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Celtic Radio Community > General Discussion > Where Do You Buy Your Celtic Items?

Posted by: Annabelle 23-Oct-2006, 09:29 PM

Ok everyone!!! Wake up!!!!
I need some people to let me know where do you buy you celtic items?
A - on the internet

or

B - at a festival

let me know, I need everyone's input and it would be interesting to wake everyone up and let's talk about something worth talking about.

Posted by: A Shrule Egan 23-Oct-2006, 09:40 PM

QUOTE (Annabelle @ 23-Oct-2006, 11:29 PM)

and it would be interesting to wake everyone up and let's talk about something worth talking about.

I buy all my stuff from the Celtic Marketplace in Chicago and the Secaucus Celtic Marketplace.

Got some nice Higgins Rugs from Ireland and some excellent Celtic design jewelry from Kit Heath, among many other products.

Is that what you want to know?

Posted by: Annabelle 23-Oct-2006, 09:52 PM

So do you get good buys there Mr. Shruley? So how is life treating you lately? Long time no hear from.

Did you see Mr. P at Hughestown festival?
Hope things are going well with you and do you have any catalogs you can share with me?
Send them ASAP so I can get my inventory together.
I've got one terrific product along with the other things that no one has ever seen and every one is gonna want when they see these at the festival. I need everyone to help me make a listing of what festivals are decent that they need vendors and the festival is a decent size. I have to drive with my products all the way from hee haw hell Georgia so the festival has to be a certain attendance size for me to come sell at it or I'z don't cover my expenses, and dat I can't do.

Posted by: Annabelle 23-Oct-2006, 09:58 PM

Will it help to sell my goods if I get a push up bra and get one of those renaissance blouses that are cut down to your naval to wear with my scottish kilt?

Posted by: Muircheartach 23-Oct-2006, 10:07 PM

Hi Annabelle,

Just thought I'd leave my two cents... I've done both - Internet and Festivals - both have there merits:

Internet - good selection and very reasonable prices, however, you can't really "see" what you're buying, nor can you try it on (clothing and jewelry-specific).

Festival - if it's a large one, you have a fairly good selection - if not, you're pretty much relegated to take what they offer. Also, prices are sometimes higher than Internet, though you can see and touch the quality, so it might be worth the increase in price.

Bottom line for me is where can I get what I'm looking for, and if I "need" it now, how fast can I get it. Personally, the tee-shirt I have for "Hagis Helper (just add sheep guts)" is priceless, so having to pay $16.95 at the Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens was a real steal!

Whatever you choose, I hope you get what you like!

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 23-Oct-2006, 10:56 PM

For me its Legends of the Celts in Hayward, Wi, three shops in St. Paul, one down by the Wisconsin Dells, and Irishfest in Milwaukee (which is like the mall of America for celtic shoppers such as myself) and then finally the internet. I will usually preview stuff on the net first and then check the merchandise out in the store when I get there. I also get catalogs in the mail from Gaelsong and others. Looks like Chicago is next on my list. What size store is the Celtic Marketplace? And do any of these places have websites. The Shamrock Club has a few stores posted on their website.

Posted by: haynes9 23-Oct-2006, 11:25 PM

Irish Gift Shop in Tempe, Arizona (They also have a good website).

Ballydun in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My good friend Barbara runs this shop and they always have unique and interesting things.

Festivals are good when I can get to them. Not a lot of Celtic festivals going on in the Navajo Nation

Posted by: Eiric 24-Oct-2006, 12:44 AM

Ne'er on the internet - sorry, but although I'm young and supposed to be wild and crazy I'm too afraid that someone will steal all me money if I buy online, so it has to be shops (usually new age shops here in Sweden) or festivals, such as the one in Edinburgh.

Posted by: Ceciliastar1 24-Oct-2006, 09:02 AM

I haven't bought a lot of stuff recently. I like the internet the prices are pretty decent. I got from ebay to random websites. I like doing internet too because I don't know if something is fake, where as some of the stores in town claim they authentic imports when they really aren't. I'd rather be in the dark about the items (via internet) than know I bought something fake.

All in all, my favorite items that I ever bought I bought when I was in Ireland about three years ago... Those were definately authentic! haha!

Posted by: gypseyreyne 24-Oct-2006, 11:40 AM

I have no room left on my person or in my room for anything else Celtic. Where are you people putting it all.

I buy my kilts for my garb from local thrift stores. I have 4 and three of them are made in Scotland from "real" Scottish wool.

As opposed to fake Wool or sheep? More jewelry than I could wear. I need more fingers, and ears. I have sashes and shaws from every clan I could possible trace ancestory to. Wait I am looking around now and have noticed I do not have a Celtic cross hanging on the wall with my cross collection. Yes I can still shop!!!

But the season is over no more festivals until April.

. I always buy at festivals and games.

Posted by: A Shrule Egan 24-Oct-2006, 05:53 PM

QUOTE (Roberto Phoenix @ 24-Oct-2006, 12:56 AM)

What size store is the Celtic Marketplace?

