SRA (Self Representing Artists) - Application process? Long delay ...?

spexy · January 20, 2014, 10:09:20 PM

Quote from: Shirley on January 19, 2014, 08:56:01 PM
The other thing to consider is whether it really matters or not $:-\$

We were discussing this on another forum and some people particularly search SRA when looking for lampwork beads.

Fiona · January 21, 2014, 08:38:11 AM

Quote from: spexy on January 20, 2014, 10:09:20 PM
Quote from: Shirley on January 19, 2014, 08:56:01 PM
The other thing to consider is whether it really matters or not $:-\$

We were discussing this on another forum and some people particularly search SRA when looking for lampwork beads.

But do you really need a membership number to say this? I've searched for non lampwork items using SRA too to exclude some of the Chinese imports before.

Margram · January 21, 2014, 09:08:12 AM

It gives the customer assurance that they are buying proper, annealed, artisan beads. The organisers vet applicants to check they are genuine, to try to weed out cheap imported bead sellers.

mizgeorge · January 21, 2014, 11:40:18 AM

Quote from: Margram on January 21, 2014, 09:08:12 AM
It gives the customer assurance that they are buying proper, annealed, artisan beads. The organisers vet applicants to check they are genuine, to try to weed out cheap imported bead sellers.

Do they heck!
There's no vetting process at all - they might check that a website/shop address is valid, and look at picture attachments, but that's really about it.

I'm not convinced of the real value of any of this type of thing, other than being an additional directory listing. I'm not sure how many buyers care either!

Shirley · January 21, 2014, 12:42:19 PM

I don't think the majority of buyers know about it, certainly not over here, and those that do probably use a variety of ways to search for lampwork.

Skyblue · January 25, 2014, 09:20:45 AM

I applied last year and after numerous emails to a few different people am still awaiting a reply. So I have started using my srajd number instead and thought that it might put me into the sra search engine anyway. If they cant be bothered replying to my emails, even if it is to say a big fat No, then I dont think I really want to be a member.

Barnacle Bay · January 25, 2014, 07:08:01 PM

Personally and only my opinion - It is very good, also Free to join which is a bonus! Great for listings and letterheads, though it does take a while for them to come back to you, though this is to make sure you are a bonafide person, and there site is funded by donations only.

Lampwork sold on Ebay under SRA appears to do pretty well - so I think it is a well worth the effort/patience in joining - but I am sure not many people would want me to say that

!

Angie · January 25, 2014, 11:03:02 PM

I've requested three times over the last 15 months and not even a reply. I give up

Niki Gough · January 26, 2014, 02:23:16 PM

Thanks for posting this as I sent my request in back in August and thought only last week that I hadn't heard anything. I have chased it again now and hopefully we can get somewhere.

Madam Steph · January 27, 2014, 10:32:43 AM

Mine is on there now.
I think they have done some updating

Linda x

Les · March 11, 2014, 04:13:31 PM

I was granted SRA status years ago, under my old, married surname and with a different website. I tried to contact them about updating my details and never got a reply. I gave up :/

June · March 11, 2014, 08:09:51 PM

Quote from: Les on March 11, 2014, 04:13:31 PM
I was granted SRA status years ago, under my old, married surname and with a different website. I tried to contact them about updating my details and never got a reply. I gave up :/

And I tried to change my web address some while back ....

Personally, I'm with George on this one. A vague glance over your attached photos and maybe a website check and I would say that is about it. Some regular buyers may be aware of it but I certainly had never heard of it before I made beads and suspect plenty of customers are in the same boat.

Les · March 11, 2014, 08:28:48 PM

I feel a bit wrong using my SRA status in tags, as my details are all out of date, but I've stopped bothering now and just use it anyway in case it picks me up in a search

Skyblue · March 24, 2014, 07:19:15 PM

Maybe we should have an SRAUK tag instead

Blue Box Studio · March 25, 2014, 07:21:00 AM

Quote from: June on March 11, 2014, 08:09:51 PM
Quote from: Les on March 11, 2014, 04:13:31 PM
I was granted SRA status years ago, under my old, married surname and with a different website. I tried to contact them about updating my details and never got a reply. I gave up :/

And I tried to change my web address some while back ....

Personally, I'm with George on this one. A vague glance over your attached photos and maybe a website check and I would say that is about it. Some regular buyers may be aware of it but I certainly had never heard of it before I made beads and suspect plenty of customers are in the same boat.

I'm tending to agree. I applied when I first started making beads and was accepted within hours. OK, I have the website, I had work on Etsy but I was still quite new at this so if they were going for standard either I was better than I thought or they didn't take much notice. In the early days I had a few people message me on Etsy telling me off for only saying I was SRA and I had to quote name, rank and number, but since then people only ask what is SRA and then comment that nearly all makers are self representing unless they sell through an agency. I think (or is that SRAJD) there's a fee in place for anything more than the basic, whatever, I've seen nothing about it that would want to make me pay.