Mike
You’ll run into negative responses from some people no matter what
the metal is with which you work. Platinum is too expensive, gold is
overpriced and silver tarnishes are all common complaints. In
general the response to copper or brass, even silver is the result of
the fact that it oxidizes (gold does too but at a much slower, almost
negligible rate). There’s also the lovely green or black "stain"
that is deposited on the skin of many wearers of copper and brass or
people are skin sensitive. When that’s not a problem, people don’t
want to have to clean their jewelry very frequently.
If you’re not using a patina or sealing your metals, they change
color fairly rapidly. Because my students are young (high school)
and have all that oil and those acids in their skin, their copper and
brass pieces turn color literally overnight and have very noticeable
fingerprints 99% of the time. Fortunately they are the age group
most likely to like something because it’s pretty, unique, they made
it or it was given to them by someone special.
However, if your items are priced for your market, good design seems
to carry the day for pieces in copper and brass. You’ll probably
need some patience while you find your niche. If you don’t feel like
you’re selling out, you might add some silver accents to your
pieces. The color is great with copper and might be a good marketing
strategy.
HTH Linda