The Celtic Marketplace is where all the dealers go to meet the reps from all the manufactures and companies that sell wholesale. Most of the companies are from Ireland, Scotland or England.

Sorry, none of the Marketplace shows are open to the public. Marketplace shows are in Secaucus, N.J., Chicago and Las Vegas. I'm sure there are a couple more but I haven't gone to any others.

Posted by: A Shrule Egan 24-Oct-2006, 06:12 PM

QUOTE (Annabelle @ 23-Oct-2006, 11:52 PM)

So do you get good buys there Mr. Shruley? So how is life treating you lately? Long time no hear from.

So do you get good buys there Mr. Shruley?
Yes, I do but you have to watch out for that rhodium plated garbage. Some companies try to make it sound like it's as good as silver.

Hope things are going well with you and do you have any catalogs you can share with me?
I ain't letting go of any catalogs. Get your own, wench!!!

Did you see Mr. P at Hughestown festival?
Yes, I saw Peckery and he asked about you. He wanted to know why you didn't fly into Scranton and come to the show. There should be a picture or two of him on the Hughestown thread. Check it out or better yet, come to Hughestown in May and you can see the band Arminta play and you can meet Peckery, live and in person. I know they are already booked for that festival.

Is there anything else you would like to know, O Queen of the Bar???

Posted by: Annabelle 24-Oct-2006, 09:23 PM

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO you guys are the best!!!

Keep the info coming!!!!!

Posted by: dundee 25-Oct-2006, 08:42 AM

QUOTE (Annabelle @ 23-Oct-2006, 10:58 PM)

Will it help to sell my goods if I get a push up bra and get one of those renaissance blouses that are cut down to your naval to wear with my scottish kilt?

do you sell goods? what kind? regarding the rest of your post....
marketing is everything. however i am a hard sell i have to want the
item... the term "sex sells" doesnt work with me

Posted by: Keltic 25-Oct-2006, 09:46 PM

QUOTE (A Shrule Egan @ 24-Oct-2006, 08:12 PM)

Yes, I do but you have to watch out for that rhodium plated garbage. Some companies try to make it sound like it's as good as silver.

Many in the jewellery industry prey on the uninformed. I have never plated any of my jewellery and never will. Unfortunately, it is very commonplace with larger manufacturers because it can mask colour problems. Rhodium is generally used to plate white gold. Rhodium is very hard and white so it gives quite a nice look while the item is sitting under the jeweller's lights. Unfortunately, metal wears down and this micro-thin layer of metal wears leaving a non-uniform looking metal.

Sterling silver manufactured in countries whose monthly salaries might match an average North Americans hourly wage (if they're lucky), are generally a very low grade sterling alloy and dipped in a solution to coat the ring. The coating will chip very quickly. Before I get into a rant about Thai/Celtic jewellery, I'll end here.

Now....

Annabelle,

Good luck with your venture. When we started eleven years ago, so much we had in mind, was quickly thrown out of the window. Some things that we thought were going to be huge, never sold but other things made up for it. We are changing up a lot of what we do again and know that we'll probably change up again in the future.

Unfortunately, a lot of vendors started up over the years and you knew almost immediately which ones would be around the next season and which ones wouldn't be around. Too many tried to do mirror existing vendors. Vendors which came back year after year, for the mostpart, offered some variety. Festivals with a good variety of vendors generally brings in more people looking to spend money at the stands because they come with the expectation of being able to find something. If a festival has nothing but junk dealers year after year, people only bring enough to cover their food and entry.

If you have specific questions, feel free to contact me.

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 26-Oct-2006, 06:41 PM

I spent 16 years in the jewelry industry (retail end) and I know what you are talking about when it comes to plated items. I never even wanted to stock the stuff because it was so much trouble. Here are some tips for jewelry buying.

24K or 24karat is pure gold. when you hear 18K or 14K (the most popular), or 10K this is gold mixed in with a base metal. Copper and nickel are common metals to use. If you have had an allergic reaction to a gold ring it is probably a nickel allergy which is quite common. 8 Karet is what is refered to as Gold filled. Plated is just a tiny sheet of gold plated over a base metal. Similar to paint over wood. Looks good for awhile but wears off. All gold products should be stamped somewhere, Rings are usually stamped on the inside (14k, 10K, etc) Sterling silver is usually stamped as "sterling" or 925 which is the European mark. If there is a "P" after the mark it is plated.

Of course people can get or stamp jewelry on their own and pass it off as real stuff. Most jewlery companies have there onwn tradmark also stamped inside the ring. There are also electronic testers out there which can not only tell if something is gold or not but also what karat gold it is.

And yes, I can tell the difference between a diamond and a cubic zirconia (diamonique) just by looking at it.

Posted by: BluegrassLady 13-Nov-2006, 08:30 AM

Most books and info on Scotland and my clan is bought online. Everything else has been bought at festivals, although I plan to order kilts this winter online (hubby and I had measurements taken at a festival for future info).

BGL