Anyone here do a demo? I have a ???

It sounds fun and like a good opportunity to me. With sales being so hard, every new thing that puts you ahead can help. Even if you are doing well now online, having a door open to other types of sales can only help if things don't do as well online later.

However, you can't do something like this if you don't WANT to do it. Do you not want to because you are nervous, or do you really feel uncomfortable about it?

As far as the consignment fee.... I guess I am lucky because I have my things on consignment for 75/25. The gallery is very new and fairly small and I don't know how well sales compare there to other places... I'm getting about $50/month off of it now, mostly on earrings and bracelets (before I get too excited I realize I'm not getting that great of a markup on my stuff, and I've spent so much on materials so far it will take forever to make it up this way, especially since I keep ordering in new stuff to make more of the types of items she prefers, and to make similar scale things for me to sell in other venues since I gave most of my higher-end work to her.) BUT at least this shows that she's making fairly steady sales there, and I get to say that I have my work "in a gallery". So, overall I would say it was definitely worth it.

marisa2

csteele wrote:

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Uhmmmmmmmmmm....I'm definitely nervous about it but not sure why. I've never done anything public with my "work". It was just a HOBBY, and now all of a sudden it's more. I wouldn't mind if business slowed a bit for me. Beading shouldn't be work and I'm feeling a bit like it is lately. I am definitely lacking the desire to find more ways to sell my beads. When/if business really slows down for me (it is slow, but not that slow) I'll look for other ways to sell. I just don't want more things to do right now. I have 2 preschoolers at home and then I do beads and sell most of it every week. More work would be just more stress, not more fun. Maybe when my kids are older I'm have more time/desire to really pursue this bead thing....

This was all TMI, huh? Sorry...

Thanks for your info and oppinion. Your gallery experience is definitly intersting. I live RIGHT behind a very lovely gallery. Sells all kinds of pottery and jewelry and things. I could always ask if they might consider holding my stuff some day. One day, maybe I'll look into it.

Catherine

I don't think you should feel guilty about saying no!!

And a "maybe next year" or "maybe next time, I really don't feel prepared now" keeps the door open for both you and her. It would be much worse for her to organize an event and have people displaying or demoing who didn't have much stuff or seemed unconfortable with it.

marisa2

csteele wrote:

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I've definitely found making jewelry a lot less fun lately when I had deadlines because of shows. Which was really a surprise to me; I thought selling it would really get me perked up. Aside from the money, it is great to get feedback and to try to think of new ideas based on what people seem to like and not like.

But I could see that especially if you do it as a hobby the external "push" wouldn't always help the artistic feeling.

It sounds like you're getting a good base so that you COULD expand when your kids get older, if you want to. It's always nice to know options like that are open.

If you could have your stuff in a gallery right near your house that would be great! I'm getting kind of tired of the 2 hour ride to the gallery I have stuff at (since there are lots of "artsy" places actually around here I should really go in and try to show my stuff there, huh?). I would think that jewelry might sell better at a gallery like what you are describing anyway. I never understood how finished pieces sell at a bead store. Most of the bead stores around here wouldn't buy or take anything on consignment because the "girls" who work there invariably make tuns of stuff themselves. But your hand-made beads are a different type of item.

Where do you sell your work online?

good luck!

marisa2

csteele wrote:

I know I shouldn't feel bad by saying no but I do. Not enough to not say no though! I already emailed her with my reply and already feel better! Ah....that is off my chest. I feel much better now. I didn't think about it looking bad on HER for me not being prepared. YEAH...that wouldn't be good, especially for her grand opening! I should have talked to this group days ago. I could have dealt with this and been over it by now.

The bead shop that wants my stuff wants beads and jewelry. Interesting comment about most bead stores not wanting consignment. Makes sense. I just never thought of it before. It would be different with my beads but not if I sold the same type of beads in there to. I think she just wants an easy way to have stock and not invest in it. I can understand this though.

This bead store is really small and in a dead location (though the location is picking up more business). The owner is the only one working there and I feel a bit *odd* checking the store out because I'm not just the only one in the store (as a customer) but usually the mall too. So I have yet to go IN the store. Maybe in this grand opening I'll actually go into the store.

I sell my beads at JustBeads. I have some earrings on eBay but earrings don't do nearly as well as the beads alone.

Catherine Art-with-Heart

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:41:25 -0400, csteele wrote (in message ):

When you _are_ prepared, please consider doing a class/demo and selling some beads. I expect that you'll do very well, especially once your students discover the level of expertise necessary to make your beautiful beads.

The popular perception is that polymer clay is easy and that anyone can do it right out of the box. A class or two will get rid of that perception really quickly. ;-)

Kathy N-V

Maybe....I'm a shy person though and just the thought is a bit nerve racking! However I LOVE clay and I would love to show others just how very cool it can be. Caning is hard to teach though in a few hours. You actually need to invest quite a bit (time, effort, money) to do caning well. One cane can cost $50 in clay alone and there is no guarantee that it will work. I've been asked to do some classes but there really is involved. Like I NEVER use clay just out of the package. I mix brands 50/50 and leach/add plastizer. It must be just right to cane correctly. Pasta machine, absolutley must have. On and on.

But one class might be very interesting.....

I hope you'll hang out here.

Tina

Here she is

OMG! Everything is just killing me!!! They are BEAUTIFUL!!! Definetly all KLUNK worthy!!! Thank you Tina, for posting that link to her work.

Marissa

When we have done bead store demos, it worked out great. We were the mian feature for the day, the store owner does two weeks of print and radio advertising, we send out postcards. We have done it two ways, with us handling sales and paying a % usually 20% in merchandise to the store. Our sales have been in the $1000 range each time except the weekend after 9-11. We demoed for about 5 hours and durning that time you are making inventory. It's a win win situation.

You need inventory on hand so make sure you are ready. I would ask them to have a special event at a later date since you don't have inventory. ALso since you sell on ebay, remember that most of the time, ebay prices are at wholesale level. For a retail situation you need to have the prices set so that you are getting at least your ebay prices after they take their commision.

Susan W

Even if you don't have a commission deducted for your work, you should price it as if you do. Otherwise you'll have to raise your prices next time, which often irritates the customer.

Tina

"Steve & Susan Wright" wrote

Agree with you there but when you sell on Ebay, you don't get retail prices and if you have basically only sold on you may not think of the additional value for retail. There are big differences in selling on ebay and selling at art shows and bead shops.

Susan W

Very true.

I was trying to answer the question about getting your chosen price, after paying your commission when something is sold on consignment. My point was that even if you don't have the consignment fee to pay, the pricing should include that fee.

I think I also said she should double her wholesale price to reach a retail price.

Tina