Janet Starr on mon 14 aug 06
Quote at the show: "I am so glad that people like you are still making
those things. I hope someone else will buy it." I should have replied tha=
t
"If people like you don't buy, then people like me won't be able to afford
to make".
I just did this Arts & Crafts San Francisco show last weekend. It was
incredibly disappointing. I thought I had finally found my 'niche'. I mak=
e
handmade tiles in the Arts & Crafts style. I searched out and found
beautiful quartersawn oak frames. It is a high end show and my prices were
reasonable. All I sold were a few sets of house numbers and some unframed
6" tiles =96 didn't even make back my booth fee.
I spoke to a famous potter, who now has lots of employees, and he said tha=
t
they won't even do a show if they don't make $10,000. People were lined up
at his booth buying.
I don't do shows often. I have not been very successful at the types that
I have tried. At the Christmas show I tried, people were looking for
inexpensive gifts. At the tile trade show I went to, many stores sounded
interested. I sent out a lot of expensive printed catalogs, and then got no
response. At Open Studios, I do make some sales, but my studio is in a
remote location and I just don't get the traffic that the people in town do=
.
So, I was really hoping that this show would work.
So, there are two things I would like to ask the group about. Some of the
other vendors say that they don't make many sales at the show, but clients
call back after and you don't know about the success for 6 months to 2
years. I did give out a lot of cards for people doing home installations
(like fireplaces), but my experience tells me that few of these people ever
call back. What is your experience?
The second question involves returning to a bad show next year. Again,
other vendors say that the people need to come back next year and remember
you in order to buy, and you should come back for six years. How can anyon=
e
afford the money, work, and disappointment for so long just to see if you
might sell something later?
Someone asked me why I am doing this. After a weekend like the last one, =
I
do ponder this question. I make tile because that is what I do, can't
picture not doing it. But it would be really nice to feel that the work is
appreciated.
Janet Starr
--=20
Janet Starr
www.craftsmantiles.com
www.featuretile.com
featuretile@gmail.com
Lynn Goodman Porcelain Pottery on mon 14 aug 06
On Aug 14, 2006, at 1:37 PM, Janet Starr wrote:
> I just did this Arts & Crafts San Francisco show last weekend. It was
> incredibly disappointing. I thought I had finally found my 'niche'. =20=
> I make
> handmade tiles in the Arts & Crafts style. I searched out and found
> beautiful quartersawn oak frames. It is a high end show and my prices=20=
> were
> reasonable. All I sold were a few sets of house numbers and some=20
> unframed
> 6" tiles =96 didn't even make back my booth fee.
I hear yah!
There's no way to tell how you'll do at any show. "Sure bets" never=20
are. Shows where you SHOULD do well, somehow aren't good at all. Then,=20=
sometimes, you hit pay dirt.
I made a living in clay for several years, with as much work as I could=20=
handle and then some. The economy changed, and so did my business. Now,=20=
I still devote the bulk of my week to clay, but I also have 2 part time=20=
jobs so that I can pay my studio rent and costs. (Thankfully, I have a=20=
husband who is gainfully employed. Without him, I might be out of clay=20=
entirely.)
I still have some successes, but there are shows in which I don't make=20=
my booth fee. If there seems to be enough interest, I'll give an=20
underperforming show another shot, but I can't afford to keep doing a=20
show in order to build up a customer base (which is why the famous=20
potter did so well).
Here are some things I have done to try and keep business up in my=20
studio:
I have a web site. I belong to several online galleries which funnel=20
people my way. I also am on the Guild site, which has brought me many=20
orders over the years, esp. if I am in one of their catalogs.
I have advertised in magazines. I may not get a lot of orders from the=20=
ads, but sometimes I can do very well with one.
I do studio tours and sales. I'm lucky that, in NYC, there are several=20=
tours to participate in. You could try to get together with other=20
artists and organize a tour or group sales.
I well know that there is no magic formula. All I can say is, keep at=20
it until you can't!
Good luck--Lynn
Lynn Goodman
Fine Porcelain Pottery
548 Court St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718-858-6920
Cell 347-526-9805
www.lynngoodmanporcelain.com
Bunny Lemak on tue 15 aug 06
On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 10:37:02 -0700, Janet Starr
wrote:
>
> I spoke to a famous potter, who now has lots of employees, and he said
that
>they won't even do a show if they don't make $10,000. People were lined
up
>at his booth buying.
