Lorri on thu 8 feb 01
Kim,
Just curious, if another artist wanted to barter but you didn't particularly
find their work appealing for you to want to own, how do you tactfully tell
them you don't want to barter with them but that you do with another person
next to them? Surely this must have come up at some point.
Lorri
Lenexa, KS
(no one wants to barter with me yet )
> I agree with you. Don't discount at the end of the show.. One of the best
> activities at any show I have been to is meeting with other atrist. While
> visiting the discussion of bater always surfaces.. I tell them that I will
> be willing to barter (at a fair exchange) at the end of the show.. This
> gives me the opportunity to sell the piece first.
Terrance Lazaroff on thu 8 feb 01
-----Original Message-----
From: miriam
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Thursday, February 08, 2001 10:08 PM
Subject: last day of sale price cut
>Hi Jeff,
Reducing the price at the end of a sale is not advised. Patrons know that
we are anxious to sell and they often look for deals during the last hours
of weekend show. I had on guy continue to pass my stall waiting for me to
start to wrap. Once I started he made a bee line for my goods. Picking up
the pieces he had scouted earlier, he quickly said "make me a deal and I
will take all of these.". It really hurt. He didn't know that I only sold
one pot through out the sale. I held to my prices. I responded that the
pots do not spoil with age, like bananas.
Another time I had two women pick up a pot while I was packing. They asked
all kinds of questions, gave praise and encouragement. Then they asked what
if I had an end show price. My response again hurt. I stated that I would
give the piece to mr. Hammer before I would reduce the price. It hurt.
Don't reduce your prices just to lighten the load. Tell the client that
reducing the price for them will reduce the value of the work for those who
collect the work. Tell them, that by paying the marked price will ensure
the value of the work they purchase.
If they don't respond. Take the pot and wrap it right away and put it away
for the next time. And PS. don't reduce your prices unless you are sure
you are making your costs, overhead and profit. Otherwise you will work
your self into poverty.
Terrance
miriam on thu 8 feb 01
Hi Jeff,
I have to respectfully disagree with you on lowering your prices on the
last day of a sale if you haven't sold well. I've been in a show with a
group of potters where one of the people did this. It pulled everyone
away from wherever they were browsing among the other potters, and gave
this one potter a last-minute boost, creating bad feelings all around.
And it gave a fire sale feeling to the show that it didn't deserve.
Stand by your work and don't cheapen it! It also gave some people an
idea that next time we do the show, they'll just come by in the second
half of the last day, for a few steals and deals, and not show up before
that.
A better solution, I feel, is to lower prices a bit for the next show
and see if that makes a difference. Or, if the work deserves it, do a
better quality show where a higher price is expected. I learn from each
situation and hopefully apply what I've learned next time.
Only trouble with this approach is there seem to be so darn many
lessons to learn.
Also, the work might go quicker over time, with practice. I'm making
the assumption that you haven't been potting long, because you say
you're young and in college. This is not a reflection on the quality of
your work, which I have not seen. It seems to me that you may not be
able to get real compensation for the time put in, yet, because it's
possible the amount of time it takes for you to put out an item might be
longer than strictly necessary. A better rule of thumb, if this is
true, would be charging the going price for that item, all time and
effort considerations aside for now. In other words, if other mugs are
selling for $14, don't make yours $20 cuz they took longer. But on the
flip side, if your mugs are just as good as the next guy's, don't sell
'em for $8 just cuz you're a student, young, whatever.
It ain't easy but I sure do love that clay. Speaking of mugs, back to
work for me.
Mimi Stadler in NJ, USA
Looking forward to my 1st NCECA.
Wade Blocker on fri 9 feb 01
Chris,
Years ago I was the foounder and member of the Athena Group. We had an
annual sale, potter, painters, jeweler were the participants. One year we
noticed a couple of women who just kept hanging around all afternoon
without buying anything. Finally someone asked if we could help them. They
replied that they were waiting for 3 pm when everything would sell at half
price. They were quickly told that this was an art show not a garage sale,
and that the prices would not change. They quickly left. Mia in ABQ
Gayle Bair on fri 9 feb 01
One time I answered a that last
day of sale question by doubling the
price.
