where can I get cheap authentic indian crafts in NM (Santa Fe: house, buying)
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Will be moving to Texas in a few weeks. Just wanted to get some native american souvenirs for my new friends in TX. I know there are a lot of venders at the plaza in Santa Fe, but they are kind of expensive. Could anyone recommend a place in either ABQ or Santa Fe that I can get native american products cheap?
Missed the Powwow yesterday. Heard they were selling a lot of indian stuff.
Less expensive to get the stuff online. I get a lot of my stuff from QVC. It's authentic, handmade, comes with papers, etc., and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Less expensive to get the stuff online. I get a lot of my stuff from QVC. It's authentic, handmade, comes with papers, etc., and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Are you buying Native American made, Indian style, "Southwest style" or what? I don't watch qvc, but know some folks up in Gallup who have made things for them. Mostly they say they do it to keep busy during slow times, as they can't make much money selling to them.
The plaza in SF is an expensive place to buy, but I must say that anyone looking for "cheap Indian crafts" is far more likely to end up with Asian made fakes, which are everywhere. That would include some sidewalk vendors at Palace of the Governors. That venue has been shut down a few times due to large amounts of fake Indian crafts. I hope it's better now.
The plaza in SF is an expensive place to buy, but I must say that anyone looking for "cheap Indian crafts" is far more likely to end up with Asian made fakes, which are everywhere. That would include some sidewalk vendors at Palace of the Governors. That venue has been shut down a few times due to large amounts of fake Indian crafts. I hope it's better now.
This is simply not true.
The vendor program at the Palace of Governors is administered by a board comprised of representatives of the pueblos and tribes in NM, spots are given only to Native Americans chosen by lottery due to high demand, and the goods must be made by the vendor or someone in the vendor's household. Buying there is about as sure as someone can be that the item they're buying is authentic.
The prices are also about as cheap as you will find. If you doubt that, stroll around the plaza and check out prices at the shops and galleries. Or, visit the shops around Old Town.
I have lived here 13 years and visited numerous times prior to moving. I don't recollect one time where the PofG venue has been shut down for selling fakes. A few shops around the plaza have been shut down for selling fakes, but not the portal vendors.
The sellers at the Old Town plaza portal are not nearly as tightly regulated as at the Palace of the Governors. There, you buy at your own risk and I wouldn't buy there if I wanted to be certain that it was Native American made.
Are you buying Native American made, Indian style, "Southwest style" or what? I don't watch qvc, but know some folks up in Gallup who have made things for them. Mostly they say they do it to keep busy during slow times, as they can't make much money selling to them.
The plaza in SF is an expensive place to buy, but I must say that anyone looking for "cheap Indian crafts" is far more likely to end up with Asian made fakes, which are everywhere. That would include some sidewalk vendors at Palace of the Governors. That venue has been shut down a few times due to large amounts of fake Indian crafts. I hope it's better now.
Yes, it's both. Some is Native made and some is called Southwestern style.
Carolyn Pollack has some nice jewelry. It used to be handmade. I'm not sure it still is. Roderick Tenerio also has handmade jewelry. For me, it's not cheap but it's not as expensive as what you would see in some stores that seem to be double or triple the price. There's also another guy they used to have on there all the time but I haven't seen him lately. The above comes out of Albq. and Arizona.
It's been a long time since I've watched qvc as I have enough jewelry to wear so it may have changed but I doubt it as most of these people have been on since the beginning of qvc.
The vendor program at the Palace of Governors is administered by a board comprised of representatives of the pueblos and tribes in NM, spots are given only to Native Americans chosen by lottery due to high demand, and the goods must be made by the vendor or someone in the vendor's household. Buying there is about as sure as someone can be that the item they're buying is authentic.
The prices are also about as cheap as you will find. If you doubt that, stroll around the plaza and check out prices at the shops and galleries. Or, visit the shops around Old Town.
I have lived here 13 years and visited numerous times prior to moving. I don't recollect one time where the PofG venue has been shut down for selling fakes. A few shops around the plaza have been shut down for selling fakes, but not the portal vendors.
The sellers at the Old Town plaza portal are not nearly as tightly regulated as at the Palace of the Governors. There, you buy at your own risk and I wouldn't buy there if I wanted to be certain that it was Native American made.
Sorry, but it has happened, along with removal in '06 of some vendors from the oversight committee for, among other things, insufficient supervision and inspection of goods being sold under the portal. These things don't get widespread news coverage because screwing up the portal tourist market is just about as popular as hantavirus.
The lottery is a fairly recent thing, and was put in place because of alleged manipulation of sellers by those in charge (other artists) and the general mayhem of setup time in the morning.
All that being said, I wrote my post quickly and left a few things out, leaving a much more negative impression than I had intended.
I apologize for that.
The standards are much higher, and oversight much greater, within the last decade or so. This is largely because of rampany abuse by sellers that needed to be dealt with and also the realization that this market is so important for honest ethical craftspeople and for Santa Fe tourism in general. I applaud the changes, both in the past and fairly recently, and hope that the portal market continues to be successful.
I've been in the Indian jewelry business for over 25 years and have a pretty educated eye. In the past I saw some very poor stuff there, but in my most recent visit last month the quality was generally good, if fairly ordinary.
If you shop the Alb. Old Town portal you better know what you're looking at and be careful.
Thanks for all the advice about Jewelry. What about something not jewelry, like something you can put in your house for decoration? Where can I get these? The vendors in front of the PoG seem to only sell necklace/earrings and stuff.
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