lela martens on mon 30 apr 01
Try not to get discouraged, Chris. Have faith in your work.
I had a big craft fair failure last year myself, still trying to forget i=
t.
The booth cost 450, I sold 200, never minding the two hours of travel eac=
h
way, and two nights accomodation. Lots of people, lots of oohs, aahs, the=
n
they walked away to buy wooden mickey mouse growth charts and dough-heads
that fit in a frame ( Hi! We are the Adam`s family) Non of the potters so=
ld
much.
I`ve given up on fairs around here. They are the wrong venue for my work.
And yes, I politely told a few that they would be much happier going to W=
all
Mart. I am now selling in small specialty stores and gallery gift shops. =
I
am also the world`s worst salesperson, so let those who are good at it do
it. Hang in there, Lela
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
artimater on mon 30 apr 01
Poor Chris, =3D20
At least some guy in a wheel chair didn't come in and beg and bargain =3D
and finagle you out of your favorite piece for 43% of retail.....Hate it =
=3D
when that happens.....and it happens EVERY time.....right before the =3D
thunderstorm with the high wind.....rain blowing sideways......then here =
=3D
in TX the suns comes out and the world turns into a steam bath....and =3D
then the mud mixed with snow cone juice....I hate that.....I'm fair =3D
skinned, I can usually depend on losing the skin off my nose again(REAL =3D
men don't wear sunscreen).....
I hate slides, jurys and fees....shit, they oughta be paying =3D
me.....I hate the guy next to me selling crap for nothing....I hate the =3D
guy on the other side selling great pots for nothing......I hate people =3D
who don't bathe....
Then to add insult to injury I always try to buy more than I =3D
sell.....Gotta support people in the arts....Hate it when that =3D
happens......Or when I get drunk as a skunk and run out of money and =3D
beer. Then I have to talk the next guy out of a pot by telling him I =3D
will send him something....Then I lose the address so he hangs like an =3D
albatross around my neck for the rest of my life....always looking over =3D
my shoulder.....I hate that too....hate hangovers too
If I had a couple Red Stripes I could go on all afternoon...but I =3D
think you guys get the idea...I would much rather go to shows than be in =
=3D
em
Rush
"I only indulge when I've seen a snake, so I keep a supply of =3D
indulgences and snakes handy"
http://www.geocities.com/artimator/index.html
artimator@earthlink.net
Joyce Lee on mon 30 apr 01
As you're being told, Chris, you will find your audience .... just takes
time. I went to two shows this weekend and saw potters I KNOW can make
delightful work, but who've chosen to make very, very, VERY standard
vases, bowls.... no mugs... a few "cute" gimmicks. Glazes were (again)
standard pottery supply house glazes... no layering... nothing exciting.
Just mix, dip, shake and fire. Nicely thrown. Nice and even. Nothing
loose. No shino, of course, although one said that she's just tried some
shino and loves it.... think she got it from Mel's article in CM.
Blues, greens, whites, a couple of low fire yellows (liked those) .....
nothing wrong with that... but these were DULL. Plain. AND, I repeat,
both potters are capable of doing fine work ... they made what sells...
and they did sell. Customers weren't lined up, by any means, but they
probably did "all right." Which is why I'm NOT Doing Shows for now,
maybe never.
I know Temecula isn't far from San Diego. Were your shows there?
If they were and you didn't sell, then you might look at the possibility
of RAISING your PRICES ... has worked for many potters... as well as
other artists. If you're selling so little, it might be worth
consideration. Some believe that if they don't pay through the nose,
whatever they're thinking about purchasing can't be worth much ... their
taste is guided by price tags ... they are the ones who buy the $300.00
plain, simple, tee-shirts off the rack on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills
(California).... slightly "dressier" ones are over a thousand.
Don't give up. Just go around the barn in a different direction.
Joyce
In the Mojave where it's hotting up but the cactus are in bloom ...
hot pink, fuschia, salmon colors..... they don't last long but while
they're here, they're stunning.... have several on our scrub acreage.
Claudia and Ray on mon 30 apr 01
Yeah...and I hate when my husband gets busted by the local law
enforcement officers in the middle of the county fair just because he
poured coffee on some guy's organ!
Ah the memories of those lovely craft fairs!
taube wilson on tue 1 may 01
Chris,
Your work is beautiful. I should qualify what I'm about to say
by letting you know that I'm not yet selling my work, but I go to
a lot of shows and talk to artists and gallery owners.
It seems to me that if people are saying that they can get
what they want at K-Mart, they are telling you that they shop at
K-Mart - that is, they're probably not your audience. The booth fee
seems a little low - $150? - what kind of show was this? A friend
told me about trying to sell her sculptures at a show where the guy at
the next booth was selling tarantulas embedded in plexiglass. If the
tarantuals are selling well, the sculpture probably isn't. Another
friend did a street fair where the table across from him did a
brisk business in those plywood garden girls with their underwear
showing.
