Gold Bros in the news again

[Phil]

It seems that labels on some of Gold Bros'/ Heritage of Scotland merchandise may in fact have been misleading - http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ne...ght.6769719.jp. . This may not, of course, come as a surprise to many here who have wondered about their "Designed in Scotland" labelling practices in the past. Not good news for tourists, however, who may have bought the stuff thinking they were getting genuine cashmere.

[Jock Scot]

One should not jump to conclusions, but I suspect that there will be many a Shopkeeper in Scotland eagerly awaiting the result of the court case.

[McClef]

Something else that may not be the real thing as implied on the label...

[Cowher]

I don't know why people do that. Just be honest about what it is your selling! They sell you wool. Call it casmere. But charge for wool. It's the dishonesty that makes me nervous. I was going to buy a grey kilt jacket from them but when they lie it makes me think 'what else are they hiding?'.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

That doesn't surprise me in the least. When I was in Scotland I could go into any number of stores (not just on the Royal Mile) and find "cashmere" sweaters selling for 20 pounds.

I immediately thought "no way!" I know what cashmere costs. And I know what it feels like. One look at those sweaters and it immediately made me suspect of everything else in the shop, so out the door I went!

[Phil]

On a not unrelated subject - http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ne...get.6770276.jp - we can earnestly hope that this might help to restore the Royal Mile to normality from the "tartan bazaar" it has become of late. I somehow doubt it, however, particularly if the chief perpetrators - Gold Bros - actually own their premises.

[OC Richard]

On a not unrelated subject - http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ne...get.6770276.jp - we can earnestly hope that this might help to restore the Royal Mile to normality from the "tartan bazaar" it has become of late. I somehow doubt it, however, particularly if the chief perpetrators - Gold Bros - actually own their premises.

That's a step in the right direction... difficult as it may be to define just what "tat" is, and so forth.

As I've said before, I think there should be legislation protecting certain items as "Scottish Cultural Items" and banning importation for resale, to protect Scottish sporranmakers, kiltmakers, kilt jacket makers, and pipemakers from the flood of imported junk.

If the lawmakers don't wake up soon there won't be any of these craftspeople left.

(This would not prevent a Scottish piper from buying a set of American-made pipes for his own use, or prevent a Scottish kiltwearer from buying a Canadian-made sporran for his own use.)

Sorry Matt and other non-Scots who are making kilts etc of the highest quality- but I feel that the local Scottish craftspeople MUST be protected before they all disappear.

[Chas]

That's a step in the right direction... difficult as it may be to define just what "tat" is, and so forth.

As I've said before, I think there should be legislation protecting certain items as "Scottish Cultural Items" and banning importation for resale, to protect Scottish sporranmakers, kiltmakers, kilt jacket makers, and pipemakers from the flood of imported junk.

If the lawmakers don't wake up soon there won't be any of these craftspeople left.

(This would not prevent a Scottish piper from buying a set of American-made pipes for his own use, or prevent a Scottish kiltwearer from buying a Canadian-made sporran for his own use.)

Sorry Matt and other non-Scots who are making kilts etc of the highest quality- but I feel that the local Scottish craftspeople MUST be protected before they all disappear.

If A Scottish piper isn't going to buy Scottish pipes and and a Scottish kiltwearer isn't going to buy a Scottish sporran, why oh why should anybody else?

So the Scots can buy from anywhere in the world, but the rest of us have to buy from Scotland only?

Legislation will never happen in that respect. It is restrictive and discriminatory and will cause job losses all over Scotland. It is probably against EU law on restrictive practises.

There is no law protecting the thatchers or the blacksmiths or the harness makers or the pargetters or the candlers or the cobblers and cordwainers or the hosiers or the milliners or the blockers or the lace makers or the button makers or the ribbon makers, so why should sporran makers be given special preference?

Protectionism has never worked for any country. All that would happen is that the sellers would re-locate south of the border and carry on trading.

And while we are at it - where did all the blackwood and ivory come from for these Scottish made pipes - the tropical rain-forests of the highlands? I suppose that is why there are no herds of elephants wandering round the Great Glen - they have all been shot for their ivory tusks. And the wool - where does that come from? And where is it woven into tartan cloth? It's all happening in the highlands is it?

I have no wish to be cruel or rude or brutal, but I don't think it does us any good not to live in the real world.

Regards

Chas

[McClef]

It is not protectionism to demand clear labeling so that nobody is misled.

This already happens with a variety of products so why not with kilts and kilt related products?

That way country of manufacture would be clearly stated, no more "designed in Scotland" nonsense.

[Jock Scot]

It won't do any harm Phil.