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First Time Sale Question


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Going to try to sell some work at a community craft market sale thingie

Saturday, really looking Forward to it, except for the scared part of me.

 

ANYWAY my question is, how do you handle breakage?

I can see little junior now, about 6 ft ahead of mom, grabbing a teapot, and

well you get it.

 

How do you handle it?

 

Thanks again!

 

graybeard

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Congrats on doing your first sale! 

 

I've only had one piece broken that I can remember. Lady felt super guilty and offered to pay for it. I suggested she pick out something else and purchase that and I would call it even. Don't think it's worth the price of one of my pots to leave a customer feeling crappy.  I get a lot of families through when I do summer markets, can't ever recall a problem with children. If you are concerned then maybe teapots and other special pots put out of the grasp of the little ones?

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never had any breakage by children or adults in many years of shows.  the real trouble with kids is that their parents yell at them not to TOUCH!   i try to tell them that the pots are made of stoneware, i bounce a small pot onto a board to show them and some lucky kids get to actually pick something up all by themselves.  some parents are just so uptight about everything i don't know how their kids even get through the day.

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I've never had a pot broken by a person other than myself. In my experience the children of people who like art markets are pretty well behaved. I also hear parents saying "don't touch! don't touch!" And if the situation seems ok, I'll say "well touching is ok with me, as long as you promise to be careful." If a customer broke a pot, I would handle it the same way as Min.

 

I am more worried about large dogs and their wagging tails. But again, dog owners who like art markets have good control of their dogs too.

 

What you really need to fear are big gusts of wind. Make sure your display is ready for that.

 

Congrats and good luck!

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I have had a few pieces broken over the years.

I suggest a purchase of another piece and that has usually worked well as most feel bad and want to make it righl.

I have headed off a few kids before disaster hit and also had a few drunks that needed to move along (this was 3 decades ago) but doing sales since 1973 one learns the ways of the street show

I had a 100$ bowl broken in the 80s and settled for 1/2 the sale price as they did not want to buy anything.

I clean up the mess quickly as people skatter like godzilla is coming when they hear the smash. People feel bad after dropping the work so I try to easy the awkwardness.

My last show I had a dog take a leak on my display booth.

Its not the 1st time

I should write a book on 40 years of street shows.

so Greybeard do not worry about it until it happens and it may never pop up for you.The stupid questions are the most brutal buy hey I;m a bit calloused by now.

They are not dogs now they are comfort animals-so when your pots get smashed just feel more comfortable.

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I don't do a lot of selling, but if I did I would just eat the cost of the broken piece and chalk it up to the cost of doing business. I don't think its fair to ask a customer to pay for the broken piece or guilt them into buying something else your selling. If breakage is a concern I would prominently display do not touch signs.

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I think breakage is less common than one might suspect. I'm the only one who has ever broken anything In my own booth.

 

A note on children and preventing accidents: gently control the situation. Engage the overwhelmed and grabby Little Darling on their level by kneeling down to look them in the eye and encourage them to hold things with 2 hands.

 

They calm.

right.

down.

 

Tell them to get permission from their parent if they want to hold something, but they have to do it with two hands. The more hyper the kid, the better this trick works. Kids mostly aren't used to being addressed on their level, or as a reasonable being, so when you do it it's something unexpected and they're obliged to pause and reasses. Holding something with 2 hands grounds them out. Total magic trick.

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I've broken more wares than my customers.  What flips me out is the number of adults who will ask permission to pick something up to look at . . . and, I remind parents that "It's only clay.  I can make another." 

 

Anyone have experiences with broken wares at galleries . . . either by gallery itself or gallery customers?  How do you handle those situations (if they even bother to tell you). 

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Bruce I have a broken tumbler in my studio with this note on it-I kept it to remind me about business.

The note is a yellow sticky. Its says

(Some lady broke this and she would not pay for it)

 

At that time this outlet was a solid consignment outlet doing about 20k gross a year with my stuff 60/40 split-I had been there for over 35 years.I had my own display also at that time (one of my 6 foot tiered racks I posted about here on how to build.

 

I have since that time put them on a deal thats strickly wholesale only basis and I limit my form list to what I want to supply. Now if some lady breaks it its theres to deal with. They are no longer doing high volume as they are poor business people.I'll be lucky to clear 6 k this year with them.The love is gone because of some business things that where not very good(nuff said)

Most outlets always pay for breakage thats my norm.

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Mark,

I'd like to buy an advanced copy of your " 40 years of street shows" :)

 

Graybeard,

Don't worry about breakage! Concentrate on having bags, change, wrapping paper, prices on everything, pad and pencil for notes, contact info, etc. Meet people and relax.

Have fun, take pictures of your booth and post them to us afterwards. And did I mention relax?

 

I'm planning to visit a craft show tomorrow at Chuck's Marina on Lake Martin. A potter friend of mine and her husband will be set up in their booth. And no, I don't tell anyone at craft shows I'm a potter. I just mingle, silently. :)

And people watch.

 

See ya,

Alabama

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 A potter friend of mine and her husband will be set up in their booth. And no, I don't tell anyone at craft shows I'm a potter. I just mingle, silently. :)

And people watch.

 

See ya,

Alabama

 

but we all know who you are, the one who checks the bottoms of the pots first  :ph34r:  ;)

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but we all know who you are, the one who checks the bottoms of the pots first  ;)

 

Wow!! You're right, and I wasn't even aware of it. Last week at the Children's Harbor Craft Show, I would move in while the booth were busy with someone else, and check the bottoms for signatures, dates, trimming marks, etc. and ease out. Interesting long distant observation Min!!! :). 143

 

I'll try to be less obvious tomorrow, maybe take my elderly dog as a decoy. :)

 

See ya,

Alabama

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I think my best advice is do not do it unless you have to. (I'd like to buy an advanced copy of your " 40 years of street shows"   :))

I've been sketching out the chapters-the details will cover these points

Make your list of whats needed

 Make the work at least twice what you think you'll need

learn how to speed pack

keep costs low with food and lodging

try hard not to go insane with the publics questions that are a stuck tape repeating every hour every day-The best tip here is make a sign that says (Microwave safe dishwasher safe ) Point to it and say its all the these things .I do this a lot these days.

It cuts to the chase

By a laminator for signs-they are cheap

Take kitty litter for street show oil spots in your booth space

This is the 1st chapter in rough

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funny your question on breakage came just before i tipped over a box of 12 butter dishes onto a marble floor.  under the tablecloth, at the edge of the table.  they clattered and bounced  but i heard no breaking sounds.  so i picked them all up and put them on the table.  the hard part was crawling under the whole thing to reach them.

 

granted, it was a fairly slow tip over from only 8 inches but it was a marble floor at the museum in winchester.  i have always known that i am the most fortunate person on earth.

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Wow oldlady you live a charmed life! All that healthy living and charitable works coming home to roost.

 

I on the other hand..... Was loading boxes for my show and taking the pieces I wanted out of the plastic bins on my shelves when as I turned away with a hand full I hear... CRASH! I had pulled the bin forward and removed just enough from the backside of the bin to cause the weight of the items on the front to pull the whole thing to the concrete two feet below. Groan, grumble, insert nasty word of your choice. Broke about a dozen small bowls, spoonrests, etc.

 

Sigh at least it wasn't my only platter this time. Silver lining.

 

What kiln god do you use oldlady?

I am obviously using the wrong one.

 

T

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