Bonnie Staffel on wed 4 oct 00
Pricing Pots
Dear Mel,
Thanks so much for your recent post on Clayart. A number of years ago I was
making quiche pans and got the idea of checking out Dansk pottery for
pricing. That was an eye opener for sure and have followed that formula
ever since. I have been making bathroom sinks and looked up Kohler's
hand(?)decorated sinks for pricing. Visitors eyes pop out here in northern
Michigan when I put a price of $1200 on them in the gallery where I sell my
work. Even then, have to consider the commission for my cut.
You are doing a great job, Mel. Just wish the carping on a disagreeable
subject could be cut shorter. I am still trying to catch up from my recent
week away from the computer.
Regards, Bonnie Staffel, Charlevoix, MI
steve graber on mon 21 dec 09
sometimes it's just the demographics of who comes to the shows.=3DA0 years =
ba=3D
ck i did craft shows and couldn't sell bigger bowls to save my life at any =
=3D
price from $20 to $75.=3DA0 then i did an art show, and sold out of these s=
am=3D
e bowls at $75 each in 3 hours.=3DA0 by this show however i had squewed my =
in=3D
ventory over to craft show (crap show?) mentality and THAT little stuff did=
=3D
n't sell at the art show.=3DA0=3DA0=3D0A=3DA0Steve Graber, Graber's Pottery=
, Inc=3D0A=3D
Claremont, California USA=3D0AThe Steve Tool - for awesome texture on pots!=
=3D
=3D0Awww.graberspottery.com steve@graberspottery.com =3D0A=3D0A=3D0AOn Lagu=
na Clay'=3D
s website=3D0Ahttp://www.lagunaclay.com/blogs/ =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A----- Or=
iginal Mes=3D
sage ----=3D0A> From: Monica Wright =3D0A> To: Cla=
yart=3D
@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=3D0A> Sent: Mon, December 21, 2009 5:03:27 PM=3D0A> Subje=
ct: =3D
pricing pots=3D0A> =3D0A> Just finished the holiday sale at school.=3DA0 Wa=
s slig=3D
htly dissapointed as I only =3D0A> took home around $250 after putting out =
ar=3D
ound $800 worth of pots -nice pots.=3DA0 =3D0A> Small single serving porcel=
ain =3D
breakfast/dessert bowls -$8, small 8oz cups -$8, =3D0A> medium serving bowl=
s =3D
-$15, 20oz beer mugs -$15.=3DA0 Everything sold but the beer =3D0A> mugs.=
=3DA0 Ha=3D
d around 30 of them.=3DA0 So, what does this tell me?=3DA0 Priced too high?=
=3DA0 =3D
=3D0A> maybe.=3DA0 Crappy mugs?=3DA0 Actually pretty darn nice.=3DA0 How do=
you sta=3D
rt pricing =3D0A> anyway?=3DA0 Any rule of thumb to go by when starting out=
?=3D0A=3D
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
Monica Wright on mon 21 dec 09
Just finished the holiday sale at school.=3DA0 Was slightly dissapointed as=
I=3D
only took home around $250 after putting out around $800 worth of pots -ni=
=3D
ce pots.=3DA0 Small single serving porcelain breakfast/dessert bowls -$8, s=
ma=3D
ll 8oz cups -$8, medium serving bowls -$15, 20oz beer mugs -$15.=3DA0 Every=
th=3D
ing sold but the beer mugs.=3DA0 Had around 30 of them.=3DA0 So, what does =
this=3D
tell me?=3DA0 Priced too high?=3DA0 maybe.=3DA0 Crappy mugs?=3DA0 Actually=
pretty =3D
darn nice.=3DA0 How do you start pricing anyway?=3DA0 Any rule of thumb to =
go b=3D
y when starting out?
KATHI LESUEUR on mon 21 dec 09
http://www.lesueurclaywork.com
On Dec 21, 2009, at 8:03 PM, Monica Wright wrote:
> Just finished the holiday sale at school. ... Everything sold but
> the beer mugs. Had around 30 of them. So, what does this tell
> me? Priced too high? maybe. >>
Priced too low. Standard 12 oz mugs are $18 or more. You are telling
them with your price they aren't worth buying.
KATHI LESUEUR
>
Larry Kruzan on mon 21 dec 09
Hi Monica,
Pricing is always a hard thing. After 5 years of full time pots I still =3D
hate
it - like pricing your soul. But it has to be done. Could you send me a =3D
few
pictures and I might be able to advise you better.
I have always found school sales to be VERY low producing - the market
should be there but it has just never seemed to work that way. So I =3D
finally
decided that I would just take my seconds, price them very cheaply and =3D
get
them out of the store.
Was this a university, high school or what? If you were working against =3D
kids
selling mugs (probably much less quality) at half your prices that could =
=3D
be
the issue.=3D20
One other way to look at it is that you sold $250/$800=3D3D31.25% of what =
=3D
you
took. That is not too bad a percentage. This past year I had several =3D
shows
that resulted in percentage rates as low as 20%. I typically take $3-5k =3D
in
product to most shows. My best show this year was 62% compared to 85% =3D
last
year.
So don't be discouraged, look for better venues, make more product, =3D
raise
your prices where you can and check out everybody else.
Best Wishes and Merry Christmas,
Larry Kruzan
Lost Creek Pottery
www.lostcreekpottery.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Monica =3D
Wright
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 7:03 PM
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: pricing pots
Just finished the holiday sale at school.=3DA0 Was slightly dissapointed =
=3D
as I
only took home around $250 after putting out around $800 worth of pots =3D
-nice
pots.=3DA0 Small single serving porcelain breakfast/dessert bowls -$8, =3D
small 8oz
cups -$8, medium serving bowls -$15, 20oz beer mugs -$15.=3DA0 Everything =
=3D
sold
but the beer mugs.=3DA0 Had around 30 of them.=3DA0 So, what does this tell=
=3D
me?=3DA0
Priced too high?=3DA0 maybe.=3DA0 Crappy mugs?=3DA0 Actually pretty darn =
=3D
nice.=3DA0 How do
you start pricing anyway?=3DA0 Any rule of thumb to go by when starting =3D
out?
John Rodgers on tue 22 dec 09
Monica,
Pricing can be tough. In a manufacturing environment - products are
often marked up 1000% over cost before they go to market.
It has often been said, and numerous times on this list - to set out
five times as much at a show, as you expect to sell. You will have
something for almost everyone that way. It seems to work. And you surely
cannot sell to that picky buyer what you don't have out or available at
the show.
John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com
Monica Wright wrote:
> Just finished the holiday sale at school. Was slightly dissapointed as I=
only took home around $250 after putting out around $800 worth of pots -ni=
ce pots. Small single serving porcelain breakfast/dessert bowls -$8, small=
8oz cups -$8, medium serving bowls -$15, 20oz beer mugs -$15. Everything =
sold but the beer mugs. Had around 30 of them. So, what does this tell me=
? Priced too high? maybe. Crappy mugs? Actually pretty darn nice. How =
do you start pricing anyway? Any rule of thumb to go by when starting out?
>
>
>
Mea Rhee on tue 22 dec 09
Monica,
The price was very reasonable, and consistent with your other pots. Maybe=
=3D
folks felt self-
conscious about buying "beer mugs" at a school sale? I wonder what would =
=3D
have happened=3D20
if you had named them "ice cream float mugs."
(but call them "beer mugs" at other venues, I'd buy one!)
Mea
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