Snail Scott on tue 26 aug 03
At 08:41 AM 8/26/03 EDT, you wrote:
>...i have been making...$10 per dish but if i price them
>at stores for $15, then i will only get $7.50 from some of the sales and $9
>from others. i can live with the 9, but i want more than 7.50 per plate.
is it
>kosher to sell the plates for $15 at one store and $18 at another?
No. If you can't live with the amount their percentage
leaves you, don't deal with them, but never undercut
one dealer in favor of another, especially in the same
market. If you need to make more money from the higher-
percentage shop, you'll have to raise your prices
across the board, or skip the deal.
-Snail
Earl Brunner on tue 26 aug 03
It is considered bad form to have one shop under pricing another,
because you are setting the price. Perhaps if you went in and said,
"This is what I need out of this pot, price it accordingly", then they
are the ones that choose to price themselves higher than their
competitor. That close together though, that's still not ideal.
What amounts to wholesale on your part needs to be consistent. Based
on the amount of work that you sell at one shop compared to the other
maybe you could split the difference, set your price so that the ones
sold at the higher 50-50 store are offset by the price at the 60-40
store. In other words, the ones at the 50-50 store might only get you
say, $7.50, but that's ok, because you sell enough at the other store at
the higher percentage to off set the lower price. This would require
setting the price correctly to begin with.
If the stores are that close together, you might consider not even
selling the exact same things at both stores; change your product enough
at one of the stores to justify the difference in price.
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Stacey Beth
Shulman
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 5:42 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: you do the math
hi y'all-
i sell my work in several small, funky gallery/gift shop places. some
pay
60/40 for consignment, others 50/50. either way, i get at least 50% of
the
sale, sometimes a bit more.
so here's my issue:
can i sell the same (or very similar) item at one store for a bit more
than
the other? my issue is that i have been making these fun little 8x8
dishes. i
want to get at least $10 per dish, which i can do when i sell them
myself at
festivals (i will price them at $15 each or 4 for $50). but if i price
them
at stores for $15, then i will only get $7.50 from some of the sales and
$9
from others. i can live with the 9, but i want more than 7.50 per
plate. is it
kosher to sell the plates for $15 at one store and $18 at another?
extra info:
in an informal survey of my potential customer base, some would pay no
more
than $12 per plate, while others thought that $20 was not unreasonable.
the 2 stores in question are both in little intersections with other
shops
and restaurants nearby. they are about 4 miles away from each other, as
the
crow flies.
cheers-
stacey.
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Stacey Beth Shulman on tue 26 aug 03
hi y'all-
i sell my work in several small, funky gallery/gift shop places. some pay
60/40 for consignment, others 50/50. either way, i get at least 50% of the
sale, sometimes a bit more.
so here's my issue:
can i sell the same (or very similar) item at one store for a bit more than
the other? my issue is that i have been making these fun little 8x8 dishes. i
want to get at least $10 per dish, which i can do when i sell them myself at
festivals (i will price them at $15 each or 4 for $50). but if i price them
at stores for $15, then i will only get $7.50 from some of the sales and $9
from others. i can live with the 9, but i want more than 7.50 per plate. is it
kosher to sell the plates for $15 at one store and $18 at another?
extra info:
in an informal survey of my potential customer base, some would pay no more
than $12 per plate, while others thought that $20 was not unreasonable.
the 2 stores in question are both in little intersections with other shops
and restaurants nearby. they are about 4 miles away from each other, as the
crow flies.
cheers-
stacey.
Lois Ruben Aronow on tue 26 aug 03
Regardless of what your commission rate is, I would charge the same
everywhere. I have no reason other than it is fair to all. Besides,
if the stores are near each other, as they are, it is the ONLY fair
thing to do. Believe me, they will find out, and the one charging
more will be p'od for sure.
If the store can sell them easily at $18, then everyone should be able
to sell them for that price. Everyone wins - the stores make more
money and so do you.
I have only 1 exception to this 'rule" - I lower my prices 15-20% for
my twice annual studio sales. Reason being I have no overhead at
these sales,s o I pass that savings along to my customers. =20
************
www.loisaronow.com
=46ine Craft Porcelain and Pottery
New Work for Summer 2003
New Show and Retail information
stacey ballard on tue 26 aug 03
>so here's my issue:
can i sell the same (or very similar) item at one store for a bit more than
the other? my issue is that i have been making these fun little 8x8 dishes. i
want to get at least $10 per dish, which i can do when i sell them myself at
festivals (i will price them at $15 each or 4 for $50). but if i price them
at stores for $15, then i will only get $7.50 from some of the sales and $9
from others. i can live with the 9, but i want more than 7.50 per plate. is it
kosher to sell the plates for $15 at one store and $18 at another?
Stacey,
I would have to say no....every place that has sold my work would be upset if they found out that I was doing that. I would stick with the $18 price and see how it goes. A shop would be upset if they knew their customers could go down the street and save $3. It makes the shop owner look bad. Hope that helps.
Stacey Ballard
http://www.basicelements.biz
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L. P. Skeen on tue 26 aug 03
---- Original Message -----
From: "Stacey Beth Shulman"
> can i sell the same (or very similar) item at one store for a bit more
than the other? is it kosher to sell the plates for $15 at one store and
$18 at another?
