Art Powell on mon 22 sep 97
Here are some questions for those who are earning a living, or at
least surival, income by making and selling pots.
Where do you sell your product? Storefront studio, craft fairs,
farmers' markets, wholesale, consignment, other?
If you sell in more than one way, what is the mix?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each way?
Many thanks.
Art Powell
Black Bear Pottery,
Box 1061,
Kitamaat Village,
British Columbia,
Canada V0T 2B0
apowell@yellowhead16.net
250-632-2136
Overlooking the Douglas Channel on the northwest coast of British
Columbia - on a rare sunny day.
Cindy on tue 23 sep 97
Art,
I sell wholesale, and occasionally do a show. The shows help for exposure,
but I've found that, in my geographic area at least, wholesale marketing is
more profitable--all things (time, time, time) considered.
Cindy Strnad
Custer, SD
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Here are some questions for those who are earning a living, or at
> least surival, income by making and selling pots.
>
> Where do you sell your product? Storefront studio, craft fairs,
> farmers' markets, wholesale, consignment, other?
>
> If you sell in more than one way, what is the mix?
>
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of each way?
>
> Many thanks.
>
>
> Art Powell
> Black Bear Pottery,
> Box 1061,
> Kitamaat Village,
> British Columbia,
> Canada V0T 2B0
> apowell@yellowhead16.net
> 250-632-2136
>
> Overlooking the Douglas Channel on the northwest coast of British
> Columbia - on a rare sunny day.
Ken Russell on tue 23 sep 97
>>Where do you sell your product?
All over the U.S. and one place in Canada.
>>Storefront studio, craft fairs, farmers' markets, wholesale, consignment,
other?
Wholesale at Wendy Rosen's Buyer's Market of American Crafts in the winter,
Beckman's Handcrafted show in Chicago in the winter and summer. I've also
done the Dallas Gift Show once (probably never again) and the Atlanta Gift
Show (definitely never again), both in the winter. I can do only one
summer wholesale show which I've been doing in Chicago. If Philly were
closer, I'd do Wendy's summer show. My goal is to get to the point where I
only do three winter wholesale shows and no wholesale shows in the summer.
Don't know if that will ever happen.
I did three retail festivals last summer but due to wholesale demand, I'll
just be doing one next summer. It's just me and my wife doing everything.
I do all the throwing, trimming, carving and glazing/glaze firing. My wife
does all the bisquing and also makes the Christmas ornaments and does the
handwork on a few of our specialty pots (piggy and meece banks).
>>What are the advantages and disadvantages of each way?
I prefer wholesaling I guess because for me it's more reliable,
professional, and I reach a much broader audience. It's more challenging
for me because I have to keep learning about business, customer
relationships, accounting, marketing, inventory, shipping, cost analysis,
pricing, scheduling. I like it because I don't depend on good Spring,
Summer and Fall weather. I've made some wonderful friends at the wholesale
shows who've taught me a tremendous amount. The income for me is also much
more consistent. Those are my advantages.
The disadvantages ... well, I suppose there are some but compared with the
advantages, they're insignificant. Booth fees are higher. A wholesale
show costs me between two and three thousand dollars to do and I drive all
my stuff to, load, set up, unload and drive back to every show. Someday I
hope to afford flying/shipping at least to Wendy's shows. That will add
another 2 to 3 grand to the show cost. Once the show has begun, it's a
blast especially in Philly (Terminal Market downstairs, Philly cheese
steaks, fresh bagels, steamed spice shrimp, sticky buns as big as a car,
yum, yum). Sending out late notices sucks but it's part of doing business.
For me wholesaling is the best way to go. The risks are much higher but
the payoffs are huge. If you can get into and do Wendy's show, do it. I've
only done it twice but boy it has been fantastic both times (she didn't pay
me to say that either). I intend to always do her winter show in Philly.
Chicago Beckman's has also been fantastic both summer and winter shows
(Tracy didn't pay me to say that either). My stuff isn't ACC-like so I'll
probably never get into nor do an ACC show. It does take a few years to
get yourself "on the map" but you'll meet some wonderful, professional
customers and some wonderful, professional potters who'll be friends for
life.
Ken Russell
The Arlington Pottery
gone2pot@iw.net
Carol Jackaway on wed 24 sep 97
Hi Ken,
I think we may have talked before. I have a question for you....I did
Wendy's Philly winter show a few years ago...it was ok. Now thow I have new
work that is selling great , I have applied to ACC Baltimore (will propably
not get in) so I am trying to decide between George Little NY or Philly
again. My work and displays are both better. I have learned much since my
last wholesale show. My work though is Contemporary. Tea pots with twisted
handles in peaches/teal/seafoam, Platters, plates, mugs candle holders
some are lustered. I also do a line that is all Tropical fish. My work is
very unique, I call it functional art.
