[Ansteorra] Largesse gifting

Fri Feb 4 07:59:23 PST 2011

Beware, rant coming, turn away if you don't want to read whining from
a craftsperson.

You know where my personal objection comes from... first of all, some
people don't have skillz but want to donate and this leaves them with
few options, and my second point would be that if all royals ever want
is handmade stuff from artists, it puts a lot of pressure on artists
to keep "donating" stuff to make the people on the thrones look good.
Thrones that I might add, can't be won by making stuff. Yes, I have a
problem with how royalty is selected, and that ultimately fighters
outrank everyone else, and this is just another place where my
annoyance materializes.

I don't like the *expectation* of handmade items as gifts because, as
someone pointed out, even ignoring material costs, just the time
involved to make this stuff makes it pricey, and when people see it
being given away for free, there is a tendency to devalue it. As a
society (modern Western society, not SCA) we have a hard time properly
valuing handmade items already. We balk at paying $1000 for an oil
painting because we can get a reproduction poster for $10, or we want
to pay local artists the same kinds of wages for their work as the
people we exploit in 3rd world countries, where they just have to keep
up with 3rd world food and housing prices. And in speaking to SCA
merchant artisans the most oft-heard comment they hear in their booths
is "I could make that", to which the response in their heads that they
never dare voice aloud is always "yes, but will you?", and this
opening often is a lead-in to aggressive bartering. We all want to pay
Wal-mart prices for handmade goods, and I'm sure I've been guilty of
this too. We (me included) don't treat our artists very well.

Finally, I hate to admit it, but there is a large range of preferences
in our society. I know a lot of people who turn their noses up at my
handmade trim and drool over the offerings at Calontir trim. Mine
isn't sparkly, and they have a thing for dogs, flowers, stars or
whathaveyou. And don't even get me started on the number of people who
believe that crushed velvet, in all its modern stretchy glory, is just
the best thing since sliced bread, or that wench bodices and
drawstring chemises are the most sexy and comfortable things that one
could ever wear to an event. If you gave those people handmade trim
and a length of fine linen I'm not sure they'd even know what to do
with it, much less enjoy the gift. Why not have a collection of stuff
in your stash that they'd like?

end rant
~Eve

On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 9:17 AM,  <alpage1225 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> You are missing the point of this entire message.  Royals post gift "wish lists" on the Kingdom web pages to provide guidelines for gifts TRMs will be giving or would like to give to people in other kingdoms on their kingdom's behalf.  This is not a wish list of gifts they would like to receive personally.  When giving a basket to the King and Queen of another kingdom, you certainly want the best of your artisans' talents in that basket,
>
> Countess Elizabeth Seale
>
> --- On Fri, 2/4/11, Ld.blackmoon <ld.blackmoon at cox.net> wrote:
>
>
> From: Ld.blackmoon <ld.blackmoon at cox.net>
> Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Largesse gifting
> To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Date: Friday, February 4, 2011, 2:22 AM
>
>
> greetings
>
> more than a " little tacky " if they are puting out a list of what they want as " gifts" to keep.
> if they are making that list to gather things to put in gift baskets for other kingdoms , or even as a " good job" or an " i'm impressed " goodie, it was a good list up to the " dislikes" part .
> but from the way it reads , it says its for largess, but looks more like a personal wish list , for their personal use, and not to be passed on. ( room full of baskets )
> it's nice to show off the work your artisans can do, but to turn your noses up at any gift is selfish and thoughtless.
> especialy in this economy, do they even know what custom hand made items like they discribe are worth ? or perhaps thats the point ? just from the hours put into most of that list the items would be expensive to buy .
> but hey if their rich enough , or they think it will get their award faster , who am i to nay say them : /  , i've heard its that way in some kingdoms , very period really, but not what i'm used to in northern ansteorra .
> Be Safe , Be Happy, Have Fun .
> Arthur
> just my opinion , ymmv
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bree Flowers" <evethejust at gmail.com>
> To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Sent: Friday, February 04, 2011 1:00 AM
> Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Largesse gifting
>
>
>> I think the intent of the list is to provide the royals with largesse
>> that represents the skills of its artisans, not their shopping ability
>> ;) Or at the least provide gifts that are unique, and machine made
>> trim is decidedly not so. However, while I understand the intent of
>> the list, I am torn in thinking it is a little bit tacky to try to
>> dictate what gifts you receive. On one hand it is nice to know that
>> what you give will be well-received, but on the other hand, shouldn't
>> gift selection be up to the one doing the gifting and shouldn't the
>> recipient be thankful regardless?
>>
>> I used to gift royals with largesse (in another kingdom), but my
>> experience ranged from them being super grateful to forgetting it at
>> the event, and if it was passed along by someone else (collections of
>> gifties from a group) I never received so much as a "thanks" e-mail,
>> so I've decided I have better ways to use my time. In talking to other
>> artisans over the years (all over the known world) I don't get the
>> feeling that my experience or my decision is unique. I guess what I'm
>> saying is if you want artists to make you stuff, you'd do a lot better
>> writing thank you letters than request lists ;)
>>
>> ~Eve - who used to make stuff, but now seems to make nothing but
>> babies, and those make decidedly bad largesse
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 11:47 PM, Michelle Dodd
>> <lygabrielerdb at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Maybe An Tir is more picky, but I for one have never turned down a gift of machine made trim.
>>> Some of it is beautiful. And most styles, if picked carefully, will go with some period or other in our 'Dream' time.
>>>
>>> Gabriele
>>>
>>> The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are allowed to remain children all our lives. (Albert Einstein)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> From: dookgunthar at hotmail.com
>>>> To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
>>>> Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 17:47:52 -0600
>>>> Subject: [Ansteorra] Largesse gifting
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I saw this on the An Tir Royalty page and I think it is a good guideline when
>>>> wanting to gift any Royals with largesse items.
>>>>
>>>> Likes:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Period Jewelry (belt buckles, cloak pins, brooches, hair pins etc)
>>>> Cast or Horn Needle Cases
>>>> Metal Worked Items (Torches, cooking tools, knives, hooks, tent stakes, portable holes)
>>>> Glass Items (cups, lampworked beads)
>>>> Wood worked items (buckets, boxes, lanterns, tables, benches, combs, bowls)
>>>> Cast Tokens to give as appreciation gifts
>>>> Spindles/Card weaving kits
>>>> Silk or Wool Banners
>>>> Wool Haversack bags
>>>> Handbound leather or wood books
>>>> Hoods/ Norse Caps/ Wool Hats
>>>> Fleeces/Furs
>>>> Pottery
>>>> Wool Cloaks with embellishment
>>>> Leather Pouches
>>>> Armor/Rattan
>>>> Handwoven trim or cord
>>>> Knit or nalbinding items (mittens, socks, hats)
>>>> Spices
>>>> Fabric yardage (wool, silk, hemp, or linen only)
>>>> Handmade soaps or bath salts (no strong scents)
>>>> Strings of beads (pearls, amber, jade, jasper, horn etc. Natural materials only.)
>>>> Period games
>>>> Sewing kits
>>>> Skeins of hand spun wool, silk or linen
>>>> Bone or antler items
>>>> Small handmade toys for children
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dislikes: Please, refrain from gifting the following.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> BASKETS- Their Majesties have a whole room full of baskets. Haversack bags work well to present items in.
>>>> Store bought items
>>>> Machine-made trim
>>>> canned food
>>>> food
>>>> candles
>>>> non-period jewelry
>>>> potpourri
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Gunthar
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
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>
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