Sales and turned object provenance

Aug 01, 2008 5 Replies
S

In a past life I moonlighted in a hallmark store in a mall. Among the many useless things that we sold were "Precious Moments" (cartoonish pastel figurines). I knew enough about the product line to blather on for a good five minutes to customers. What I found was that product info/customer education is a surprisingly effective sales tool.



Fast forward 18 years.



I have an opportinity to put a few a few bowls on sale through a local "antique" dealer with a modest "gallery".



Since I will not be there blather on about the product, would it be worthwhile making up a business-card-sized write-up of the species, date/location of harvest? I think I will be aimed more at the "art collector" than the "salad eater". I suppose that you require something like serial numbers to keep the right cards with the right bowls



So, have any of you ever tried that, and did you find it effective?



Thanks,



Steve


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J

I've created a card that goes along with the bowl that details information about me (not so much about the bowl). I started this when I sold some bowls to Mammoth Cave NP and they requested I create something to inform the customer of who I was. Information I've included on the card includes name, general address (mainly to show that I live near Mammoth Cave and that I am a local craftsperson), brief information about where I get the wood (most is rescued from someone's woodpile and to this day I have not cut a tree for purpose of turning), and generally any other brief description of who I am and my love for all things wood. Good luck, JD (Kentucky)

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R

te in message

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W

the local gallery that sells my stuff tells me that the notes I write about each piece help sales. The notes say something about the wood (local wood) and if appropriate the "inspiration" behind the piece, expressed in suitably humanistic language. eschew technical verbiage

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M

I use a business card (computer generated) that's headed "Certificate of Authenticity" Body is something like "This xxxxxxxxxx (walnut bowl, ironwood vase, etc) was handcrafted by Mac Davis of Baja Woodcraft, Baja California, MX" On the bottom left of the card is the item number, and space to the right of that for my signature.. We use 1/2" round removable labels for the price, usually on the back of the card, depending on where and how the work is displayed..

The number matches the one that my wife burns onto the bottom of the piece, along with the year.. More marketing that ego, it gives the impression of buying a "numbered piece" by a "known" artist..

The nice thing about a business card format, besides the card stock being easy to use, it that they also fit well in pen boxes..

I've found that some people are interested in what wood and where it came from, but the majority of the buyers, as opposed to the lookers, either like a piece and buy it, or they don't.. It could be 1,000 year old bog oak, fresh cut pine or aluminum.. if they like it they buy it..YMWV

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

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