My question is is the buyer for contempoary work still at Wendy's and
what about George Little?
Any help would be very apprecaited, I hate making these decisions!!
Carol Jackaway
Carol's Clay Fantasies
CoilLady@aol.com
Len Hughes on wed 24 sep 97
Dear Art,
When I first started, I did local consignment, but now do wholesale shows,
as in,, The Oasis Show, Philly, San Francisco, and Boston. I have a rep. at
the Denver Merchandise Mart, that does quite well for me. I ship all over
the courtry. Some of my biggest clients are the resorts, and vacation places
catering to tourists!! And I pay all my bills, not bad, considering the long
hours I work. By the way, my work is solely raku. (non-functional) I live in
Tucson
Ken Russell on fri 26 sep 97
>>My question is is the buyer for contempoary work still at Wendy's and
>>what about George Little?
I think half the work at Rosen is contemporary. I'm a functional potter
and am always amazed at Philly by all the talented contemporary folks.
I've never done a George Little show. I believe that Studio A Pottery does
the GLM show in NYC and that's the only show they do. Susan Davy knows the
folks at Studio A, and I think she has done a GLM show. I know Don Kopy
has done the GLM NYC show. From reports from people in Chicago who've done
GLM at McCormack Center, I wouldn't do it. Maybe adding ACC to
GLM&McCormack this winter will make the show draw more buyers, but my
money's still on Beckman's at Chicago's ExpoCenter.
Ken Russell
The Arlington Pottery
gone2pot@iw.net
Carolynn Palmer on fri 26 sep 97
I've done the Geo Little show in Chicago in the Handcrafted in America
section and my experience was that the average buyer was the owner of a
"hardware" store looking for "gifty" imports to round out his store. The
first question out of almost every buyer's mouth was, "What is your minimum?"
My opinion is, if I was choosing between the Rosen and Geo Little, I'd
definitely go with Rosen with contemporary work.
Wendy Rosen on sat 27 sep 97
Ken, I have passed your question about functional potters in our show on to
Karen Levin. She'll be glad to give you a list of potters that you can
call. It depends more on your defination of "contemporary" than anything.
Kent Follett and Bill Campbell have exhibited for years in our shows. Bill
is currently on sabbatical due to too many orders! He has written six
digit shows with us. This kind of work is what I define as "transitional"
it goes well with traditional or contemporary style. We don't have too
many salt glaze jar potters. We don NOT select contemporary only... we are
always looking for what we don't HAVE... hope that applies to you. BTW-
ceramics is our hardest to fill area of the show. We often have
cancellations up to the last moment. I think it's because potters are more
needful of retail and can always count on past wholesale customers to
repeat orders. Potters don't change their work as fast as jewelers for
instance as well. These issues make it possible for functional ceramic
artists to do a show once every other year or even less often and still
earn a viable living off of their wholesale accounts. (A sprinkling of
good retail fairs never hurts as well) BTW- does my signature appear
below? I'd love it if you'd tell me (it doesn't work on our internal
network).
Thanks Wendy :)
Wendy Rosen
The Rosen Group
Niche Magazine
AmericanStyle Magazine
americanstyle.com
3000 Chestnut Ave #304
Baltimore, MD 21211
410/889-3093
john eden on mon 29 sep 97
It works. Cheers John
At 02:43 PM 9/27/97 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Ken, I have passed your question about functional potters in our show on to
>Karen Levin. She'll be glad to give you a list of potters that you can
>call. It depends more on your defination of "contemporary" than anything.
>Kent Follett and Bill Campbell have exhibited for years in our shows. Bill
>is currently on sabbatical due to too many orders! He has written six
>digit shows with us. This kind of work is what I define as "transitional"
>it goes well with traditional or contemporary style. We don't have too
>many salt glaze jar potters. We don NOT select contemporary only... we are
>always looking for what we don't HAVE... hope that applies to you. BTW-
>ceramics is our hardest to fill area of the show. We often have
>cancellations up to the last moment. I think it's because potters are more
>needful of retail and can always count on past wholesale customers to
>repeat orders. Potters don't change their work as fast as jewelers for
>instance as well. These issues make it possible for functional ceramic
>artists to do a show once every other year or even less often and still
>earn a viable living off of their wholesale accounts. (A sprinkling of
>good retail fairs never hurts as well) BTW- does my signature appear
>below? I'd love it if you'd tell me (it doesn't work on our internal
>network).
>Thanks Wendy :)
>
>Wendy Rosen
>The Rosen Group
>Niche Magazine
>AmericanStyle Magazine
> americanstyle.com
>
>3000 Chestnut Ave #304
>Baltimore, MD 21211
>410/889-3093
>
>
John Eden
Ceramics Department
John Abbott College
Ste. Anne de Bellevue
Quebec, Canada.
514-457-6610. ext. 395
e-mail > john.eden@johnabbott.qc.ca
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