mel jacobson on mon 6 oct 08
i do not want anyone to compete with
the junk.
look at it...see what is going on.
make great work, well crafted, that
no one else can compete with.
i don't make chicken shit stuff.
i make the best pots i can...then i
go and sell them..
no slippery slope here, or any other
professional potter. richard aerni is not going
to make cast chickens...he will work hard to
make great pots that he always makes...it is just
a bit harder to sell them...you cannot compromise
quality. one has to sell quality...something a lot better
than target sells.
but, if you don't look, you don't know.
the renaissance fairs sell chicken legs and beer.
they don't give a crap about great craft any more.
the uptown art fair has booths hawking beer and brats.
they make tons of money off of the artist's backs. it is a dead issue.
we have to do it ourselves.
can't stick the head in the sand...have to
be active and work hard.
i do garden clubs, local groups, advertise...and
i am doing a couple of big local solo shows.
it is hard times, have to work harder.
if you do not have any idea what your competition is
doing...you are lost. if you do not do some scouting for
the big game...you lose.
mel
from minnetonka:
website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart site:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Charles on mon 6 oct 08
I feel I need to report here.
I sell my pottery at Renaissance Faires all over the country from Florida t=
o Massechussets as well as medieval events through the Society for Creative=
Anachronism. I am hearing tales of woe from other merchants. Mostly the on=
es that sell tacky resale novelty items. My sales are up. by the end of the=
year I am projecting a 20% increase. I sell nothing but my own pots and th=
e public despite wall street woes and gas prices skyrocketing have been buy=
ing my pieces at a pace that I find difficult to keep up with.
People stop buying the novelty crap first. Fine handmade wares are still in=
high demand.
-Charles
Visit me on the web www.hughespottery.com
Have a Raku Party! inquiries@hughespottery.com
Potters Blog www.hughespottery.multiply.com
Interested in lessons? www.thecreativeoasis.com =A0
--- On Mon, 10/6/08, mel jacobson wrote:
From: mel jacobson
Subject: [CLAYART] tim and sales
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Monday, October 6, 2008, 11:48 AM
i do not want anyone to compete with
the junk.
look at it...see what is going on.
make great work, well crafted, that
no one else can compete with.
i don't make chicken shit stuff.
i make the best pots i can...then i
go and sell them..
no slippery slope here, or any other
professional potter. richard aerni is not going
to make cast chickens...he will work hard to
make great pots that he always makes...it is just
a bit harder to sell them...you cannot compromise
quality. one has to sell quality...something a lot better
than target sells.
but, if you don't look, you don't know.
the renaissance fairs sell chicken legs and beer.
they don't give a crap about great craft any more.
the uptown art fair has booths hawking beer and brats.
they make tons of money off of the artist's backs. it is a dead issue.
we have to do it ourselves.
can't stick the head in the sand...have to
be active and work hard.
i do garden clubs, local groups, advertise...and
i am doing a couple of big local solo shows.
it is hard times, have to work harder.
if you do not have any idea what your competition is
doing...you are lost. if you do not do some scouting for
the big game...you lose.
mel
from minnetonka:
website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart site:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
KATHI LESUEUR on mon 6 oct 08
On Oct 6, 2008, at 11:48 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
> we have to do it ourselves.
> can't stick the head in the sand...have to
> be active and work hard.
>
> i do garden clubs, local groups, advertise...and
> i am doing a couple of big local solo shows.
> it is hard times, have to work harder.>>>
I think as the economy continues to tank Mel's approach is going to
become more and more important. Sell to your local market. Organize
your own small shows where your customers aren't overwhelmed. Most
art fairs started off with small groups of artists getting together
to sell their work. As they became successful, more artists wanted in
on it. They grew, hired someone to help them, decided to "become a
non-profit to avoid taxes" and one day found themselves out of their
show. Don't follow that path. Keep it small. Develop a following.
Let those big shows die. They aren't serving either the artists or
the buying public anyway.
Kathi
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