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A Far Away Gallery-How To Supply


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I have had an outlet that is about 3 1/2 hours away from my location. Thats one way so its a 7 hour drive.

I have had this gallery for many many years and trust the folks.

I used to go thru this area but due to  some show changes it off my path now.

So once a year I drop a huge load of work off and then a few other tiomes a year when friends head thru I send them a few boxes. I should mention this is consignment gallery for me so they mail me a monthly check.

I collect work for several months and a few days ago I made the round trip drive to drop off 45 boxes at there home/shop. This was a fullpickup bed(8 feet stacked two full layers tight.

This arrangement works for both of us as I only have to go there once a year.This drop is worth 18-20K retail and is the most work I take a gallery at one time.

They have a summer tourist season (Mendocino in nor-cal)and a slow winter season.

This gallery is my best consignment outlet the past few years-they change over time as well.

Now I started off with more drop offs years ago and this has morphed into this once a year deal as it makes the best use of my time.

Mark

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post-8914-0-32908900-1433022757_thumb.jpg

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I started making these along with a few art show pots and 4 other gallery requests in the late winter-during my weekly production I would set some boxes from each glaze fire aside so its not a simple answer as to how long this took by itself. I started throwing in mid feb. I did a few large art shows and then filled all my spring orders as well as this pile of work so its easier for me to say it with all that it took 9 glaze fires in my 35 cubic foot car kiln and 8 glaze fires in my 12 cubic foot kiln-so it took 411 cubic feet of glazed ware.I just looked at my logs.

So for perspective thats about 58 electric kiln loads (assuming an average size of 7 cubic feet)

My van right now is about 1/3 empty so I need more work for next show (4th of July) . All my galleries are full as of right now so the next slug of work goes into van.I try to take a day off now as its spring and a bit slower than fall for pottery. Today was only one glaze fire unload in small kiln and gardening and lawn mowing and a few post here-almost a day off.

I do not work on a scale that can be tracked per gallery or show-its much to complex for that.

I hope this helps with the answer.

Mark

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I have had an outlet that is about 3 1/2 hours away from my location. Thats one way so its a 7 hour drive.

I have had this gallery for many many years and trust the folks.

I used to go thru this area but due to  some show changes it off my path now.

So once a year I drop a huge load of work off and then a few other tiomes a year when friends head thru I send them a few boxes. I should mention this is consignment gallery for me so they mail me a monthly check.

I collect work for several months and a few days ago I made the round trip drive to drop off 45 boxes at there home/shop. This was a fullpickup bed(8 feet stacked two full layers tight.

This arrangement works for both of us as I only have to go there once a year.This drop is worth 18-20K retail and is the most work I take a gallery at one time.

They have a summer tourist season (Mendocino in nor-cal)and a slow winter season.

This gallery is my best consignment outlet the past few years-they change over time as well.

Now I started off with more drop offs years ago and this has morphed into this once a year deal as it makes the best use of my time.

Mark

Have you thought of shipping a pallet from through FEDEX. It can be very inexpensive especially if you have an account. You wrap it all up with the stretch plastic . It doesn't move.

Marcia

Marcia

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Hmmm ... If I had a choice between packing it onto a pallet and crossing my fingers that everything arrives ok, and taking a day trip along the California coast with the pots safe in my van, I'd take the day trip. It's good to give yourself reasons to get out of the studio once in a while. Plus, I bet that unpacking a pallet on the other end would be a pain. Lots of packing material trash.

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The 7 hour trip is about 1/3 the time it would take to pack this load for shipping-not to mention the remote location we both are at.

Packing 130 tumblirs 250 mugs  of all sizes 50 ceral bowls large bowls -platters-16 candle holders-8 pie plates 21 garlic roasters 24 lotion bottles 6 large pitchers-6 creamers 90 spoonrests-15 utensils-vases-60 whip pitchers 30 soap dishes sushi plates baking dishes15 french butterdishes honeypots-garlic keepers meduim bowls

This is all placked loosely with minimal packing/padding (almost no padding-lite paper). This is a real time safer for me.It would take me a day and a 1/2 or  two more to pack this load to ship by any carrier so driving it in my own truck makes sense in all areas. It took 1/2 a tank of gas.

I got to see the Califonia coast on remote area of Highway one-some years I go Abolone diving on this trip but not this year.They leave a few pallets out to put thew boxes on in a covered area

I drop this off all without seeing any person (they are at shop) and the drop is at their home/shop

I learned to pack pots with no paper except between layers back in the 70's. It works as long as the boxes are full.

I rarely break a pot with this technique but you need to understand how tight to pack it.

Mark

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  • 3 weeks later...

Mark: I'm new to CAD and this forum. I've been a potter for 40+ years but have been making pots only part-time for the last 27 years while I was a teacher. I'm retired now and am back to throwing pots 20+ hours a week.  I do fairs and supply some galleries and have an account in Mendocino (the art center). I would love to see your work.  Which gallery do you sell in?

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Many years ago I started out selling my work to The Ruth Carlson Gallery which morphed into the Gallery one until it sold- for the past decade and 1/2 I'm in Mendocino Gift Company on Kastin street.They have a huge amount of my work. Check it out on your next trip to the Art Center.I also have over 40 years in clay but have been full time most of that time.

Mark

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Do you have to stocktake on this annual trip??

I'm not familiar with stocktake term so its no I do not-I just drop off my boxes at the owners home-I never take the time to figure out whats left or on a galleries shelves.For me thats their job-I need to be making more not figuring whats laying around.If I do not trust them I'm out of there.

Mark

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