G & S Dye
I went to G & S Dye on Dundas (Toronto) this week with some extra cash that I found planning to invest in a few projects I’ve been holding off for a while. I’ve never been to G&S Dyes before, though had known about it for years. Not very often can I afford to drop $100 on fancy art supplies. I heard they carried a chemical required for the Devore process to burnout fibers and was looking forward to experimenting with it.
Now it could be just that he’s got cops across the street all day, or the constant battery of ignorant OCAD students, but this guy was far from friendly or helpful. I asked for what I wanted specifically, and although he did have it, he assumed I couldn’t possibly know how to use it and warned that they sell it only to such privileged people and don’t “promote, sell or support” it.
Maybe it’s cool, possibly charitable of him, to share his high-society secret stash of unbranded mystery ingredient, but the attitude was just a little insulting. Every question I asked was met with a “well if you don’t know you shouldn’t buy it” cuffed remark, almost enough to snap me out of my it’s-a-fabulous-sunny bike-ride-downtown to-meet-sister-for-dim-sum with-money-in-my-pocket good-day… but not quite.
I also picked up some discharge paste (fancy bleach-like stuff that doesn’t kill the fabric) and two bottles of not-speedball fancy ink (figured it was probably more than $15/bottle, but a lot better quality, and since it was on my list, decided it was worth it).
I put everything down on the counter, and he asks me if I know how to use the screen printing inks… and oh yeh they’re $25 and $30/bottle.
The price didn’t bother me too much, but *wow* is he grinning at me when he says that? The look on his face is as if he thinks he’s stumped me on an 8-letter word…
douchebag
I assured him I’ve access to the internet too, and I can find what I need to know. Thanks very much, and took my receipt for $86.
Last night I checked the store website (funny how the reviews insist there are very helpful employees) and seeing a list of instructions for their products with an invitation to contact for any instructions not listed, I emailed him a link with instructions for a similar product asking if it was the same process. I just wanted to confirm before I wasted any of it, because maaaaybe it is super special stuff that is higher concentration or different than what the rest of the world is using…
His response was the same bullshit from the store: “…as I mentioned, *blah blah blah* …we only have the chemical for those who request and already know how to use.” At least he confirmed the instructions I found would work. But seriously, do they not teach customer service at OCAD? Or have you decided I wasn’t a customer worth being nice to? IF you were *the only store in the world* that sells this shit I would play along with your superiority complex, but you’re not.
Sell it professionally, like a reputable business would, or don’t sell it at all.
And don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth… or the face it’s on.
My recommendation to any indie crafters wanting to experiment with more uncommon textile design chemicals and techniques, possibly as intolerant of such arrogant artsy elitist types as I am, buy your art and craft supplies online. It’s the same price per mL for the Devore stuff, but a lot cheaper for screen printing supplies and inks.
FIBER ETCH from Dharma Trading
Posted in Resources 4 months ago at 6:06 pm.
