Gayle Bair on mon 30 apr 01
Chris,
After reading the comments thrown your way at the show I was
wondering......Was this a Art show or a beer fest, kiddy ride, local band
concert, food booth, face painting, hair braiding, 5 minute massage, stre=
et
performer general all purpose circus?
Of late I have spurned those type of shows. I found that people do not wa=
nt
to carry anything around, spend more than $5, are very easily distracted =
and
buying your beautiful pieces are beyond them.
I went to your web site ( very nice BTW). Your work is beautiful and too
reasonably priced.
I think, like a lot of other potters ( myself included) you have not foun=
d
your market yet.
I have given up on the shows I described and am trying to direct myself t=
o
shows that focus on art/crafts.
Mel gave some sound advice I am trying to follow... 50 mile radius etc.
(look in archives for more).
It is wonderful when people love, admire and appreciate your work. It is
even more wonderful when they buy and then come back later and buy more.
I think persistence is the key here. Don't give up.
Oh yes when people pay by check keep a record of their addresses and you
have an instant mailing list.
Gayle Bair- Bainbridge Island WA
http://claybair.com
Chris wrote>
I must be doing something wrong, I have no mailing list!! People who com=
e
into my booth at shows are always so nice but don't want to give me their
address, I must look like a psycho :)
My last show was huge thousands of people(75000 the paper said). $150,
that's all I sold and that was the booth fee. I look at my work and thin=
k
well maybe I suck and don't know it, I've read the thread on judging
pottery. Maybe I'm not really looking at my work. Many times I've thoug=
ht
of quitting, I'm tired of people coming in to look at my shelves (which a=
re
really cool) But, damnit I didn't make them.
The only thing that saved the show was a gentleman from Orange who
appreciated the frothy shinos and the narrow feet (for fingers the lock
onto) He stood in there for a half hour moving things and arranging (and
talking) until he had the 'set' that he wanted. During that half and hou=
r
we talked of shinos, tea and other interesting things. I have his addres=
s
and he emailed me the day after the event which was a plus.
I was also, at this show, harangued about my prices. "I can get this at
Kmart" I don't think you can but go to kmart and when you find what you
want for two dollars shove it up..................sorry. And then the gu=
y
who picked up a piece handed it to me and said this is almost what I want=
ed
and walked out.....ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!
My favorite is "did you mean to do this", "is this a fault". Okay get ou=
t
of my booth!!! I'm always very polite with a smile, because I like to ta=
lk
to people and answer questions. But don't ask me to hold something and t=
hen
never come back, give me a break.
Sorry everyone, it's been a bad couple of shows in the last few months an=
d I
needed to yell a little. I'm not going to quit but I was damn close for =
a
while. I've just decide to stop trying to make what people want and mak=
e
what I want. Or I need to get better at picking my shows : ) chris
Larry Phillips on mon 30 apr 01
Chris Clarke wrote:
>
> My last show was huge thousands of people(75000 the paper said). $150,=
that's all I sold and that was the booth fee. I look at my work and thi=
nk well maybe I suck and don't know it, I've read the thread on judging p=
ottery. Maybe I'm not really looking at my work.
No, you don't suck, and your prices seem VERY reasonable. I also like
your web site.
Hang in there, and try not to commit actual violence against the
barbarians that visit your booth.
--
Procrastinate now!
http://24.113.44.106/larry/
Nikki Simmons on mon 30 apr 01
Chris,
My mom has been doing antique shows for 25 years. She always does well, =
or
better than many of the other exhibitors. When asked what her secret is,
she always replies, "No secret, I had something they wanted to buy at the
right price."
And to that I would add that it is so important to have an educated
consumer. Her best customers are the ones that she "leads by the arm".
When I make pots to sell, I make things I like to make, that I think peop=
le
will want to buy, and I price it so they CAN buy it. I am slowly educati=
ng
her customers (hoping to make them my customers too).
Don't be too disheartened. I went and looked at your pots, you just have=
n't
found you clientele yet. I thought they looked great.