Just out of curiousity, WHAT was this famous potter selling that people
were lined up at his booth buying? I would really love to know what he
was selling and the people were buying.
You do have to find your niche in the world, but sometimes it is very hard
to find exactly what people will buy. I have learned over the years what
I think will sell, doesn't. The very last item(s) I pack, just to fill in
that last box, seem to sell first (also the very thing I didn't think
would sell!) Then you go home, make up a few pieces of it, take it to the
next show, and it sits there. No sales. Very frustrating, but welcome to
the pottery world! :0)
>
_____
>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.
Chris Campbell on tue 15 aug 06
Janet -
Your work is wonderful and I
suspect you just have not found
your customers yet.
One comment on your website
is that the first price that shows up
is the framed price which is high
and would scare most casual shoppers
Put the reasonable unframed
price first and let them look for the
framed price.
As to the show ... was all the work you
offered framed this expensive way?
People who like your tiles might not like
the frames ... this might have cost you sales.
Especially since the frames are so
expensive ... I suspect that is the reason
you sold the unframed ones.
If other work was selling at this show
and people were walking by with bags
and purchases, it might be worth doing
again in a different way.
But this should only be one area of
sales for you ... don't base your income
around it. You should be looking into
approaching architects, builders, interior
decorators, tile stores ... make up a series
of postcards to send to a select list four
times a year ... you have to be active in
getting sales if you are in a remote area.
You cannot do anything once and base
your opinion of that method on it ... people
have to see something over and over again
before they decide to buy.
Good Luck to you
Chris Campbell - in North Carolina - just lost an entire
load of tall vases ... glued to the shelves ... so I not only got
to smash pots, but had the added joy of cleaning shelves!
Life is good!
Chris Campbell Pottery LLC
9417 Koupela Drive
Raleigh NC 27615-2233
Fine Colored Porcelain since 1989
1-800-652-1008
Fax : 919-676-2062
website: www.ccpottery.com
wholesale : www.wholesalecrafts.com
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH ...
See the movie and pass the word on.
Your grandchildren will thank you.
Paul Lewing on tue 15 aug 06
On Aug 14, 2006, at 10:37 AM, Janet Starr wrote:
Some of the
other vendors say that they don't make many sales at the show, but
clients
call back after and you don't know about the success for 6 months to 2
years. I did give out a lot of cards for people doing home
installations
(like fireplaces), but my experience tells me that few of these
people ever
call back. What is your experience?
This is more true for people like you who are selling products
related to home improvement than for people who are selling ware.
And yes, they do come back, sometimes years later. But that's no
help now. My experience over twenty years of doing tile commissions
is that about 1% of the slick color brochures come back with money
attached. The rate is lower for business cards. And most of my
brochures are walking out of home improvement shows. This is the
kind of targeted audience you need. People don't go to crafts shows
looking for tile, although a certain percentage of them will need
tile at the time. And in an all- tile show you may be lost in the
crowd. You need either shows that are focused on Arts & Crafts
themes, or shows that are focused on high-end home improvement.
Don't be afraid to be in with the spa manufacturers and kitchen
designers. You're going for the same audience. And anything
handmade and unique will stand out at shows like that.
Paul Lewing
www.paullewingtile.com
Janine Roubik on tue 15 aug 06
Hello,
This is my first year doing art fairs and I echo your frustration. It seems like it takes a while to figure out which fairs are "buying/collector's" fairs and which fairs are "Miller lite/Doobie Brothers cover band" fairs.
I also was thinking a lot about what non-ceramic educated people will buy. I was using shinos and a heavy copper green that would get this dark blackish almost patina looking. People would stop and say how beautiful everything was, but I heard (more than a couple of times) that my stuff didn't "match" their other dishware. The colors and textures that we, as potters, find fascinating, are not necessarily what the public would like. I'm not ripping on these people, but maybe not having the ceramic history and education we have they may see things differently. Seems like epople like blues, reds, greens...so now I'm working on a rutile blue that I find pleasing artstically. Yeah, I'm going to a blue, but I'm still going to keep my funky designs and make that rutile something that I can live with as well. I also never did mugs before, under the theory that "I" would do "art", someone else can do a coffee mug. So after not a lot of sales of this great "art", I started
working on coffee mugs and beer steins that had my own designs and shapes on them. People responded to them! If I sell enough mugs that I think are beautiful, that will help me work on the "art" that no one will buy! As I said, this is only my first year doing the fairs, so maybe someone who has more experience would disagree with this take on it. Anyhow, I'm rambling...Good luck! Let's hear what a seasoned vet has to say!
paz,
Janine
Bunny Lemak wrote:
On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 10:37:02 -0700, Janet Starr
wrote:
>
> I spoke to a famous potter, who now has lots of employees, and he said
that
>they won't even do a show if they don't make $10,000. People were lined
up
>at his booth buying.
