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end of show,lowering prices

updated sat 10 feb 01

 

AKitchens on fri 9 feb 01


Jeff,
I recently co-chaired a studio tour and local show for our regional
division of TACA (Tennessee Arts and Crafts Association).
The show is open to the TACA members and the local artists. We wanted to
improve and expand the show and found we needed several extra spaces for
the numbers of artists that responded. We found a wonderful space and
set up six artists booth spaces in it. On the last day one of the folk
artists put all of her work on sale for 50% off. That wasn't enough,
every time a customer walked into the room she barked that her work was
on sale. The other five artists are well respected craft artists,
including the potter on Clayart that will recognize this story. They
have all scraped and struggled to find their place in their field and
this one artist pulled all of them down the last day of the show
reducing the room to a flea market level. Of course, each one was asked
if they had anything on sale too.
Always respect your craft and your fellow artists. Show your work in the
most positive setting that you can afford. If you feel you have to
reduce your prices to squeeze out that last dollar, reconsider why you
are there and wait tables at night instead to make ends meet. Selling
short is like selling a piece of yourself. As one of my watercolor
coaches told me years ago. If your work isn't selling raise your prices.
Think.

Nan Kitchens
In balmy Tennessee, buds are popping and Spring is around the corner.

Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 02:49:07 -0500
From: Jeffrey
Subject: Re: Appropriate pricing

I have to agree. I'm a college student and I have been underpricing my
work
for a while now, but I just realized that I can't do it anymore. I had
assumed that because I am young, I shouldn't charge a lot for my work. I

realize now that the amount of time it takes for me to produce my work
hasn't been close to the amount of money I should be making. Nowadays,
my
back is starting to hurt, and I got dizzy the other day while mixing
clay.
While there are a lot of things to consider when pricing, underpricing
your
work can be really bad. The last day of a sale, if you haven't sold
much,
then you can always lower your prices, but you can't run after everyone
you
sold work to and ask for more money later.

-jeff