clay lover Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Another thread got me thinking, perceived value is what a customer considers when they look at a piece and decide to buy it or not. Many of us do shows where we offer basic ,stock : easy to make-easy to sell pieces. What is you favorite way to increase percieved value without increasing the time it takes you to make the ppiece to a point whaere you can't get your $$ equivalent to the time you spent making the piece? I use stamping and simply carving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicAxe Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 It's simple things that come with skill and experience that will always add to the perceived value to work ... proper glazing with interesting effects, clean refined clay work, proper display of work and of course finding your own voice in the medium you work in. Oh, and knowing your market ... seems like half of what I make that is functional needs to be blue to blue-green and anywhere inbetween. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biglou13 Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Not being a smart ___. But find a gallery that will rep you. Perceived value will, and actual value will go up up.., but representation iis not without drawbacks. Have a great story to tell about you and your work. A great spiel can double value of work. The higher dollar customer wants to know that you are an artiste. Adopt a strong foreign accent ( ok partly joking) Have a special line of "signature pieces". Objects d art. That are priced as such. Theses pieces must be one ups, and cannot even remotely resemble A production piece. Put a whole lotta soul in these pieces. Charge twice as much. Work less often. Learned that one from very successful artist. Sometime a big price tag automatically validates work. Raising dollar value often includes changing direction , thoght process and moving away from production work...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Your best lessons on upping perceived value lies in the catalogs you get in the mail ... Look how they flog stuff at twice the price ... Good images, alluring text perceived as good taste ... Yes, how smart you are to buy this ... How impressed all your friends will be ... Buy it now ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Presentation and differentiation. You can put a child's finger painting on your fridge with a magnet, and it is a child's painting. Or you can surround it with a wide white matte and a handsome frame, and someone might mistake it for modern art. Does your art festival display look like a professional display, or an amateurs display? Does it look like you think your work is important, or like you think your work is silly? It really matters. Also important, in order to get your work into the venues where you can charge higher prices, you need to have great photographs of your work. It's another area where presentation matters. When I see so-so work at a high-quality show, I think "they must have great photographs." Differentiation means that your work is more valuable if it is unique. Not only must it be unique, you must know exactly what makes your work different, and be prepared to explain it to your customers. Mea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Study hard. Remain a student of clay your entire life. Have a highly critical boss (you). Make lots, keep little. Have exceptional aesthetic and technical standards. Take what you do seriously and make sure others know that. Put in 120% all the time. When all that is done.. .... sell the sizzle. best, ......................john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Another thread got me thinking, perceived value is what a customer considers when they look at a piece and decide to buy it or not. Many of us do shows where we offer basic ,stock : easy to make-easy to sell pieces. What is you favorite way to increase percieved value without increasing the time it takes you to make the ppiece to a point whaere you can't get your $ equivalent to the time you spent making the piece? I use stamping and simply carving. I think for me it is often the old idiom "the devil is in the details". I will often try to find a very easy way to add an extreme amount of detail that shows on close attention. This might be the use of a textured piece of plywood, modeling paste that is stamped. carved and highly detailed to roll slabs on to, don't stop there, cut the plywood apart, and get rid of some pieces, roll the slab larger and you have paneled surfaces for slab construction. Another simple detail is an incised line for a piece of grass, or border-instead of incising it, I roll it on with an old adding machine piece. the series of numbers in the line show through stains and thin glaze techniques. Adding detail rewards those that look closer, often making the sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay lover Posted May 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Another thread got me thinking, perceived value is what a customer considers when they look at a piece and decide to buy it or not. Many of us do shows where we offer basic ,stock : easy to make-easy to sell pieces. What is you favorite way to increase percieved value without increasing the time it takes you to make the ppiece to a point whaere you can't get your $ equivalent to the time you spent making the piece? I use stamping and simply carving. I think for me it is often the old idiom "the devil is in the details". I will often try to find a very easy way to add an extreme amount of detail that shows on close attention. This might be the use of a textured piece of plywood, modeling paste that is stamped. carved and highly detailed to roll slabs on to, don't stop there, cut the plywood apart, and get rid of some pieces, roll the slab larger and you have paneled surfaces for slab construction. Another simple detail is an incised line for a piece of grass, or border-instead of incising it, I roll it on with an old adding machine piece. the series of numbers in the line show through stains and thin glaze techniques. Adding detail rewards those that look closer, often making the sale. Thanks, All. The things above about presentation and quality of work are certainly important, and I adhere to those ideas. My booth is good looking, I do everything I can to have a sharp presentation . Good packaging, good looking business cards, nice tags, learned that from Mea! the work is as good as I can get it. I have an 'ART line' that is presented as well, usually does not sell in craft fair venues but up grades the booth and makes people want a piece I make, even if they can't buy the expensive work. Pres has hit on the slant I had in mind when I made the OP. What do you do to add percieved value to you simple stock pieces, the easy to make- easy to sell base line that pays the booth rent? How to get a buyer to see a simple to make piece at 20% higher a price through percieved value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Puckett Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 When you say stock pieces, I assume you have a number of each of those pieces at a show. Don't put them all out at one time. A display of fifty nearly identical mugs may look nice, but none of those mugs looks special enough for people to feel like they have to have one. They need to worry that if they walk away, what they want may be gone before they get back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Pres has hit on the slant I had in mind when I made the OP. What do you do to add percieved value to you simple stock pieces, the easy to make- easy to sell base line that pays the booth rent? How to get a buyer to see a simple to make piece at 20% higher a price through percieved value. On that specific question, for me the answer to make sure, when a customer picks up a mug/cup/bowl, it feels light and well-balanced and comfortable to hold. I want them to visualize themselves using it, and for the pot to become one of their favorites. Not only will this command higher prices, it's more likely