Just out of curiousity, WHAT was this famous potter selling that people
were lined up at his booth buying? I would really love to know what he
was selling and the people were buying.
You do have to find your niche in the world, but sometimes it is very hard
to find exactly what people will buy. I have learned over the years what
I think will sell, doesn't. The very last item(s) I pack, just to fill in
that last box, seem to sell first (also the very thing I didn't think
would sell!) Then you go home, make up a few pieces of it, take it to the
next show, and it sits there. No sales. Very frustrating, but welcome to
the pottery world! :0)
>
_____
>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.
______________________________________________________________________________
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.
---------------------------------
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Stephani Stephenson on tue 15 aug 06
Janet your tiles are lovely.
I would say the prices for the unframed 6X6 tiles and murals are even
on the low side for a polychrome
cuenca tile.
if you make only decorative tile you will likely be selling to
1. the gift market
2, the custom mural market
3. the small project and accessory market for homes
3. a specialized gift , project or accessory market , such as arts and
crafts...
for the gift market... some of the successful tilemakers I know go
wholesale
and get wide distribution that way. Especially in the arts and crafts
genre, there are some well known pottery and tile
companies you see all over the country in specialized gift shops,
museum shops etc.
These folks have a well tuned marketing strategy, a consistent product,
and over the years have gained name recognition , appreciation, yes and
'collectibility'
I don't do shows. There are a few local ones I occasionally do. The
return in terms of sales and even follow up business is very low.
Often times they also have a presence some of the arts and crafts ,
i.e. 'craftsman' shows, but are not depending on any one show to
do it for them. Craftsman Oriented Interior design publications,
venues, etc are the places you will find these products advertised.
The Craftsman revival has been abuzz for awhile now... I wonder
sometimes if it will be cooling off soon....
who knows? and also the housing ,rennovation market has been redhot
these last 10 years or so....
well designed, attractive work is timeless, but buyers and designers
do sometimes follow trends...
I do shows sporadically, but have not focused many resources that way.
if I do, it will be an arts and crafts or a tile or a history
oriented show, or a home improvement show oriented toward older
homes....etc....
going back to the gift market issue... I make field tile as well,.
typically I think in terms of selling an entire project, not a tile...
a fireplace, a fountain, a niche, a bathroom, a mural....I offer the
design , the layout, etc....
also my tiles are not finished to the degree that gift tiles are, a
gift tile will be handled and inspected front and back.
my tiles typically are made to be mounted, mortared in, surrounded by
lots and lots of other tiles.
I work with designers, architects and landscape designers, but most of
my customers are homeowners themselves.
I get business from architects, tilesetters, contractors, the internet
and word of mouth. yes and friends of prior customers.
Also I get business from people who live in neighborhoods where my work
is. If someone in the neighborhood has one of my fireplaces and someone
else sees it...? that is the way it seems to work... your prior
customers send you new customers. also some of the local contractors
who redo old fireplaces...etc. etc.
I admit,, though, I am in that odd place where I am as busy as one
person can be, but not sure how to grow
there are not enough hours in the day to do what I would like to do...
I would not consider myself the textbook example of how to properly
design a business plan
Whereas somefolks get a ton of exposure with a small amount of work
I , like a lot of tile people, do tons of work , with not a whole lot
of exposure!
I have had little time to advertise or market... this has probably
reduced my exposure
but it has also kept advertising and marketing costs to a minimum
Perhaps it limits the sheer amount of business I do,
but then, if I have been so busy I don't have time to advertise or do
shows
these last 8 years, I guess
I feel I have been most fortunate.
my advice would be to target your efforts
think about what kind of tilemaker you are and what scale projects you
are really excited about and set up for....
but really my advice would be to hang in there
I don't know how long you have been doing your tiles
but they look good, the website looks good
if you keep building that circle of customers and projects, you will
begin to see the benefits .
Stephani Stephenson
steph@revivaltileworks.com
http://www.revivaltileworks.com
Barbara Lewis on tue 15 aug 06
Janet: I don't know about doing "bad" shows a few times for people to get
to know you, but your tiles are wonderful! Don't doubt your work, it's just
the show. Are there any magazines/publications that are directed toward
homeowners of Craftsmen style homes? I know I saw these type of tiles at the
National Gallery of Art gift shop in DC recently. Some specialized
woodworking magazines possibly? Target your audience/buyer. Anyway, good
luck and don't give up. I'd hate to see work such as yours go by the
wayside. Barbara
Antoinette Badenhorst on tue 15 aug 06
Janet, there is nothing wrong with your work; in fact I love your tiles =
and
I am sure they will sell well once you hit the right target group. Your =
work
is specialized. I think you need to consider architectural shows and
furniture shows. I would also try to work with interior designers =
(beware
they can be demanding) and big kitchen and household stores. I do not =
think
that you will find any regular show good enough for your work. Think of =
it:
how many people do you know at this minute that is busy renovating a =
kitchen
or a bathroom? As much as you would like your tiles in every room of
people's houses, I am sure they associate it with kitchens and =
bathrooms.
I hope this will help you.
Best wishes.=20
Do you need sharp trimming tools that will not wear out quickly? Contact =
me
for information.=20
Antoinette Badenhorst
105 Westwood Circle
Saltillo MS, 38866
662 869 1651
www.clayandcanvas.com
www.southernartistry.org
=20
=20
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Janet Starr
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 12:37 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Bad Show
Quote at the show: "I am so glad that people like you are still making
those things. I hope someone else will buy it." I should have replied =
that
"If people like you don't buy, then people like me won't be able to =
afford
to make".
I just did this Arts & Crafts San Francisco show last weekend. It was
incredibly disappointing. I thought I had finally found my 'niche'. I =
make
handmade tiles in the Arts & Crafts style. I searched out and found
beautiful quartersawn oak frames. It is a high end show and my prices =
were
reasonable. All I sold were a few sets of house numbers and some =
unframed
6" tiles - didn't even make back my booth fee.
I spoke to a famous potter, who now has lots of employees, and he said =
that
they won't even do a show if they don't make $10,000. People were lined =
up
at his booth buying.
I don't do shows often. I have not been very successful at the types =
that
I have tried. At the Christmas show I tried, people were looking for
inexpensive gifts. At the tile trade show I went to, many stores =
sounded
interested. I sent out a lot of expensive printed catalogs, and then got =
no
response. At Open Studios, I do make some sales, but my studio is in a
remote location and I just don't get the traffic that the people in town =
do.
So, I was really hoping that this show would work.
So, there are two things I would like to ask the group about. Some of =
the
other vendors say that they don't make many sales at the show, but =
clients
call back after and you don't know about the success for 6 months to 2
years. I did give out a lot of cards for people doing home =
installations
(like fireplaces), but my experience tells me that few of these people =
ever
call back. What is your experience?
The second question involves returning to a bad show next year. Again,
other vendors say that the people need to come back next year and =
remember
you in order to buy, and you should come back for six years. How can =
anyone
afford the money, work, and disappointment for so long just to see if =
you
might sell something later?
Someone asked me why I am doing this. After a weekend like the last =
one, I
do ponder this question. I make tile because that is what I do, can't
picture not doing it. But it would be really nice to feel that the work =
is
appreciated.
Janet Starr
--=20
Janet Starr
www.craftsmantiles.com
www.featuretile.com
featuretile@gmail.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.
Carly Gibran on wed 16 aug 06
Also, you may want to check out the "Where the Shows Are" publication. They have several regional
editions that tell you the average attendance, prize money, fees, etc. for each show. I don't even look
twice at shows if their attendance is under 25,000. They also usually have listed the type of work in
the show (craft, finecraft, art, fine art), so you can make sure you are applying to a show that will fit
your work. Another thing is that they usually state what else is happening at the show, so you can
make sure you are not accidentally submitting to a show that is also a music festival or some rodeo
nonsense.
But ... even the 'best' shows can be bad ...
Carly
Florida
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