Even if the work at the fair you attended wasn't as extreme as that,
it's clear that it didn't fit in somehow. We have huge,
popular shows of "country crafts" here, but they wouldn't be your
market. (Well, actually, they *could* be your market if you put
daisies in some pitchers, used shelving that looked like old-fashioned
cupboards, and put a few doilies around. And left the more Asian-
inspired things home(like the soy bottles) and added some cups and
saucers and stuff like that)). On the other hand, I could easily see
your work selling at an upscale crafts shop in Georgetown(or your
California equivalent).
Good luck finding a venue for your work. I'm sure you will. Don't
feel that you have to stick to shows with low booth fees - maybe
the way to go is to do more upscale, expensive shows, and maybe even
raise your prices(for instance, I thought your teapots were priced
somewhat low).
-Taube Wilson
Annandale, Va.
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
Chris Clarke on wed 2 may 01
.. The booth fee
> seems a little low - $150? - what kind of show was this?
A show that started as an art festival that they most likely didn't get the
response they thought they would and ditched the entrance rules!! Or they
had a street fair thing going on at the same time and interspersed the
'artists'. We were there spread among three to four hundred booths. I meet
several really nice potters. Needless to say, I won't go back. Beanie
babies, tazers, imported resale crap. Never again. I've learned my lesson.
chris
temecula, california
chris@ccpots.com
www.ccpots.com
craig clark on wed 2 may 01
I'll have to respectfully disagree with Gayle on this. At a certain
point it is often best to cut your losses. How much time and effort is it
really worth to take anyone to small claims court (much less what is
probably a poorly organized, il funded nonprofit) for a hundred and fifty
bucks?They screwed up. You got screwed. The toilet roll decorators are
pleased. In the big picture, so what?
Make more pots and apply to established juried shows if that is the
route that you want to take. Unless you're dead set on going after the
festival coordinators to make a statement or on principle (which can be
quite expensive time wise) you might think about chalking this one up to =
a
learning experience.
Having said this, it certainly wouldn't hurt anyone if you broadcast =
the
name of the festival, it's organizers, and it's location for all of the
world to hear. The internet works very well in this regard. Don't say
anything inflammatory or untrue. Just describe what happened.
Craig Dunn Clark
619 East 11 1/2 st
Houston, Texas 77008
(713)861-2083
mudman@hal-pc.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Gayle Bair
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Wednesday, May 02, 2001 5:21 PM
Subject: Re: Sales Rant
>Did the entrance rules that were ditched included being juried? So you
>juried then others came along with crocheted toilet paper holders (yes, =
I
do
>have something against crocheted toilet paper holders!) and were just le=
t
in
>to fill the spaces ($$$ Ka-ching!).
>If that were the case I think I would be annoyed enough to ask for my mo=
ney
>back! If it was promoted as an Art Festival.... not an Arts and Crafts
>festival or plain ole' festival I think you have a valid case. I'd even
>include more $ for your time! Hell take them to small claims court.
>
>Perhaps it's time for us to fight back! Where's my combat boots and
>Superwoman cape....
>
>Rant over!
>
>Gayle Bair- Bainbridge Island WA USA
>
>Chris wrote>
>. The booth fee
>> seems a little low - $150? - what kind of show was this?
>
>A show that started as an art festival that they most likely didn't get =
the
>response they thought they would and ditched the entrance rules!! Or the=
y
>had a street fair thing going on at the same time and interspersed the
>'artists'. We were there spread among three to four hundred booths. I
meet
>several really nice potters. Needless to say, I won't go back. Beanie
>babies, tazers, imported resale crap. Never again. I've learned my
lesson.
>chris
>temecula, california
>chris@ccpots.com
> www.ccpots.com
>
>________________________________________________________________________=
___
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
Gayle Bair on wed 2 may 01
Did the entrance rules that were ditched included being juried? So you
juried then others came along with crocheted toilet paper holders (yes, I do
have something against crocheted toilet paper holders!) and were just let in
to fill the spaces ($$$ Ka-ching!).
If that were the case I think I would be annoyed enough to ask for my money
back! If it was promoted as an Art Festival.... not an Arts and Crafts
festival or plain ole' festival I think you have a valid case. I'd even
include more $ for your time! Hell take them to small claims court.
Perhaps it's time for us to fight back! Where's my combat boots and
Superwoman cape....
Rant over!
Gayle Bair- Bainbridge Island WA USA
Chris wrote>
.. The booth fee
> seems a little low - $150? - what kind of show was this?
A show that started as an art festival that they most likely didn't get the
response they thought they would and ditched the entrance rules!! Or they
had a street fair thing going on at the same time and interspersed the
'artists'. We were there spread among three to four hundred booths. I meet
several really nice potters. Needless to say, I won't go back. Beanie
babies, tazers, imported resale crap. Never again. I've learned my lesson.
chris
temecula, california
chris@ccpots.com
www.ccpots.com
| |
|
