Vikki Dow on tue 17 jun 97
Hello all-
Well, after putting all our time, energy, heart, soul and money into our
pots, we just finished our second retail craft fair...and we did much worse
than anticipated. We have several artist/crafter friends here who have
given us feedback, but they aren't potters, so we are seeking feedback from
you all. What did we do wrong?! We were told we have a nice display,
gorgeous work (all functional pieces) , reasonable prices... yet we didn't
make back our booth fees at either fair. We did get a couple of wholesale
contacts, so that was exciting, but ... we're desperately trying to figure
out how to do this (selling our wares). Any advice???? Do any of you make
enough at retail fairs to make a living? Wholesale? Which way should we
go?
While I'm asking questions, any advice on how to do wholesale would be
greatly appreciated as well. One woman is interested in our rice bowls for
a small chain of stores - she gave us her card and said to call. We plan
on doing that promptly, but we're a little unsure about protocol. Read up
a bit in the books, and past posts, but still feel a bit vague. Do you set
up a meeting to go over details, or do you work it all out (prices,
quantity, dates, etc.) on the phone? Do you "haggle" about prices, or is
the standard wholesale price 50% off retail? The stores are all within an
hour of our home - do you generally just send shipments, deliver, have them
pick up...?
Whew! Thanks in advance for any help-
Be well.
Vikki and Libby
Stilltree Pottery
Oakland, CA
vdow@muse.sfusd.k12.ca.us
Don Jones on wed 18 jun 97
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>While I'm asking questions, any advice on how to do wholesale would be
>greatly appreciated as well. One woman is interested in our rice bowls for
>a small chain of stores - she gave us her card and said to call. We plan
>on doing that promptly, but we're a little unsure about protocol. Read up
>a bit in the books, and past posts, but still feel a bit vague. Do you set
>up a meeting to go over details, or do you work it all out (prices,
>quantity, dates, etc.) on the phone? Do you "haggle" about prices, or is
>the standard wholesale price 50% off retail? The stores are all within an
>hour of our home - do you generally just send shipments, deliver, have them
>pick up...?
>Whew! Thanks in advance for any help-
>Be well.
>Vikki and Libby
>Stilltree Pottery
>Oakland, CA
>vdow@muse.sfusd.k12.ca.us
Since you are in CA. I would suggest a wholesale show as a place to start.
Beckmans in LA is good just once. YOu will get a taste for wholesaling
and it won't cost you an arm and leg for a big east coast show. You might
even sell enough for a year. Be prepared for big orders for inexpensive
functional ware.
Don Jones
claysky@highfiber.com
Jennifer Boyer on thu 19 jun 97
Hi Vicki and Libby,
First you ought to find out form your peers if these shows were good ones!
There are shows and there are SHOWS.....much variation in selling
opportunity. Then, if you sold anything, pay close attention to what sold.
You have 2 choices: keep looking for the right market for your pots, or
vary your pots until they sell in the market you've chosen. Don't give up.
This is the trial by fire: marketing. Too bad we all have to make a living
at this stuff! Shows will tell you about how people react to your work.
Keep doing them for awhile. Wholesale won't tell you as much in the
beginning.
Take Care,
Jennifer
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello all-
>Well, after putting all our time, energy, heart, soul and money into our
>pots, we just finished our second retail craft fair...and we did much worse
>than anticipated. We have several artist/crafter friends here who have
>given us feedback, but they aren't potters, so we are seeking feedback from
>you all. What did we do wrong?! We were told we have a nice display,
>gorgeous work (all functional pieces) , reasonable prices... yet we didn't
>make back our booth fees at either fair. We did get a couple of wholesale
>contacts, so that was exciting, but ... we're desperately trying to figure
>out how to do this (selling our wares). Any advice???? Do any of you make
>enough at retail fairs to make a living? Wholesale? Which way should we
>go?
>Vikki and Libby
>Stilltree Pottery
>Oakland, CA
>vdow@muse.sfusd.k12.ca.us
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer
Thistle Hill Pottery
Montpelier, Vt. 05602
jboyer@plainfield.bypass.com
Tracy Dotson on fri 20 jun 97
I too have hated to see my work sold at wholesale for 50% but a number of
years ago my wife kept some good records on just how much we were saving by
going to fairs. Turns out that after all expences were added up (Booth fees,
travel and food) we were only getting 10% over the wholesale price! (Not
counting getting rained out or the lost time while traveling and sitting at
the fail) Now if you set a price on what your time is worth, then the 50%
isn't too bad. We still go to about 5 shows a year which have proven to be
sellers. I need to see the response of the customer to our work and I
consider the trip to be a way to get away from the studio.
Best of luck ..... Hang in there ..... Keep working at it but most of all
it's you own time and your own space that we are all working towards. Try to
make honest pots and the public and your wholesale accounts will respond
well.
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