In an effort to be open and serious with our clients, I have addressed as many of the major issues I have been able to anticipate. If you have a pressing question that is not covered here, please feel free to mail me.
What is the Traders Union?
The Traders Union was once a guild dedicated to the practise and improvement of trade skills, as well as offering a stable group of merchants from which crafted items might be purchased. Over time the Traders Union found that while it was doing well with Trade Skills, a larger guild was required for other endevors. Most of the Traders Union joined Starspun. However, for jewelry sales at least, I am maintaining the spirit of the Traders Union in the form of this website, with jewelers from many guilds as well as independents.
Does the Traders Union have other sites such as this, for other trades?
Not as yet. If anyone I know and trust enough to maintain the good name of the Traders Union would care to set up a site for another trade I would be very pleased. It may well happen in the future, but this is more than enough for me, and I don't know other trades well enough regardless.
I want to buy something else that isn't covered here, can you help me?
In all likihood, yes. As I said, many members of the Traders Union joined Starspun. If you send a tell to any member of the guild (please be polite, and if possible in character) they can probably find a master tradesmen of almost any sort for you.
Why are the prices set as they are?
This is a little too complicated to explain with one answer. If you go the the inventory page, you will find it divided into sections. Each section has an explanation of what those prices represent, relative to the cost of materials, and why they are set that way. Our's is an evolving economy, and over time you may expect those prices to change.
Are you trying to fix prices and create a monoploy?
Certainly not. We don't have a monopoly on jewelers, that's for certain. But we are trying to provide consistent prices, so that repeat customers (of which we have many) need not look for one specific name to get what they want. So we are fixing prices within this small group of jewelers, to some extent, but we are not trying to control the whole market. We never could.
These prices are too high. Why?
Ah! The eternal question, saved for last. We could give our wares away for free and there would still be someone who thought that was asking too much. See the individual sections on the inventory page for explanations of pricing section by section. We endevor to be open and honest with our pricing policies. And if you happen to see a piece being auctioned for a fraction less by some other individual, just consider the value of this service, and the value of knowing that your purchase is backed by the good name of an entire organization. Surely that must be worth something. Buy your silver and electrum and gold from us now, and we'll be there with Velium soon enough, I promise.
