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price tagging and inventory

updated sat 9 may 98

 

Karen Ottenbreit on thu 7 may 98

Hello all,
I have a question I don't think I've seen addressed brfore here on Clayart.

How do you folks deal with the pricing of your work ? I don't mean how you
arrive at the sale price.... but how do you generally go about actually
tagging the price on the piece itself ?
The shops through which my work is sold want a separate tag for their
inventory and bookkeeper, so they know what to pay me at the end of every
month. I also have a small 2"X 2" folded card with my business name, etc.
and brief info about the piece that the buyer takes with them. I think my
tag and card are very nicely and professional looking but I am still
stuggling with a way to attach them to the item itself that doesn't involve
"tacky looking" (no pun intended) scotch tape. My large shallow bowls
present the greatest challenge. Perhaps I am expecting to accomplish too
much, and need to rethink my approach.
So I am curious how you folks out there in Clayart Land are doing it ?

Do you include info on yourself and your work to your customer with each
piece ? Is it on each piece or displayed separately for the customer to
help themselves if wanted ? If I am doing a show, I, personally, would
automatically include this with every sale, but at the shop.... I'm, of
course, not there.
Another question I would pose is how do you keep track and/or record your
inventory ? Do you code your items ? ie; Bs-salmon "B"=bowl,
"s"=small, and "salmon" is what is on the bowl.
The system I've created works but it is very cumbersome to use and I'm
certain that there is a better and easier way of doing it.
Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions.

And Congrats Vince !!!! I'm so happy for you and all the folks down at the
Crafts Center !!!!

Karen on the Kenai

If you can't beat 'em..... just try a bigger stick !!!

Jeffrey J. Taylor on fri 8 may 98

Karen,

In regards to attaching cards to bowls and such larger items, i take
the following approach.

Find a piece of stiff wire, on one end using needle nose pliers,
roll a spiral of three or more tight loops. These loops will be used to
hold the tag by inserting it between them.
Let the spiral part extend into the bowl whatever depth you desire,
and then bend the straight part over the lip. Remove, and push the bend
a little further, so that it acts as a spring, These hold the tags even
when upside down and unlike tape or string, if the customer accidentally
removes it, sliding it back on solves the problem.
If you wish, I can send a picture.

Jeffrey Taylor
Duval, sk Canada