Jonathan Kaplan on mon 17 feb 97
I've read all the posts regarding the scam thread and what galleries do
and what each of us tries to do with getting our stuff to market. But what
is missing from these threads is any responsibility for how we pack our
work..
I've shipped UPS for well into 20 years and have found them to be
responsive, cooperative, and really, the best in the business provided I do
my work and make sure that what I ship and how I ship can survive the
rigors of their system. Everyone has their own UPS stories from
potteryland, but mine is as a very satisfied customer.
Potters are incredibly versitile and imaginative, but when it comes to
packing work for transit, the cheap, the inefficient, and the poorly
thought out rules. Come on, if you pack your work correctly it can and will
survive. Trust me, I've shipped more boxes by UPS Ground and Air, UPS
Hundred Weight, then I care to count and have thought through my packaging
system and it works. And UPS will help you with this. Whether you ship 10
boxes a month or 100 boxes a month, you need to design a packing system.
Don't just dump your work into a single box with crushed newspaper and
expect stellar results. UPS and every other carrier will do everything
possible to break, damage, or otherwiose destroy your stuff if it is not
well packed.
So the point is that if you put as much time and effort into a packing
system as you do into your work, it will arrive in one piece. I don't
understand why potters just don't follow through on this very important
part of our work. And yes, it is part of our work, as important as making
the ceramic work. Why bother to put so much energy, time, and effort into
creating beautiful things if it is damaged because you don't take the
necessary time, effort, and energy to pack it well?
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan
http://www.craftweb.com/org/jkaplan/cdg.shtml
http://digitalfire.com/magic/articles/kaplan1.htm
(aka "Scooter)
jonathan@csn.net
Ceramic Design Group Ltd./Production Services Voice:
970-879-9139 POB 775112
FAXmodem: same
Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80477, USA CALL before faxing
"Arrive on time, tell the truth, be a good listener, and don't
be too attatched to the results. Above all, maintain a sense of
humor!"
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