensive to send that stuff out if there is no business generated from it.

I know several years ago, there was a lady that asked mom to create a fushia or magenta coloured bear for her and that shw ould pick it up that Fall. That summer we spend hours dying fabrics to come up with just the right colour. Then that fall she had teh bear done took it to the show. The lady showed up but avoided our table. Of course mom was good natured and didn't take a non-refundable deposit. She did sell the bear. But come to find out this lady would place "orders" for bears but would never buy them. Most of the artists at the show had received such "orders" but never did anything with them. We now take non-refundable deposits on all orders.

Oh and we were called again today.

shantell Sep 5, 2006

What a conundrum...

Nothing meaningful to add here but....

I just love that word...conundrum...no particular reason...just sounds cool rolling off the ol' tongue...conundrum!!!

Daphne Sep 5, 2006

Shantell..... you're so cute!! :crackup:

It takes me less than 5 minutes to do up an invoice and write on an envelope.... I think I'll send her an invoice for pictures... if she pays then I'll send some..... but perhaps she'll get the point, that this is the ONLY way she's getting pictures from me. I don't want to have a phone conversation with her... but I'd like her to leave me alone! I don't want to be avoiding her two years from now still!