motivation

Been doing stained glass now for 27 years, primarily for my own enjoyment. I've given up trying to convince people my panels and lamps were a whole different creature from the $89 lamps they see in Wlamrt/Kmart and other *fine* shopping and art establishments. Ergo I build for my own enjoyment and couldn't care less whether any of my pieces sell or not.

Was at my local glass shop the other day and got into an interesting conversation with the owner. I mentioned the fact that I was considering dropping most of my magazine subscriptions due to the fact traditional stained glass articles don't frequent thier pages much anymore. Magazine editiorial content shifts with the times, and seems more focused on fusing, slumping, beading and mosiacs.

The shop owner mentioned the same shift of focus in the business, most of the store classes involved in beading, fusing etc. have been booked full for months, but the introductory foil class has a mere 3 students, and the introductory lead class was cancelled after only 1 student showed an interest.

I understand the fact that business has to change to keep up with th trends. I'm kinda curious though, are business ie) store fronts and magazines, leading the change to fusing, beading etc, to generate new income, or are they like the rest of us, running along trying to catch the hind teat?

We generally concluded that people today generally do not have the time to dedicate to learning an art/craft and want a pastime with quick results. They just don't have the time or patience to cut and foil or lead for weeks before seeing the finished product. Much easier to throw some scrap and frit into a mould, turn on the automatic kiln controller, and viola, 6-8 hours later a finished piece.

I guess craft trends tend to surge and wane. ten years ago you couldn't walk down the street without tripping over a pottery shop. Now they're few and far between. It leaves me kind of wondering if stained glass art, (as I define it, requires the use of lead) is a dying trend.

Reply to
BentPedals
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Sadly, thou art correct.... Twenty years ago I bought whole sheets of stamps for my kid's college fund, figgering mint condition sheets of old stamps would really appreciate, since stamp collecting is the biggest hobby in the world. BUT! Now all anyone wants is the little blocks of four stamps at the corners of printing plates. I cannot get even face value for them, except for Elvis stamps. As for glass, I saw a nice foiled lampshade today for $24.50....

Reply to
Jim

Ergo I build for my own enjoyment and couldn't care less whether any of my pieces sell or not.

**************** I know that it may be tough for some in the business, and I am sad about that, but I am in the same boat with you. I'm a few pieces shy from having my first lamp together. I laugh and tell my friends and family that a similar one can probably be had for $69, and since I'll have around a hundred hours in it, that's about 69 cents an hour. Not counting material. But I cannot express the enjoyment I've had building it or the satisfaction I think I'll feel when it is done. If I have built it well, it has the potential to last for years, maybe centuries. If it isn't the best quality, the next one will be better.

I have a walnut chest of drawers built by my great grandfather. It is probably not the pinnacle of quality, but I don't care. I never met him, and yet I think of him whenever I look at the chest or pull open a drawer. It will never matter to my daughter that she could go out and buy a better made lamp at Wal-Mart than the one I built. She will remember that I built it.

Michael

Reply to
Michael

Ask him what time it is, he tells you how he makes a better watch.....sheesh...

as usual you are full of shit, the current resurgence YOU are seeing is from people with pockets that initially are deep, but after you get your hand in there and they realize what you are doing, they will close their wallet and go elsewhere for their hobby entertainment.

If, and this is a big "IF", you are actually selling to people that are selling finished items, (other than little boats) , the economics of buying supplies high from you and trying to profit afterward will force them into poverty unless they sell in a high end market that is already flooded with "artists."

Glass art, in general, is in decline as to the demand in the galleries and general marketplace.

So for the original poster, your assumptions are correct, stained glass demand in general is in decline. You can do like the rest of the folks that do it because we love what we do, we just keep on, keeping on. If you don't depend on it for you livelihood, do what you enjoy doing.

Reply to
Javahut

Well put, very well said.

Reply to
Javahut

Years ago it was Tiffany style lamps then SG boxes..... clocks..... kaleidoscopes...... fan lamps, then mosaics etc etc. It's always something that no one thought about that causes new income opportunities. Retailers need to find new customers to survive.

Reply to
glassman

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