Ebay customer from outside the USA bought a silver clasp from me. After she received it, she writes me to tell me it's smaller than expected. She asks me what units I used for measuring. I checked the measurements and they were as described, except I'd omitted the "mm" from the description. However I would think for most people a size of "28x8" would tell them it's 28 by 8 millimeters. I didn't omit the "mm" intentionally, but if a customer had a question, wouldn't they ask first before buying? If you're working with jewelry, you'd better realize that beads and findings are measured in millimeters (and yes, I've gotten some very ignorant customers from the USA asking how big a millimeter is...um...you're using a computer to do online shopping, right? Well, a computer also can be used to look up information! Wow, a knowledgebase right at your fingertips! Imagine! It's not just for chatting with your Pierced Scrapbooking Grannies Yahoo group anymore!). Anyway, the funny part of this exchange was that she thought the measurement was in centimeters!!!!! Can you imagine a 28 centimeter clasp? That's nearly a foot long! If she used it for a necklace (which is what I would think most people would do with these clasps), it would be like wearing a man's slipper on the back of your neck, except less comfortable because it's Silver, which would mean the thing would probably cost something like $400, not the $4 she paid for it!

And even if she was thinking it was 2.8, not 28, centimeters, well, that would make it...28 millimeters, which is what was listed!

Perhaps she was thinking Picas? Picas is specifically used in typesetting and is not a measurement used by the general public, and even if it was 28 picas, that'd still be a pretty big freakin' clasp around 4 1/2 inches. I have used clasps that are about 2 inches, and that's pretty much overkill unless you have a really heavy necklace.

Also, the picture in the description shows it with a dime. Now of course someone not using dollars as their currency isn't going to know how large that coin is, but...since when have people used coins the size of a small frisbee?

Just what are some people thinking?

Labels: It Takes All Kinds