# Do you tell your suppliers to other vendors?



## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

I had a pottery vendor ask me where I purchased my shaving brushes. Of course the next week, she had shaving brushes for sale. 

Sometimes I am too honest for my own good. 


If someone asks where you purchased an item, do you tell them the truth or just give a vague answer.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Well, if she was looking for brushes she probably would have found them anyway...hopefully she got something different than yours? Have you offered to partner on her pottery and your soaps and come up with something you can both sell?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Imagine if I had not shared the Wallmart recipe.
Imagine if Barbara hadn't shared her lotion recipe.
Imagine if I hadn't told all of you about Lee.

I think you get the point 

I actually do have secrets!!!! Nobody has my soap recipe  V


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

Depends on what it is. Most stuff I will share. Especially if it's a supplier or info that is easily found online. I won't give up my local lye supply to locals. It was too hard for me to get!


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

It's kinda like your hay source. One bit of info I don't necessarily divulge. I agree with Heather, stuff that can be found online. I also agree with Vicki and Anita, she if you can partner with her, a very good idea.


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

I did suggest and she made the shaving mugs because I suggested we try to partner. She bought one of my brushes to measure and mold her ceramic cup. She also bought my soap to use for dimensions. At the time I gave her the info, I thought the same as Anita. I guess she thought I would buy the mugs from her, although I never told her that. The mugs were dirt ugly and did not look very robust. I did not like the thin walls or color.

Actually after seeing Lee's pottery, everything else looks shoddy. 

She had brushes exactly like mine. 

Vicki, I do understand your point, but you are in a whole different part of the country. My recipe is basically the walmart recipe with some adjustments. But my market is VA and yours is Texas. That is different to me. I am not in the same farmers market as you or Barbara.

I have willingly given my sources to other people at the same market. I think, given distance, it is OK. But within the same farmer's market, I am not sure I will do this again. 

She also was selling the mug with the brush which does make sense to me.


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

Vicki McGaugh Tx Nubians said:


> Imagine if I had not shared the Wallmart recipe.
> Imagine if Barbara hadn't shared her lotion recipe.
> Imagine if I hadn't told all of you about Lee.
> 
> ...


This is what makes the OP's question so hard. I know I wouldn't be where I am today without this site and ideas and inputs from other forum members. Heck, even my hard to get lye source was because a soaper from Colorado felt sorry for me and placed an order for me to pick in Wichita a few years ago. This is from a company that I had already contacted and they wouldn't give me the time of day-the company even denied they sold lye at all. Before the Colorado person took pity on me I had been on the phone every day for 2 weeks calling every tom, dick and harry business in the city. I *KNEW* there was bulk lye in Wichita-I just had to get someone to sell it to me!

I'm a bit defensive about my sources right now because a couple of weeks ago I had a lady who called me with a gazillion questions about all aspects of my raw milk business and then she moved on to all all sorts of soaping questions. Turns out I have a copy cat that lives 15 miles down the road from me. Maybe she's nice, maybe she's not, but her phone call didn't settle well with me. I've had to work extremely hard to get where I am. I'm not going to spoon feed the local competition.

So, maybe it all boils down to the way in which someone approaches you about sources. If I can see someone is working hard to learn, I'll share. If I think someone is just out to make a fast and easy buck while being spoon fed- then no.

BTW, I have an awesome alfalfa source just 5 miles away from me. Nobodies getting that guys name either!


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

Heather, this is my point. I am not sure it was wise of me to hand over info to someone who was not willing to partner with me and was willing to sell the exact item I was selling at the same local market. 

I have given information out freely to folks who are genuinely interested in learning. This lady did not set well at the time I told her the info, I knew it was a bad idea.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

When I first started doing a monthly market there was one other soapmaker/candle maker. We got along and our product was quite different so we shared vendor names etc.

Now she has retired, moved or something and I have a new competitor but she is also making GM soap. She has started trying to pcik information out of me about where I get this or that and I have clammed up. I just change the subject and keep babbling about something else. She can dig out the information like I did over a period of years. She started with individual molds but I do logs and last market I saw that she was trying to do logs too. Even sent her kid down to ask for one of my HSMG brochures about "Why handcrafted soap". 
So I guess it would depend on who is asking and why. I have given people that act really interested in the craft websites where they can access information. One of those went into soapmaking (does not live around me) and we see each other at the Texas soap conference every year. She still thanks me everytime she sees me for the sources I gave her. So you never know. Now if she had lived in my area, maybe I would not have been so helpful.


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

I think it depends on the person and situation. I will not in the future help someone at my local farmers market who will compete with me on the local level.


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## Guest (Jun 19, 2011)

Its a big world out there and I share most things.. MOST.. not all.... what goes around comes around and most don't stick with it.. anyway.. Your attitude about it all is what gets you many customers.. .. Just enjoy your products, the things that go with them.. ..


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

JFYI This vendor was not back at the market with her $22 shaving ceramic cups.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I had a crazy vendor last year drive me nearly bananas to get suppliers names, etc. She sold lotions and melt and pour soaps that she called "hot process" soaps. I gladly told her anything she asked me because she was so crazy that I knew she would not be much competition for me anyway.


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