*Greetings  to everyone who has emailed over the years, or shown interest in the Native AmMerican Trading Post..*

*My shop, The Trading Post, in Camden Lock London, has now closed.
The TRADING POST started in 1990 to promote
all things Native American to the UK.*

*FINDING A NEW HOME FOR THE TRADING POST*
I have seen Camden  expand over the years, and I am looking for an alternative  space to sell and promote all things Native American in the UK, including handmade jewellery - contemporary as well as traditional, music, crafts and artwork, and flute/drum/dance presentations.

Jewellery from THE TRADING POST will soon  be BACK IN CAMDEN LOCK, LODON NW1 8AF... WATCH THIS SPACE or email info@TpUk.co.uk

I ASK anyone in  LONDON or elsewhere in the country, to  help  relocate  THE TRADING POST to  a space where  the beautiful jewellery and crafts can be
lovingly displayed and appreciated.

This can be anything from a small display cabinet,  to a larger space where paintings and other artwork can be shown, and where Native Americans who are in the UK or visiting, can put on dance/drum/flute workshops and presentations. I will actively help with promotion and publicity, thus enhancing the goods you already may be selling and promoting. Re: The paintings from the shop - please email me for details of these wonderful pieces, and I will email you photos and prices.

*FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO COULD NOT GET TO THE SHOP IN CAMDEN LOCK
before closing, please email me, as I will be putting more items for sale
through a new online shop.
*
-*BACKGROUND & HISTORY *-
When I was visiting the USA in 1989, I was encouraged by a dear friend of mine,  who is Native American from Taos Pueblo, to take some of his handmade pipes and other artwork and jewellery from friends and family to the UK, and help promote all things Native.

At that time there were only a handfull of people in the UK who travelled to the USA as I did, and bring goods to the UK. We did this with love and dedication, and I respected the wishes of many Native People to NOT sell certain goods which were ceremonial items, and also not to trade in antiques - which should somehow be returned to the peoples. I would share many months each year in the USA,  and enjoyed researching and finding  people who would be happy for me to buy from them.  It took years  to build trust,  that what was being made would be appreciated as fabulous  artwork and jewellery. THis slowly has led to an opening  of doors to national and international trade in native goods.

Over the past 22 years I have seen more people in the USA open themselves up as middle men to sell wholesale all over the world... I have also seen more and more people from outside America set off on journeys around the USA, and then decide they would like to buy jewellery and crafts from the now huge selection available and bring it to the UK to sell. Some of these people are really dedicated and believe in what they are doing, and others see it as a business opportunity

This has led to a lot of mass produced Native American jewellery, and small "factories" where jewellery is produced in quantities that allow a "wholesaler" from overseas to go and buy in order to sell to shops all over their country. That is how you may see a selection of Native American goods in many New Age and other shops all over the UK, who buy from a selection of UK wholesalers. Where a factory or manufacturer is "off reservation" they CANNOT by law advertise for ONLY native americans to work as silversmiths or crafts makers, so they cannot always guarantee as to who is making the crafts: Native or Non NAtive, and some will (or should) be labelled as made in USA and not Native American made .

The demand for mass produced, and for quantites, has unfortunately also led to a huge increase in  Native American "STYLE" jewellery which is not neccessarily Native made, and could be USA made, or even made in China, The Philipines, Jrdan, Mexico and beyond, often made in "sweatshop" conditions.
These pieces may even look identical to Native American jewellery and crafts, but sell at a fraction of the price.

Over the years I have built a rapport with middle men in the USA who will tell me which pieces are non native made - by law, they are supposed to have tags on saying where a piece is made, but there are some unscrupulous wholesalers both in the UK and USA.

I still now buy from many different people and middle men, and take a lot of time in choosing each piece I buy.
This way you get a range of jewellery that spans contemporary as well as classic traditional designs.

The Traditional styles of native american jewellery are silver with turquoise and coral gemstones, with engraved or etched feather, deer, dear, eagle, wolf, buffalo and other designs.

There are some Native Silversmiths who love to produce more "contemporary" designs which would look fabulous in SAKS 5th AvENUS or HARRODS or LIBERTY or other designer jewellery stores, and could cost many hundreds or thousands of ££££! These pieces include other gemstones and more modern designs, however there is still a spiritual background and meaning to the pieces, and the silvermiths will instill each piece with their love  and respect for the stones and the silver which comes fromt he earth.

BUYING FROM THE TRADING POST you know you are getting some wonderful pieces of jewellery and crafts, many of which are unique one off pieces, and that is one reason why until now i have not put many pieces online to sell! It takes time photographing and writing information about each piece....

SOON there will be more one off pieces for sale online, and I hope you all will continue to support THE TRADING POST in whichever new location I can find... as well as online.
*
Jewellery from THE TRADING POST will soon  be BACK IN CAMDEN LOCK, LODON NW1 8AF...
WATCH THIS SPACE or email info@TpUk.co.uk

IF YOU ARE READING THIS ONLINE, PLEASE PRINT A SCREENSHOT

THANK YOU AND ENJOY!
Love
Pandora/Mari
THE NATIVE AMERICAN TRADING POST
CAMDEN LOCK LONDON NW1 8AF
TEL 0871 288 0579