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VANDOO · 5th August 2014, 01:29 PM

THE PROBLEM WITH REPLICA CLUB PRODUCTION IN THE ISLANDS IS MOSTLY THE MARKET. THE MAIN SOURCE OF SALES IS TO TOURISTS WHO WANT A CHEAP SOUVENIR THAT FITS INTO THEIR SUITCASE. THE TOURIST SHOPS ONLY WANT TO BUY WHAT SELLS SO LARGE FULL SIZE ITEMS THAT JUST SIT AROUND THE SHOP ARE A HARD SELL. SO THE CARVERS CONCENTRATE ON WHAT THE DEALERS WANT WHICH IS SMALL ITEMS WITH LOTS OF DECORATIVE CARVING. WE END UP WITH NON TRADITIONAL CARVINGS FROM FIJI, TONGA OR EVEN DESIGNS NEVER USED ON WAR CLUBS BEFORE CARVED IN MANY PLACES THRU- OUT THE SOUTH PACIFIC. EVEN WORSE OFTEN LOCAL CARVERS WANT A DECENT PRICE FOR THEIR WORK SO SOME SELLERS IMPORT CHEAP SOUVENIRS MADE IN INDONESIA OR SOME OTHER PLACE TO SELL TO THE TOURISTS AS SAMOAN, FIJIAN ,ECT.
A FEW YEARS AGO THERE WAS A SAMOAN SELLER ON EBAY WHO WAS OFFERING A NICE SELECTION OF THESE FULL SIZE WELL CARVED CLUBS FROM THESE VILLAGES IN SAMOA. I BOUGHT A NICE SELECTION BUT WHEN THE EBAY MARKET BECAME SATURATED THE DEALER STOPPED SELLING THEM SO LIKELY THE PRODUCTION OF THEM STOPPED IN SAMOA AS WELL. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE CARVERS AND SELLERS DON'T WANT A HOUSE FULL OF ITEMS THEY CAN NOT SELL SO SUPPLY AND DEMAND CONTROLS PRODUCTION. WHEN DEMAND STOPS THE OLDER ARTISTS OFTEN STOP DOING GOOD WORK OR WORKING AT ALL AND THE SKILLS ARE LOST.
I AM NOT A PURIST SO I WILL COLLECT CURRENT EXAMPLES OF GOOD WORK BECAUSE ITS NEAT AND IT SUPPORTS THE ARTISTS AND PRESERVES THE SKILLS. MANY ONLY WANT OLD PRECONTACT ITEMS WHICH IS GREAT IF YOU CAN FIND THEM AND AFFORD THEM. BUT A GOOD REPLICA OF SOMETHING YOU COULD NEVER FIND OR AFFORD IS ACCEPTABLE IN A COLLECTION ESPECIALLY IF IT IS CARVED IN COUNTRY BY THE DECEDENTS OF THE ORIGINAL SOCIETY.

5th August 2014, 01:29 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE PROBLEM WITH REPLICA CLUB PRODUCTION IN THE ISLANDS IS MOSTLY THE MARKET. THE MAIN SOURCE OF SALES IS TO TOURISTS WHO WANT A CHEAP SOUVENIR THAT FITS INTO THEIR SUITCASE. THE TOURIST SHOPS ONLY WANT TO BUY WHAT SELLS SO LARGE FULL SIZE ITEMS THAT JUST SIT AROUND THE SHOP ARE A HARD SELL. SO THE CARVERS CONCENTRATE ON WHAT THE DEALERS WANT WHICH IS SMALL ITEMS WITH LOTS OF DECORATIVE CARVING. WE END UP WITH NON TRADITIONAL CARVINGS FROM FIJI, TONGA OR EVEN DESIGNS NEVER USED ON WAR CLUBS BEFORE CARVED IN MANY PLACES THRU- OUT THE SOUTH PACIFIC. EVEN WORSE OFTEN LOCAL CARVERS WANT A DECENT PRICE FOR THEIR WORK SO SOME SELLERS IMPORT CHEAP SOUVENIRS MADE IN INDONESIA OR SOME OTHER PLACE TO SELL TO THE TOURISTS AS SAMOAN, FIJIAN ,ECT. A FEW YEARS AGO THERE WAS A SAMOAN SELLER ON EBAY WHO WAS OFFERING A NICE SELECTION OF THESE FULL SIZE WELL CARVED CLUBS FROM THESE VILLAGES IN SAMOA. I BOUGHT A NICE SELECTION BUT WHEN THE EBAY MARKET BECAME SATURATED THE DEALER STOPPED SELLING THEM SO LIKELY THE PRODUCTION OF THEM STOPPED IN SAMOA AS WELL. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE CARVERS AND SELLERS DON'T WANT A HOUSE FULL OF ITEMS THEY CAN NOT SELL SO SUPPLY AND DEMAND CONTROLS PRODUCTION. WHEN DEMAND STOPS THE OLDER ARTISTS OFTEN STOP DOING GOOD WORK OR WORKING AT ALL AND THE SKILLS ARE LOST. I AM NOT A PURIST SO I WILL COLLECT CURRENT EXAMPLES OF GOOD WORK BECAUSE ITS NEAT AND IT SUPPORTS THE ARTISTS AND PRESERVES THE SKILLS. MANY ONLY WANT OLD PRECONTACT ITEMS WHICH IS GREAT IF YOU CAN FIND THEM AND AFFORD THEM. BUT A GOOD REPLICA OF SOMETHING YOU COULD NEVER FIND OR AFFORD IS ACCEPTABLE IN A COLLECTION ESPECIALLY IF IT IS CARVED IN COUNTRY BY THE DECEDENTS OF THE ORIGINAL SOCIETY.