I guess a lot of craft sellers settle for � per hour well below the minimum wage because it doesnt feel like work and are getting additional non-monetary benefit. if they didnt i guess there wouldnt be so many craft sellers around.
...and others settle for below below minumum wage because the the crafters mentioned above undercut the market
I had an opportunity yesterday to discuss representation at a craft gallery for my hats. I didn't pursue it, and if the lady (who was lovely) asked me to supply her I would decline at the moment. She looked almost disappointed when I told her I only took commissions.
The time taken to make stock for her would eat considerably into my time developing as a better more rounded and accomplished feltmaker and pay me a pittance. I need my time for developing my felt skills and gaining exhibition space.
The time taken to make stock for her would eat considerably into my time developing as a better more rounded and accomplished feltmaker and pay me a pittance. I need my time for developing my felt skills and gaining exhibition space.
Very pertinent. I didn't get paid pittance which was kind of the allure but I was very aware that I had to start selling way before I'd had enough time to develop what I really wanted to do. Hence giving the whole lot up and going back to school. I'm still taking on work that I don't want to just because I need the money but I watched someone (in a slightly different field) become very succesful very quickly and I vowed I didn't want to become like that as she had absolutely no time for developing her work. It becomes like factory line production very quickly.
my catapult bussines started as just a hobby and gifts,making stuff for gifts is so personal,i made a knife for a mate on a remote scottish island and he treasures it.
lettucewoman
Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 7834 Location: Tiptoe in the Forest!!
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 09 9:11 am Post subject:
Frewen Feltmaker wrote:
wipka84 wrote:
I guess a lot of craft sellers settle for � per hour well below the minimum wage because it doesnt feel like work and are getting additional non-monetary benefit. if they didnt i guess there wouldnt be so many craft sellers around.
...and others settle for below below minumum wage because the the crafters mentioned above undercut the market
I had an opportunity yesterday to discuss representation at a craft gallery for my hats. I didn't pursue it, and if the lady (who was lovely) asked me to supply her I would decline at the moment. She looked almost disappointed when I told her I only took commissions.
The time taken to make stock for her would eat considerably into my time developing as a better more rounded and accomplished feltmaker and pay me a pittance. I need my time for developing my felt skills and gaining exhibition space.
This is a very good point!! I hadn't really thought of it, but I can see how one could be caught up in producing dozens of items and not have time to hone ones skills...so I think I'll stop trying to get my stuff into shops, and concentrate on parties and commissions.
Bodrighy
Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Posts: 2157 Location: Near Devizes
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 09 4:35 pm Post subject:
I mentally give myself �10 an hour then add any costs for materials, things like finishings etc. Most money comes from the smaller items as they are made quickly and can be sold cheaply, the people who make money in shops and galleries are few and far between.
At the moment I'm sort of thinking that in the art field you need to have several strings to your bow - you need exhibition space and credibility, you need to have some sort of teaching/workshop branch and you need some kind of studio selling/commission work too. If you can get paid print space in the magazines/periodicals then so much the better, and of course, a book !
Even if you get all that together it still might not be enough though
marigold
Joined: 02 Sep 2005 Posts: 12458 Location: West Sussex
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 09 8:10 am Post subject:
Frewen Feltmaker wrote:
At the moment I'm sort of thinking that in the art field you need to have several strings to your bow - you need exhibition space and credibility, you need to have some sort of teaching/workshop branch and you need some kind of studio selling/commission work too. If you can get paid print space in the magazines/periodicals then so much the better, and of course, a book !
Even if you get all that together it still might not be enough though
You missed out "a well-paid spouse/fat pension/trust fund" . I think it probably also helps to have someone other than yourself to promote your work (and do the household chores).
At the moment I'm sort of thinking that in the art field you need to have several strings to your bow - you need exhibition space and credibility, you need to have some sort of teaching/workshop branch and you need some kind of studio selling/commission work too. If you can get paid print space in the magazines/periodicals then so much the better, and of course, a book !
Even if you get all that together it still might not be enough though
And a beautifully produced and photographed, *popular* blog never does any harm either
Trust me - I'm trying - even if the photography is a bit pants
lettucewoman
Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 7834 Location: Tiptoe in the Forest!!
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 09 12:16 pm Post subject:
....or more than one string to your bow...I had a productive morning at the craft sale this morning...however what sold the best was the fudge I made to sell "on the side" ....Im registered with the local authority now so am going to alternate the monthly fairs I do between food and jewellery.
A friend of mine has started making cards, pictures ,magnets etc from his amazing photography of the Forest wildlife, ponies, donkeys, trees...he's only been going less than a year and he's making enough to live on, and is making money from the local gift shops selling his stuff. His USP is the fact that he does not photoshop any of his pictures...they are as they were taken, and he is really good. However to start with he also did gardening ..he's making enough to stop that now
RichardW
Joined: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 8443 Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 09 3:53 pm Post subject:
lettucewoman wrote:
His USP is the fact that he does not photoshop any of his pictures
That made me laugh. Was not long ago when every one would have not photoshopped any thing. To photoshop would have been a USP then.
lettucewoman
Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 7834 Location: Tiptoe in the Forest!!
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 09 4:55 pm Post subject:
RichardW wrote:
lettucewoman wrote:
His USP is the fact that he does not photoshop any of his pictures
That made me laugh. Was not long ago when every one would have not photoshopped any thing. To photoshop would have been a USP then.
yes i guess you are right! He des it to distinguish himself from other photographic card sellers who enhance the colours so much a robin looks like a fire engine!!!!
If you sell at the same craft fares, with pretty much the same product, you'll probably saturate the market in a couple of years. IMHO
If you are anywhere near a University town, that might be a place to sell in from time to time - if the students are buying Christmas presents etc, or stuff to pretty up their homes-from-home (at start of term) then every three years you have a totally fresh set of purchasers.
.
View Latest Posts