Where do you keep it once you made it?

[leigharttx]

Hello! 

I'm gearing up to clean out my studio tomorrow and I'm curious, where does everyone else store their finished pottery before it sells?

I have mine in tubs lined with large bubble wrap, foam pieces and towels that I keep beneath shelves that stay open and clear for new pots that need trimming and glazing. