Bloglines and Can One Retail & Wholesale?
Now, I’ve almost subscribed to all my blogroll via bloglines and I’m a very happy camper. I can login to my account and bloglines tells me who has a new post and I can take a looksie. If I’m moved to comment, I can transport myself painlessly to their blog and come right on back. I can’t recommend this service enough. A++
As far as the question of retail & wholesale, that may be a question for later – unless you want a super long post? Okay, well here it goes… I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine from the now glazed cup you see above (photo to be posted later) so I’m feeling a bit verbose, if you will… it is Friday night after all. I just got my first wholesale order yesterday – very exciting stuff. The buyer orders, I make. Pretty painless. Now, as a fairly new artist, I’m not making a ton of money on either wholesale or retail from my pottery. I make more money teaching clay to be honest. I’ve been reading some posts on the WSC website forums, which unfortunately you don’t have access to unless you are a member. Retailers don’t like artists having a foot in both fronts. If you’re retailing and wholesaling, some argue that you become their competitor. As an artist, I feel like if I were making a living wage from wholesaling, I would stop retailing. But, I’m not there yet – and I’ve got bills to pay. So, I’ve decided to do both. I’m not alone in this – there are several artists who both retail and wholesale.
I sell online via Etsy and I do a limited amount of in person sales at art festivals. I think the trick lies in creating a happy retail price point for myself that doesn’t undercut the retailer. I personally believe that people who shop online are not necessarily the same people who shop galleries and fine craft shops at various locales across the globe. I know I personally like to touch pottery before purchasing someone else’s work. I would have to know the potter’s work before buying something touch unfelt from someone online – pottery is a tactile experience for me. So, in that sense, an in-person gallery is ideal. I’ll take this moment to thank the folks who’ve purchased work from me online based on just a photograph or two.
I understand that with our current economy, galleries and shops are struggling since disposable income is limited for a lot of folks. So what are artists to do? I’m not at a point in my career where I can turn off selling in person just yet. I would, personally prefer to pay a higher percentage to wholesale an item than to consign one – consignment carries a risk to the artist, whereas, wholesale shifts the risk to the gallery. One has to totally trust the gallery or shop to which one is consigning work. What if they go out of business and keep the work? What if it doesn’t sell, and sits there indefinitely? So, with that said, I’m not keen on consignment other than for a special exhibit.
What do you think? I’m really interested in your opinion, as I’ve been thinking heavily about the topic. I haven’t posted new work in my Etsy shop recently as I sort out my dilemma – but I am committed to a special exhibit that includes a sale, the potter’s guild bi-annual sale and the Summer Art Market in the next few months.
Have a good weekend,
~Cynthia
& Cool Flickr Toy">Wholesalecrafts.com & Cool Flickr Toy
I’ve spend entirely too much time online recently, and can’t seem to sign off when I mentally tell myself to. So, the other day, I uploaded some new photos to flickr and started messing around with some widgets and such while I was there. I came across Big Huge Labs, that nabs some of your photos to create this cool little mini banner.
Meanwhile, I spent the better part of 2 hours applying to wholesalecrafts.com this morning. A rep called me this am to follow up with an inquiry that I had sent them. I sort of forgot about it, but then, thought, “What the heck, let’s see what she has to say!” She gave me temporary access to the site for me to peruse, and answered all my questions. It’s $395.00 a year, if I am accepted. That’s a lot of dough, but, I asked a few people who are represented by wholesale crafts and they’re doing great – so it could be worth the investment. One artist I know even closed her Etsy shop because of the amount of business coming her way.
In other news, I terminated my relationship with online retailer, Asian iCandy, this am. They haven’t sold any of my work, so I don’t think it was a good fit. It was a drop-ship arrangement, so overall, it was a good experiment. I think it’s really hard to sell things online without the buyer being able to physically see and hold an item – and I don’t know what their marketing plan is or how they reach their customers. Wholesale would be a much better investment of my time and efforts. Money upfront, make the work and then send.
That doesn’t mean I will not do Etsy, art fairs or other venues – it’s just another avenue to make a living doing what I love.
I did a little more work on my clay bird monotype – it’s really more of a painting now.
That’s it for today,
~Cynthia
& Kid’s Ceramic Masks">New Gallery & Kid’s Ceramic Masks
Arthaus66 Gallery
6320 Linn Avenue NE #C
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108
I have some really exciting news! I was contacted by a gallery in Abuquerque, NM about 5-6 weeks ago about placing some of my ceramic jewelry in their newly relocated gallery space with the potential to add some of my other ceramic work in the near future. After emailing back and forth and a phone call, I agreed to send a few pieces of jewelry to Arthaus66 last week for their grand opening reception on Friday, November 23rd from 4:30 – 6:30pm. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it for the opening, but my work will. I sent some of my more experimental pieces and hope it will be the beginning of a nice relationship.
One of my newer porcelain pendants
Celadon glazed porcelain earrings with sterling silver ear wires
It’s a terrific way to head into the holidays and sets the tone for 2008. I am going to be targeting galleries to represent me locally and in a few select areas of the US in the new year. Selling one’s own work is incredibly labor intensive and I’d rather concentrate on making new work and having quality studio time than marketing. In that regard, a gallery is worth every penny in earned commissions. Unfortunately, this will mean a price increase for my work in my Etsy shop where I will keep a presence so that I keep my prices in line with the gallery’s retail price. I’ve been meaning to raise my prices for some time as they are currently set closer to my wholesale set point.
I’m going to get a head start on my New Year’s goal of contacting some galleries in December. We’re taking a long weekend trip to Crested Butte, CO and I’m going to see if any galleries in the ski resort town would be interested in carrying some of my ceramic jewelry.
Clay + Imagination = Art Tueday’s Class Masks, grades 2-5
Meanwhile, my Tuesday clay class finished their ceramic masks and they’re terrific. There were several that I would liked to have kept!
Have a good week everyone and a great Thanksgiving if I don’t catch you before then,
~Cynthia
