mugmkr Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 I get messages like this from time to time from customers. I get lots of repeat business due to having my website stamped on the bottom of my pots. Might be a good new year’s resolution for your pottery business if you are not doing this "We purchased a wonderful mug that my husband loved and drank his tea from each evening, and sadly it broke this evening. It was not the mug it was an Oh No moment. It was various shades of brown toward the top which was cream colored. It was barrel shaped. It kept his tea hot for a very long time. Awesome mug. I really would like to find something close to it and get two of them. It was a 12 oz. mug. I am in Las Vegas and contacted you about the mug at the time. I think we bought it about 5 years ago. I was so glad that your website was imprinted on the bottom. Thank you.†Cheers from Owen in snowy, blustery, very cold and oh so beautiful Central Oregon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 This is a very good idea and should work well for most makers. For me the volume of my output would slow me down a 1/2 day each glaze day to do this.Stamping hundreds of pots every glaze day is a nightmare for me to think about. I have stamped a few items over the years like my ceramic wall fish as they are slow to glaze and do not fit into a regular 47 cubic two kiln glaze day . I also put a business card in every purchase or shipment but nothing like a contact info on each piece which is best by far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugmkr Posted January 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 Hi Mark, I stamp each pot on the bottom when I'm done trimming. Takes maybe 5-6 seconds. I don't even think about it really, it's just part of the trimming process for me. I think most potters who use a chop would take the same amount of time to add the mark. You could also incorporate your chop design with your website address on it and stamp it on the bottom of each pot. For my business the pots I make are like having a silent salesperson. If you read Seth Godin's classic marketing book Purple Cow he says you don't need to advertise your product or service, you need to make it easy for people to find you. They already want what you are offering, they just need to know how to find your business so they can pay you to get what you are offering. If you already have a client who bought one of your pots, make it easy for them to buy more from you. Cards don't stay attached to the pot as well as info stamped into the clay. Then again my business caters to the high end, what I make is not cheap. When I get a new customer I want to keep them coming back and one way for this to work in my specific case is to stamp my company's site info on the bottom. Other's mileage may vary. Like everything in ceramics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 For me its been a stamp with my logo and name in a colorant fired onto the clay on pot bottoms-stamped after bisquing. I'm not a chop logo person. It does not work for all forms just ones with exposed bottoms. Some forms like say my sponge holders which have neoprene bottoms it would not work on as well as trucker mugs with neoprene bottoms. Since your only working with a very limited form list its makes lots of sense. Many of my forms get glaze on the bottoms-bowls plates etc and this fills in any chop or you would need to wax it out (another step), As I said it will work for many. I'm not looking for more new customers wanting mugs via mail order as they seem to know where I'm at when they break them as it is now. This is a good idea for those expanding their customer base and keeping their customers . My customers know me well and have been coming back for many decades and I'm in the downsizing mode anyway.Never had to advertise much anyway. Since you are a web based business I see this as a very good option for repeat customers. Never seen a purple cow as I would remember seeing one.I have seen a few people with purple hair. Good pots sell themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preeta Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 mark do you paint the bottom with liquid neoprene? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 I use self stick neoprene pads on the sponge holders-I have them made in 3,400 piece rolls..I stock a few different diameters. I buy the 4 inch trucker mug ones from Axner in a few hundred quality for price breaks. Aftosa also sell them-they are spend in small quantities . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugmkr Posted January 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 Hey Mark I thought you would have a purple cow or two in your area, I've seen lots of dairy farms when visiting the humboldt area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 Actually now we are known now more for our world famous goat cheese http://www.cypressgrovecheese.com/about-us/ If you are into cheese you know about this place. I'll look for the purple goat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 I actually use a silkscreened logo on the bottom of my pieces. I can do this either at leather hard, bone dry or before glazing, depending on the piece. If I am doing a transfer image on the piece then I use a transfer logo instead of the silkscreened one. The logo is put on a waxed circle which I have a sponge in that exact shape and size that I use to do it so it's super quick, one dab and I'm done. I also have for my smaller pieces like spoonrests kiln stilts that fit just inside the waxed circle so there are no still marks left behind either. I put PUGABOO on just about everything and if you Google, Pugaboo, you will most likely find me in some shape or form. Once you get to my main domain which has lots of stuff (not just pottery) there are easy to find buy pages with my etsy shops or eBay (when I have items on eBay) items shown. My contact info is also listed there as well. I as well include a card with all my contact info on it with each sale whether it's in person or online, but cards tend to get lost whereas something printed directly on the piece does not. I don't use a business card for this I have designed small cards with my logo, contact info, simple how to care for the pottery, and even leave a space for someone to write To: Blah From: Blip, so it also works as a gift card. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugmkr Posted January 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 Yes Mark I have had that cheese and it is wonderful! Do let us know when you see a purple goat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 We only let a few products out from behind the Redwood curtain-the main one is not cheese but cheese is #2..There has been discussion about a check point coming into the redwood curtain to make sure folks are not planning on settling down here. There is a need to keep it uncrowded. Perfect climate no crowds limited services. what more could you ask for.Only 3 roads into the county and they all are long and winding two lanes. One is washed out for a month now east to Redding. Usually we loose a two roads a winter for short spell during the rainy season. The goats do not mind the rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_L Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 Sounds like an interesting idea. Since it's (almost) Friday I'll ask if you will be able to keep your website online for two thousand years until an archaeologist digs one of your pots out of a pit in the ground? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 Interestingly enough, with a good signature on the bottom of the piece, and the internet as a tool, most of us can be found very quickly. I am certain giving the web site is a great idea, but then the name gives you so much more if you are looking someone up. best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 Got a call yesterday from out of state on replacing a favorite mug he bought about 15 years ago out one of my outlets that I have been selling though for 41 years in the small Tourist town of Trinidad . I get enough of these without trying it seems -this one turned into 4 mugs and will be north of $100. I'm already 3 phone calls and one text photo into it and its far from over. As I said before it usually 7 e-mails and one phone call. Thats why I like other ways of selling than this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 I use a stamp with my surname on it that makes a really crisp and clear impression into the clay. Takes about 2 seconds to stamp the bottom of pots. I have an uncommon surname so this works for me when people want to look me up online. Had something reverse happen last month, a woman came up to me at a sale saying she had a pot crack and was sure it was one of mine. I flipped a pot over and showed her my name on the bottom and asked if her pot had this. Nope, problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 I sign all the pots and folks have found me thur that signature as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Funny you should say sign your whole name or stamp it, etc. I used to sign my full name on my art then an art teacher said.. why do you use your married name? What if you get remarried? Well that hasn't happened and it's been 30+ years so oh well. I'm not going to use my maiden name since is dislike it immensely. If I'm going to hand sign something I use my first name with a few symbols that mean nothing to nobody but myself... but to me they are an extension of me. So googling by my name written on the pot would be pointless. I use pugabo, just that no .coms or anything and the town I live in is on there as well since it can be googled. I have pottery signed by the potters I have purchased over the years but can't read the signatures and the symbols on them mean nothing to me and can't help me find them since they are not world famous. I guess I would suggest sign your pots the way that makes you happy and means something to you and with any luck future owners of your pieces will still be able to find you with a bit of ingenuity on their part. The future archeologists can do what they like to do and guess. Maybe they will come up with a neat theory like Pugs were so honored they had their own cult and temples where the Turbo Pug was the most holy of symbols and they were called the Sect of Pugaboo. I've been to Egypt and knew more about its ancient history than our guide who was just making it up as he went along so that scenario is entirely possible. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 I'm a retired art teacher, and I always insisted that work be fully signed whether pottery, drawings or paintings. Either that or a pair of initials and last name if not enough space. Makes it easier to grade, makes it easier to identify the artist later on in life. best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preeta Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Mea Rhee on her Good Elephant blog agrees with you guys. her 'chop' is so easily identifiable. all you have to do is look for good elephant online and voila - there is her website. her blog has great pointers on the business aspect of it. i've shared that with so many beginning potters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 i agree with terry about the illegible signatures on pots. it doesn't matter if the pot is in a respected gallery or a thrift shop, a scrawl of what should be letters but is more like the track of an insect or worm is not worth reading. just another symptom of carelessness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Interestingly enough, with a good signature on the bottom of the piece, and the internet as a tool, most of us can be found very quickly. I am certain giving the web site is a great idea, but then the name gives you so much more if you are looking someone up. best, Pres Most of my pots are stamped with a small elephant and that's it. People can still find me based on that. I'm like Mark, not terribly interested in long distance sales anyways (too time comsuming), so I'm not really concerned whether people can figure it out or not. But if someone has a mostly online based business, then I can see how including your url in your stamp would be very useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Think the style of the mark needs to fit the pot. I expect to see an ornate type signature/mark on the bottom of a highly decorated pot, a simple chop or signature on a minimalist pot and so forth. If a website can be included in the stamp/mark then why not if it helps sell pots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Just shipped out 5 mugs for 126$ only took 5 e-mails and 4 phone calls and one square transaction. My 4th UPS box in last week to head out. Not a big fan of this way of doing business. Its all money but the effort sucks time. On the other hand I just got a major check for December sales at one of my consignment galleries.I did make 5-6 trips there in December but the dollars are so much larger than shipping a few pots out each week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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