Sincerely,
Nikki Simmons
nsimmons@mid-mo.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Clarke
Subject: sales rant: was overflowing pottery vibes
I must be doing something wrong, I have no mailing list!! People who com=
e
into my booth at shows are always so nice but don't want to give me their
address, I must look like a psycho :)
Cindy G on mon 30 apr 01
Chris,
I can understand the frustration, I have noticed that
different shows lead to different results. Finding your
audience is crucial for selling. Their is always an
audience who wants your pots. Who are they? I get a
cross section of people, but mostly educated persons in
their 20's and 30's. Some of us raised on TV like the
whimsical pot. You just never know. Sometimes the
economy can play a role, people look but just can't grab
money out of their pocket for a nice piece. Go to K-mart
then, right.) Actually, you could have said K-Mart
doesn't carry my line of pots, so you may as well by it
here. Ha, ha. I am being off the wall, but some
consumers have no tact or taste. Don't give up!
> I must be doing something wrong, I have no mailing list!! People who c=
ome into
> my booth at shows are always so nice but don't want to give me their ad=
dress, I
> must look like a psycho :)
>
> My last show was huge thousands of people(75000 the paper said). $150,=
that's
> all I sold and that was the booth fee. I look at my work and think wel=
l maybe I
> suck and don't know it, I've read the thread on judging pottery. Maybe=
I'm not
> really looking at my work. Many times I've thought of quitting, I'm ti=
red of
> people coming in to look at my shelves (which are really cool) But, dam=
nit I
> didn't make them.
>
> The only thing that saved the show was a gentleman from Orange who appr=
eciated
> the frothy shinos and the narrow feet (for fingers the lock onto) He s=
tood in
> there for a half hour moving things and arranging (and talking) until h=
e had the
> 'set' that he wanted. During that half and hour we talked of shinos, t=
ea and
> other interesting things. I have his address and he emailed me the day=
after > the event which was a plus.
>
> I was also, at this show, harangued about my prices. "I can get this a=
t Kmart"
> I don't think you can but go to kmart and when you find what you want f=
or two
> dollars shove it up..................sorry. And then the guy who picke=
d up a
> piece handed it to me and said this is almost what I wanted and walked
> out.....ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!
>
> My favorite is "did you mean to do this", "is this a fault". Okay get =
out of my
> booth!!! I'm always very polite with a smile, because I like to talk t=
o people
> and answer questions. But don't ask me to hold something and then neve=
r come
> back, give me a break.
>
> Sorry everyone, it's been a bad couple of shows in the last few months =
and I
> needed to yell a little. I'm not going to quit but I was damn close fo=
r a
> while. I've just decide to stop trying to make what people want and m=
ake what
> I want. Or I need to get better at picking my shows : ) chris
>
>
> temecula, california
> chris@ccpots.com
> www.ccpots.com
>
> _______________________________________________________________________=
_______
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
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>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pcl=
ink.com.
Rick Monteverde on mon 30 apr 01
Chris Clarke's booth visitor said:
> "I can get this at Kmart"
The painful truth is, she was right! In a way. Listen to your
customers. It's not always literal. Of course they can't get nice
studio work like yours at Kmart. And IMHO, your work is aesthetically
wonderful - doesn't suck at all, and I'm pretty sure you know that.
In fact, I think it's popular. So popular that the look, or
*appearance* of the look (yes, that's double dereferenced!), of
artwork like yours has been co-opted by the high volume dealers who
sell to deep discount stores for customers like your booth visitor. A
very few people can appreciate your original work at the fair price
(bottom dollar for nice studio work - saw prices on your web site)
you were probably asking. Meanwhile, a large majority of less
sophisticated buyers just want the look or sensation of that kind of
stuff decorating their home, and they CAN get that at Kmart or
similar for perhaps less than half the price you're charging. Oh,
it's not even pottery of course, it's some sort of plaster, painted
with all kinds of high tech paint that looks like fancy glazes. Have
you gone there and looked lately? It can be heartbreaking for an
artist/craftsman to see the prices for the stuff they have there. And
some is rather handsome in a bland, awful way - I think you know what
I mean. You see it and you know people will be easily impressed with
it. The you turn it over and see the $12 - $22 price tag. Hang around
the displays on a busy day and watch shoppers' reactions. They also
sell imported low fire slipware that is hand painted, and some of
that is pretty impressive too. And the price, of course, is dirt
cheap.
The studio potter can't go up against that kind of production and
merchandising. So what's the answer? Ha - looking for that myself!
Who isn't? Maybe a clue: I was recently at a product fair here, and
saw booths with low fire slipware hand painted by local artists who
don't have particularly great talent at glaze painting. They're not
bad or anything, just ok, it's happy bright work, florals and so
forth, that's all. But they were obviously painting the right things,
and they sold a few thousand dollars out of the booth at the weekend
fair. I know several of these people and I often hear them
complaining of being swamped with work - orders from gift shops
mostly. It turns well in the stores.
