Nantucket Shop Owner Says 'No Influencers' Sign Was a Joke as $1,800 Bags Frame Backlash
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 29
Nantucket Shop Owner Says 'No Influencers' Sign Was a Joke as $1,800 Bags Frame Backlash
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 29
Summary
John Sylvia said the “No Influencers” sign at Four Winds Craft Guild was not a literal ban but a joke aimed at visitors who use his shop as a photo backdrop.
Sylvia, 59, said too many people film and take pictures without buying anything or even speaking to staff, turning the store into “someone’s background, a stage.”
The dispute widened after Sylvia’s partner, Jessica Jenkins, 50, posted the sign on Instagram, drawing both praise from critics of influencer culture and complaints that it unfairly singled out one group.
The store, which shares space with Sylvia Antiques and sells items including handmade basket purses starting around $1,800, has become a flashpoint in a broader Nantucket argument over tourism and content creation.