Maid O'Mud on sun 27 apr 08
I just got home from our local guild sale (London Potters Guild - London,
Ontario).
I have new work, new colours, new display. My worst sale ever. Seems the
better
my work gets, the less I sell. Other potters LOVE my pots; customers pass
by.
My prices are neither top nor bottom end (1 lb mug plain $20, 3 lb chip/dip
$35)
so I know it's not the prices. I saw wonky, badly finished work the same
price
range walking out the door. Colours thrown at the pots. My work is neat,
well trimmed, interesting top and bottom etc. Is this yet another step
along
the potter's ladder? How do I get over this hump? My car NEEDS tires :-(
sam - having a solo pity party in Melbourne
Sam Cuttell
Maid O'Mud Pottery
RR 1
Melbourne, Ontario
N0L 1T0
CANADA
"First, the clay told me what to do.
Then, I told the clay what to do.
Now, we co-operate."
sam 1994
HYPERLINK "http://www.ody.ca/~scuttell/"http://www.ody.ca/~scuttell/
HYPERLINK "mailto:scuttell@ody.ca"scuttell@ody.ca
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9:39 AM
Lynn Goodman Porcelain Pottery on sun 27 apr 08
On Apr 27, 2008, at 8:43 PM, Maid O'Mud wrote:
> I just got home from our local guild sale (London Potters Guild -
> London,
> Ontario). I have new work, new colours, new display. My worst sale
> ever. Seems the
> better my work gets, the less I sell. Other potters LOVE my pots;
> customers pass
> by.
I have found that other potters loving my work is the kiss of death.
Maybe the customers don't understand the quality of
your work, or maybe (probably) they just have bad taste! I am
constantly amazed at the crappy stuff that sells. You need to
find a market that values what you do.
Lynn
Lynn Goodman
Fine Porcelain Pottery
Cell 347-526-9805
www.lynngoodmanporcelain.com
Terrance Lazaroff on mon 28 apr 08
Sam;
Take a deep breath and move on.
I did a sale once and I sold the first pot in the sale. That was the
last. It hurt but what can you do. I saw a lot of two-dollar junk being
carried out of the room. Not potter but that is beside the point. People
have odd tastes.
Terrance
Sam wrote;
I just got home from our local guild sale (London Potters Guild - London,
>Ontario).
>I have new work, new colours, new display. My worst sale ever. Seems the
>better
>my work gets, the less I sell. Other potters LOVE my pots; customers pass
>by.
>My prices are neither top nor bottom end (1 lb mug plain $20, 3 lb chip/dip
>$35)
>so I know it's not the prices. I saw wonky, badly finished work the same
>price
>range walking out the door. Colours thrown at the pots. My work is neat,
>well trimmed, interesting top and bottom etc. Is this yet another step
>along
>the potter's ladder? How do I get over this hump? My car NEEDS tires :-(
>
>sam - having a solo pity party in Melbourne
>
>Sam Cuttell
>Maid O'Mud Pottery
>RR 1
>Melbourne, Ontario
>N0L 1T0
>CANADA
Kathy McDonald on mon 28 apr 08
Sam, I totally understand.
This is going to sound horribly cynical but,,,
put a little blue flower, or a pink dragonfly on it
and ...voila.....
I admit I'll stoop to very low lows to
sell at a craft sale.
Kathy
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of
Lynn Goodman
Porcelain Pottery
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 9:19 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Conundrum
On Apr 27, 2008, at 8:43 PM, Maid O'Mud wrote:
> I just got home from our local guild sale (London Potters
Guild -
> London,
> Ontario). I have new work, new colours, new display. My
worst sale
> ever. Seems the
> better my work gets, the less I sell. Other potters LOVE
my pots;
> customers pass
> by.
I have found that other potters loving my work is the kiss
of death.
Maybe the customers don't understand the quality of
your work, or maybe (probably) they just have bad taste! I
am
constantly amazed at the crappy stuff that sells. You need
to
find a market that values what you do.
Lynn
Lynn Goodman
Fine Porcelain Pottery
Cell 347-526-9805
www.lynngoodmanporcelain.com
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Date: 4/27/2008 9:39 AM
KATHI LESUEUR on mon 28 apr 08
On Apr 27, 2008, at 8:43 PM, Maid O'Mud wrote:
> I just got home from our local guild sale (London Potters Guild -
> London,
> Ontario).
> I have new work, new colours, new display. My worst sale ever.
> Seems the
> better
> my work gets, the less I sell. Other potters LOVE my pots;
> customers pass
> by.
I had this same problem years ago. There are just people who love
that rough, unfinished look. The more refined I got the less they
wanted my pots. Some had become good friends over the years and felt
bad. But, they explained, they just liked that "rough, earthy" look.
And, you may have made the switch too quickly for your customers.
They came looking for one thing and you gave them something else.
BTW, I'v often found that if other potters love something I've done
it's the kiss of death when it comes to selling that piece.
I have a friend who told me the story of working all year on big
sculptural pieces ( a huge departure from his other work) that he
thought would make his name in the clay world. He got in all of the
top shows. Other potters came up at every show and were awed by the
work. Just stunning. At the end of the year he hadn't sold a single
piece. So, perhaps showing some of your new work with your old work
would be a better approach.
Kathi
Shula on mon 28 apr 08
Hi -
The bottom line: in retail, you just account for some people's taste.
Story: Way back when, I owned a business where I sold used, traditional Japanese textiles - from traditional cotton farm clothes to elaborate wedding kimono and more. For a time, we did both retail and wholesale. Later, found someone to do the retail business. Would go to Japan and choose each piece - going through thousands of pieces during each trip. Especially when doing the retail, I would choose pieces that I could not imagine people buying (but I knew better). Sure enough, these pieces would sell before the wonderful traditional pieces that were artistically, etc. far superior to the pieces that sold quickly. I remember selling pieces that I couldn't imagine owning and shaking my head while I lovingly packed away the very special pieces that hadn't sold at the end of the sale.
It's hard to see duds walking out the door while wonderful pieces don't.
Shula
Desert Hot Springs, California USA
>
>On Apr 27, 2008, at 8:43 PM, Maid O'Mud wrote:
>
>> I just got home from our local guild sale (London Potters
>Guild -
>> London,
>> Ontario). I have new work, new colours, new display. My
>worst sale
>> ever. Seems the
>> better my work gets, the less I sell. Other potters LOVE
>my pots;
>> customers pass
>> by.
>
>I have found that other potters loving my work is the kiss
>of death.
>Maybe the customers don't understand the quality of
>your work, or maybe (probably) they just have bad taste! I
>am
>constantly amazed at the crappy stuff that sells. You need
>to
>find a market that values what you do.
>
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