Millie Carpenter on mon 24 jun 02
I don't think that anyone touched on another reason that some potters
underprice. they do not have a realistic sense of their own self worth.
they may feel that they don't deserve the higher (more realistic)
prices. when I started selling, I thought of my self as a student and
felt that my work couldn't possibly be as good as the "professionals"
Some people in the guild that I belong to told me that my prices were
too low, and with grave misgivings, I marked the ware with the prices
that they said to and darned if they didn't sell. and I got
compliments. Now I do believe that my work is priced fairly and that I
deserve the amount that I charge.
Now on Subsidies, I am not dependent on my income from teaching and
selling my pots, but I don't think that should even be considered.
there are artists out there ( actors, writer, painters, photographers)
who have earned and invested wisely and don't need to earn any more
money. but they consistently ask and get phenomenal sums. whether you
need the money or not is not the point. the point is selling good work.
and I think that if the part time potter can be educated that the
amount of money that one needs doesn't determine the price, the quality
of the work determines the price of the work we will all be better off.
it is interesting that pricing in retail stores is pretty consistent on
similar products. Cars, dresses, food items, all very close in price.
we need as a group to set up a MSRP list to help beginning potters, a
range that a mug sells for between this and that amount. casseroles are
in this range, platters are in this range.
Millie in Md. The midsummer's night moon is beautiful, it has double
rings around it. it is just the right kind of moon that if I didn't
live in a development, it would be a perfect night to go out and dance
and sing and run around without clothes. maybe I still have a little
bit of the pagan in my soul. Don't tell my Rabbi
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