they'll become repeat customers, and tell their friends how much they enjoy the pot. Which leads to higher prices :-) Mea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Pres has hit on the slant I had in mind when I made the OP. What do you do to add percieved value to you simple stock pieces, the easy to make- easy to sell base line that pays the booth rent? How to get a buyer to see a simple to make piece at 20% higher a price through percieved value. On that specific question, for me the answer to make sure, when a customer picks up a mug/cup/bowl, it feels light and well-balanced and comfortable to hold. I want them to visualize themselves using it, and for the pot to become one of their favorites. Not only will this command higher prices, it's more likely they'll become repeat customers, and tell their friends how much they enjoy the pot. Which leads to higher prices :-) Mea Right on! A comfortable handle, good weight, comfortable not too thin rim with lip curve, smooth bottom, and pleasing decoration: all of these point to a professional piece of pottery well worth the purchase price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay lover Posted May 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 22, 2013 Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? I disagree-a bowl is best without either Its works for teapots. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay lover Posted May 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? I disagree-a bowl is best without either Its works for teapots. Mark The guy that said that only made jugs. Guess it works for him.;)src="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif"> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffCenter Posted May 22, 2013 Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? Pretty dumb. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trina Posted May 22, 2013 Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? I think it really depends on how long it took you to make the pot. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted May 22, 2013 Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? hmmm ... doesn't fit with my minimalist values. And way too dogmatic for pottery, not just for minimalists. Mea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted May 22, 2013 Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 My two cents worth - One of my favorite bowls has a simple knob handle and a lid. I got it years ago from a potter whose work I love and bought loads of. It's one of my favorites because as a busy Mom when I got it I could easily pop the lid on while dealing with the kids and not come back to cold soup. Now as an older woman with a disabled husband the handle makes it easy to hold and carry even with very hot stuff inside and the lid keeps the food warm from one room to another. So I think even a bowl can be improved with a lid and a handle. When I get good enough I'd like to make some more bowls like if for myself since the potter that made it retired and moved to Hawaii and no longer does pottery. Again just my opinion and my reason for having it. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted May 22, 2013 Report Share Posted May 22, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? Like many things that have been stated as broad generalities of absolute "fact"......... it ain't. In my experience, most people working with clay start off realizing that they don't know much about it. Then they reach a point where they feel they are gaining a little knowledge and skill but stuill realize they have a lot to learn. Then they "progress" to thinking that they know a lot about it. It is only much later that they then realize that they don't really know diddly in the big scale of the ceramics field. It is those in the middle ground that tend to make those kinds of sweeping statements. It is those in the last category that should be the ones to listen to. best, ..............john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay lover Posted May 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? Like many things that have been stated as broad generalities of absolute "fact"......... it ain't. In my experience, most people working with clay start off realizing that they don't know much about it. Then they reach a point where they feel they are gaining a little knowledge and skill but stuill realize they have a lot to learn. Then they "progress" to thinking that they know a lot about it. It is only much later that they then realize that they don't really know diddly in the big scale of the ceramics field. It is those in the middle ground that tend to make those kinds of sweeping statements. It is those in the last category that should be the ones to listen to. best, ..............john and the statement came from my then instructor. ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kohaku Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 In my experience, most people working with clay start off realizing that they don't know much about it. Then they reach a point where they feel they are gaining a little knowledge and skill but stuill realize they have a lot to learn. Then they "progress" to thinking that they know a lot about it. It is only much later that they then realize that they don't really know diddly in the big scale of the ceramics field. It is those in the middle ground that tend to make those kinds of sweeping statements. It is those in the last category that should be the ones to listen to. best, ..............john .... Socrates....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? Like many things that have been stated as broad generalities of absolute "fact"......... it ain't. In my experience, most people working with clay start off realizing that they don't know much about it. Then they reach a point where they feel they are gaining a little knowledge and skill but stuill realize they have a lot to learn. Then they "progress" to thinking that they know a lot about it. It is only much later that they then realize that they don't really know diddly in the big scale of the ceramics field. It is those in the middle ground that tend to make those kinds of sweeping statements. It is those in the last category that should be the ones to listen to. best, ..............john You nailed it John, and thank you for correcting me several times! 24 years of slinging mud so I've just scratched the surface, or would that be sgraffitoed the surface? (insert creepy smiley face here) The more I learn the more I learn how little I know - Socrates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 I had an instructor once who said, "Any pot can be improved by the addition of a lid or a handle ". What do you think of that statement? Like many things that have been stated as broad generalities of absolute "fact"......... it ain't. In my experience, most people working with clay start off realizing that they don't know much about it. Then they reach a point where they feel they are gaining a little knowledge and skill but stuill realize they have a lot to learn. Then they "progress" to thinking that they know a lot about it. It is only much later that they then realize that they don't really know diddly in the big scale of the ceramics field. It is those in the middle ground that tend to make those kinds of sweeping statements. It is those in the last category that should be the ones to listen to. best, ..............john Bury me the day that I become so knowledgeable that I can't learn any thing new! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Bury me the day that I become so knowledgeable that I can't learn any thing new! What he said. best, ......................john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 24, 2013 Report Share Posted May 24, 2013 In my 40 years with clay it seems just when you master the (whatever) process and think you have it down it all goes to hell in a hand basket. Its a humbling learning curve to say the least. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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