Stacey,
The short answer is, it depends, largely on how close together your two
galleries are. Since they're only 6 miles apart, I'd say you're stabbing
yourself in the foot and will eventually get caught, either by a customer or
by the store owners themselves. The store/gallery owners will be PISSED if
you're selling anywhere for less than you're selling in their gallery -
that's called undercutting the gallery, and is a good way to get kicked OUT
of a gallery, because if a customer can buy the same product for less from
you or somewhere else close by, there's no advantage to the gallery in
carrying your work, because it won't sell.
You need to determine what price you HAVE to get for each item after the
highest gallery's commission is taken out, and price all your work in both
places according to the higher commission rate. You'll make more at one
place (obviously), which will help make up for the lesser amount you get
from the other place. If your two galleries were say, 50 miles apart it
might be a different story, but 6 miles is just too close.
L
Lewis on wed 27 aug 03
---- Original Message -----
From: "Stacey Beth Shulman"
> can i sell the same (or very similar) item at one store for a bit more
than the other? is it kosher to sell the plates for $15 at one store and
$18 at another?
I know nothing about this, having never made anything worth selling
(actually having made very little) but in general terms, is it not for the
stores to determine their retail price and for you to determine your
wholesale price?
In other words, if you want $9 per plate, charge $9. Allow the stores to
set whatever price they wish, albeit your 'recommended retail price' might
be $15 or $18. You could inform both stores of your quire reasonable policy
in this regard, and if they then wish to vary the retail price, they do so
in full knowledge of your policy and what the other store might do. OTOH if
the $7.50/$15 store buys more and sells more, you could offer them a volume
discount based on real savings to you, thereby finding the $7.50 much more
acceptable.
Lewis
Rob House on wed 27 aug 03
Stacey -
The capitalist system is a so-called free market implying that supply +
demand will dictate a price. If the demand is slightly greater 4 miles
away - charge them the extra $3. If the supply/demand ratio is too
difficult to determine; just remember - in America the government has
established a fixed-market. So go ahead and gouge all you like. If you
need the $10 per dish - don't let the stores give you $7.50.
Business : kosher as a ham + cheese sandwich.
Rest easy - if anyone figures it out they'll flock to the cheaper store -
then you can jack up the price.
On Tue, 26 Aug 2003 08:41:55 EDT, Stacey Beth Shulman
wrote:
>hi y'all-
>
>i sell my work in several small, funky gallery/gift shop places. some pay
>60/40 for consignment, others 50/50. either way, i get at least 50% of the
>sale, sometimes a bit more.
>
>so here's my issue:
>can i sell the same (or very similar) item at one store for a bit more than
>the other? my issue is that i have been making these fun little 8x8
dishes. i
>want to get at least $10 per dish, which i can do when i sell them myself
at
>festivals (i will price them at $15 each or 4 for $50). but if i price
them
>at stores for $15, then i will only get $7.50 from some of the sales and $9
>from others. i can live with the 9, but i want more than 7.50 per plate.
is it
>kosher to sell the plates for $15 at one store and $18 at another?
>
>extra info:
>in an informal survey of my potential customer base, some would pay no more
>than $12 per plate, while others thought that $20 was not unreasonable.
>
>the 2 stores in question are both in little intersections with other shops
>and restaurants nearby. they are about 4 miles away from each other, as
the
>crow flies.
>
>cheers-
>stacey.
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>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.
kruzewski on thu 28 aug 03
From: "Stacey Beth Shulman"
> so here's my issue:
> can i sell the same (or very similar) item at one store for a bit more
than
> the other?
You can charge whatever you like, Stacey, but from my own experience I'd
advise you to be consistent.
If you sell an item cheeper at one place than another, the store or gallery
where they are more expensive will lose out, because somewhere along the
line people will notice the differences and will buy from the cheepest
outlet. You will be basically undercutting a supplier of your work, which
isn't really fair.
It also gets very complicated for you, having different prices for different
venues.
I speak from experience, originally having the same attitude as you, and it
was Janet that made me see the error of my ways, plus the experience and
realisation of the overheads of running the North Wales Potters Co-operative
Gallery in Conwy.
My gallery prices used to be higher than my craft fair prices. Then again if
someone bought direct from me they paid less. Now all my prices are gallery
prices. I realised that it was not right to undercut the shop or gallery,
and that if I did this I would not have a good reputation with the people I
rely on to sell my work. That relationship is very important and, if you get
it right, very rewarding, personally as well as financially.
They do not get their "cut" for nothing, they have expenses just opening the
premises, plus their time, wrapping, credit card / banking charges, and they
need to make a profit to exist. They save me the time I'd have to spend
selling plus all the insurance and access issues that I'd have to deal with
if I sold direct. I also worked out that selling cheeper at fairs was
counter productive. After I took out the stall fee, travelling and
incidental costs I was getting less of a percentage than if it was sold by a
gallery, plus I'd spent the time selling (or not) when I could have been
making.
I only do Ceramics events now (rather than craft fairs), where prices are
expected to be realistic, and wherever I sell a piece - gallery, from home
(rarely) or at a Ceramics fair - it will be the same price. The only
varience is wholesale orders where I get paid immediately - they pay 50%
plus postage, which works out to be the same profit margin for me anyway.
I'd say work out a fair price for your work, stick to it and be consistent .
Jacqui
North Wales
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