To sell or keep

On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:43:15 -0600, col wrote (in message ):

I know what you are saying, or at least I believe I do. I have found that I enjoy giving my stuff to friends and relatives. It is about as satisfying as keeping what I've made, because I know where it is and who has it. Once in awhile I will make something, with no particular goal in mind... and then something will turn up - either a birthday of someone close, or maybe someone close to me is involved in a fundraising event or charity, and voila - I have something they can have. It is a little easier for me to part with something I've made, under circumstances like that. Yeah, otherwise I have a lot of round wooden stuff in the house, too. tom koehler

Wood is female like a woman, cross its grain and it gets angry, go with the grain and its smooth, no sanding needed. Col

well, DON'T sell over the internet, that's for sure. Find a local venue that will take one or two pieces, price them at what you would like to get for them and wait - they may sell and you will be happy

Why "DON'T sell over the internet?"

don't sell them over the internet because you will get commodity prices not gallery prices - sell at a venue where people expect art and can handle and examine the item - don't sell in a venue where your item is mixed in with

10,000 others of vary>> well, DON'T sell over the internet, that's for sure. Find a local venue

I have never had a problem selling my stuff. I can't wait to open up another piece of wood to see what kind of form is in it. They all have their good and bad points, and I have never been able to pick a favorite. Kind of like food for me. My daughter wrote on a Father's Day card in first grade for Dad's favorite food, "he likes just about everything."

robo hippy

I never thought much about the price differential on the internet, but I don't see how internet vendors have time to keep up with the back end stuff like photographing your work, uploading it, editing the web pages to reflect the current status of pieces, etc. Who would have time to turn?

I sell through a local shop. Mostly to tourists in the summer, but they're open all year so a few pieces go out in the winter, especially around Christmas. Sometimes I sit back and wonder where my work is now. Could be anywhere. Probably most is in the US somewhere, but some may even be overseas. I get a certain satisfaction knowing that somehow.

I get a certain satisfaction going to the bank too...

...Kevin

You all talk about money, selling, making a buck, but please woodturning is about pleasure. OK to some of us it is about making a buck. Yes a few its their living. For me its about relaxation, my main chat was how dow i give my many hours of work away. Yes it has to be charity. But something i so love i cannot give away or sell. Why does everybody come up and say money, its not about money , its about life and loving its what you do. Col

">> Kevin Miller -

>> Juneau, Alaska >> In a recent survey, 7 out of 10 hard drives preferred Linux >> Registered Linux User No: 307357, >

because, after you have made enough items, you have to stop, or throw some away, or sell them. and if you sell them others get to appreciate them. for many, what is given away is treated by the recipient as worth what they paid for it - I've seen this personally - so if someone pays $500 for something they treat it better (usually) than if you gave it to them. There are, of course, exceptions

Well, you labeled the subject of you thread "To sell or keep" so you kind of opened up the discussion to selling. I sell my turnings. At least most of them. That doesn't in the least diminish the pleasure I get from turning them. If you'd rather give them away than sell them by all means do so.

There are many avenues for charity if that's one's inclination. It's not hard to find places that appreciate donations. For instance here, the public radio station has a fall and spring on-air auction of locally donated items for a fund raiser. A local food bank has an annual fund raising auction. The local soup kitchen has a fund raiser lunch with an 'empty bowl' theme where they solicit bowls (wood,pottery or otherwise). Various church or para-church organizations have annual fund raisers. I'm sure other venues wouldn't be hard to find, and I think it's wonderful to be able to support one's preferred charities with a well crafted vessel. I'd encourage any turner to do so at whatever level they're comfortable with.

But there's nothing wrong with selling one's work, nothing less noble about it. Indeed, it's a great boon in life to be able to make a living (at least in part) doing what you brings you pleasure. It's enriching to me to know that what I make with my own hands is contributing to the well being of my family.

I take pride in the finished piece, and I also enjoy knowing that somewhere, someone is looking at one of my pieces on their shelf and smiling. Whether it was a piece I gave away, donated to charity, or sold, the memory of the piece and the satisfaction of creating it remains.

...Kevin

Dearly beloved,

Unique among my other hobbies, the full time pro turners I have known not only enjoy their craft/art/trade, but also are just as enthusiastic about woodturning and freely sharing their expertise and philosophy about it as we hobbyists. I realize that there are exceptions that would be unknown to me, but I'm talking about my personal experience since 1938. UGH! not that old fart musing again.

For good or bad, money is what we use to determine what the public thinks of our turnings and "The love of money is the root of all evil." I think there is a difference between "love of money" and "money" and many misquote by leaving out "The love of". I mean yes, most of us _like to get money for our turnings but not for the love of it. Money represents the turning's value, but even for our professionals I believe it's not the love of the money, but rather the satisfaction that someone counts our turnings worth paying for.

I wonder if for many of us there isn't an element of "hoarding" involved in the thrust of this thread. Hoarding is a very strong compulsion and a distinct psychological problem. Just as some of us accumulate unused tools, etc. that we neither use nor can bring ourselves to part with, our shop and living room (not to mention bathroom, bedroom, front porch, attic and car's trunk & back seat) shelves and floors overflow with our "things".

Forgive my hot air. Could I have it wrong? Remember that I'm a COC, first class, third in line to Kevin. I am sworn to disagree with everything anyone says on RCW. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

As some one who makes, demonstrates, mentors, and sells, I really can't decide which is the most enjoyable experience. It is all fun.

robo hippy

              Fortiter

Glad to see Arch is back with more interesting insights but I have to disagree with one of them. Is keeping one's bowls really bad? Do hoarders really need psychological help?

After finally starting to make bowls that worked better on a table than in a fire pit, I started telling people when I died my house would be like one of those cat houses where the owner had hundreds of cats. But instead of cats my house will have thousands of bowls and would smell much better. While this means the more bowls I give away the longer I live, I still do not think it will hurt to have a few hundred bowls lying around as long as the number does not get too large.

Anyway it is cold out today and it is too hard to work with a foggy face shield out in the unheated garage so am passing time reading these posts. It is good to see this group getting lively again.

I can sympathize, although my garage isn't too bad this winter. It's been pretty mild here. Re: the face shield though, I remember seeing an article in the AAW journal a few years back where a guy wore a catchers mask instead of a face shield. They had a photo of him looking like he was worked over by loan shark goons. It was actually a nice sized hunk of wood that flew off the lathe at high speed which was his inspiration to wearing the face cage, IIRC.

You could always try one of those on a cooler day...

...Kevin

              Fortiter

Out of all the replies to my original question yours is the best, its real, I am a hordare, are not we all in some way or other, be it wine, photographs or the favourite bottle of beer. Money is of no importance to me so obviously my turnings go to chariy. And i am not rich i cycle everywhere and drive a old 1960's car. Sweet turnings to all Col