By the way, I heard from someone at the recent MAGIC (garment mfgrs)
show at Las Vegas that the perennial African (& Amazon?) jungle
animal look is making one of its frequent strong comebacks. I know
what you're all thinking, it's 'porn', it makes you feel like a
whore, and you're an Artist...
I tried to paint ocelot spots on a mug the other day, but the glaze
ran together. The pattern that resulted looked familiar, but i
couldn't place it. Went on the internet and found it - it was a
hyena. Isn't that just how life is sometimes, you think you're
getting the ocelot, but you end up with the hyena?
Ok, I stuck my neck out here, anyone else? I for one would love to
hear from those who have successfully pushed the right buttons at
shows and retail outlets with practical/decorative/ gift category
work.
- Rick Monteverde
Honolulu, HI
Chris Clarke on tue 1 may 01
Hey Rick,
I did the decorative thing in Colorado. I did western!! Horses,
buffalo, eagles, and any other western animal. Even did a whole set of
dishes for a woman with a different animal on each place setting. And
mixing bowls, canisters, a huge platter, and several tiles she had set in
her counter. I had a gift/flower shop right down the street that sold ev=
ery
piece I made for four years!! She bought me out when we decided to move =
out
here.
But I got to the point were I didn't even care to open my kiln. It
should never be like that, and I promised myself I wouldn't let it happen
again. Opening you kiln should be like opening a present from someone yo=
u
love. Even if everything isn't fabulous, you should be excited to open i=
t.
I could go the horse route, everyone here has a horse. Everytime I h=
ave
a bad show I have to hear (parents) "you should do horses, everyone here
would buy those". I'd rather shove an ice pick into my eye -- from the b=
ack
of my head.
I did know what a firestorm I would set off here, but I'm glad to kno=
w
I'm not the only person standing a fair just taking up space : ) chris
temecula, california
chris@ccpots.com
www.ccpots.com
Chris Clarke on tue 1 may 01
I must be doing something wrong, I have no mailing list!! People who =3D
come into my booth at shows are always so nice but don't want to give me =
=3D
their address, I must look like a psycho :) =3D20
My last show was huge thousands of people(75000 the paper said). $150, =3D
that's all I sold and that was the booth fee. I look at my work and =3D
think well maybe I suck and don't know it, I've read the thread on =3D
judging pottery. Maybe I'm not really looking at my work. Many times =3D
I've thought of quitting, I'm tired of people coming in to look at my =3D
shelves (which are really cool) But, damnit I didn't make them.
The only thing that saved the show was a gentleman from Orange who =3D
appreciated the frothy shinos and the narrow feet (for fingers the lock =3D
onto) He stood in there for a half hour moving things and arranging =3D
(and talking) until he had the 'set' that he wanted. During that half =3D
and hour we talked of shinos, tea and other interesting things. I have =3D
his address and he emailed me the day after the event which was a plus.
I was also, at this show, harangued about my prices. "I can get this at =
=3D
Kmart" I don't think you can but go to kmart and when you find what you =
=3D
want for two dollars shove it up..................sorry. And then the =3D
guy who picked up a piece handed it to me and said this is almost what I =
=3D
wanted and walked out.....ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!
My favorite is "did you mean to do this", "is this a fault". Okay get =3D
out of my booth!!! I'm always very polite with a smile, because I like =3D
to talk to people and answer questions. But don't ask me to hold =3D
something and then never come back, give me a break.=3D20
Sorry everyone, it's been a bad couple of shows in the last few months =3D
and I needed to yell a little. I'm not going to quit but I was damn =3D
close for a while. I've just decide to stop trying to make what people =
=3D
want and make what I want. Or I need to get better at picking my shows =3D
: ) chris=3D20
temecula, california
chris@ccpots.com
www.ccpots.com
Rick Monteverde on tue 1 may 01
Chris -
My apologies, I see I've misinterpreted your post a bit, thinking it
had more to do with what sells than how to sell what you love to
make. Others have given good advice on shows and pricing. But for
many people, the need to make a living from their activities makes it
a bit impractical to stay exclusively on a purely artistic course
when there's no handy venue for it. I suppose if you needed to, you
could always stick a few horsies in the pipeline with your artistic
wares. Hmm...horses pulling little basket-carts full of grapes - now
wouldn't that be just *darling*???
- Rick Monteverde
Honolulu, HI
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