Heh, heh!
Gayle Bair- Bainbridge WA
-----Original Message-----
Subject: last day of sale price cut
>Hi Jeff,
Reducing the price at the end of a sale is not advised. Patrons know that
we are anxious to sell and they often look for deals during the last hours
of weekend show. I had on guy continue to pass my stall waiting for me to
start to wrap. Once I started he made a bee line for my goods. Picking up
the pieces he had scouted earlier, he quickly said "make me a deal and I
will take all of these.". It really hurt. He didn't know that I only sold
one pot through out the sale. I held to my prices. I responded that the
pots do not spoil with age, like bananas.
Another time I had two women pick up a pot while I was packing. They asked
all kinds of questions, gave praise and encouragement. Then they asked what
if I had an end show price. My response again hurt. I stated that I would
give the piece to mr. Hammer before I would reduce the price. It hurt.
Don't reduce your prices just to lighten the load. Tell the client that
reducing the price for them will reduce the value of the work for those who
collect the work. Tell them, that by paying the marked price will ensure
the value of the work they purchase.
If they don't respond. Take the pot and wrap it right away and put it away
for the next time. And PS. don't reduce your prices unless you are sure
you are making your costs, overhead and profit. Otherwise you will work
your self into poverty.
Terrance
Kim Peterson on fri 9 feb 01
I agree with you. Don't discount at the end of the show.. One of the best
activities at any show I have been to is meeting with other atrist. While
visiting the discussion of bater always surfaces.. I tell them that I will
be willing to barter (at a fair exchange) at the end of the show.. This
gives me the opportunity to sell the piece first.
I have many wonderful pieces from others and I don't lower the prices during
the shows.
Kim
>From: Terrance Lazaroff
>Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Re: last day of sale price cut
>Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 22:44:36 -0500
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: miriam
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Date: Thursday, February 08, 2001 10:08 PM
>Subject: last day of sale price cut
>
>
> >Hi Jeff,
>
>Reducing the price at the end of a sale is not advised. Patrons know that
>we are anxious to sell and they often look for deals during the last hours
>of weekend show. I had on guy continue to pass my stall waiting for me to
>start to wrap. Once I started he made a bee line for my goods. Picking up
>the pieces he had scouted earlier, he quickly said "make me a deal and I
>will take all of these.". It really hurt. He didn't know that I only
>sold
>one pot through out the sale. I held to my prices. I responded that the
>pots do not spoil with age, like bananas.
>
>Another time I had two women pick up a pot while I was packing. They asked
>all kinds of questions, gave praise and encouragement. Then they asked
>what
>if I had an end show price. My response again hurt. I stated that I would
>give the piece to mr. Hammer before I would reduce the price. It hurt.
>
>Don't reduce your prices just to lighten the load. Tell the client that
>reducing the price for them will reduce the value of the work for those who
>collect the work. Tell them, that by paying the marked price will ensure
>the value of the work they purchase.
>If they don't respond. Take the pot and wrap it right away and put it away
>for the next time. And PS. don't reduce your prices unless you are sure
>you are making your costs, overhead and profit. Otherwise you will work
>your self into poverty.
>
>Terrance
>
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Cantello Studios on fri 9 feb 01
Hi Jeff I'm of the same mind as Mimi on this post. The worst thing you can
do is lower your price I have found that raising the price works better over
the long run. It's funny but people will often buy the higher price mug at a
show. Some people just like to buy one or two things at every show and some
are mug collectors and some are just cheap. The people you are looking for
to buy your work are the people that will pay more. I feel in the U.S. we as
potter need to educate the buyers on how pottery is made and how much time
and love we put into each and every piece. When people come into my booth
and pick up a mug I tell them that mug will soon become your favorite mug
and soon you will use only it. And if that des not happen bring it back and
I'll refund your money. This may sound nuts but no one has ever returned a
mug in 20+ years. Take the time to make that mug something you would love to
use and present it to your greatest friend or Valentine. In the end you will
be getting three times the price you are asking now. Keep the faith. Chris
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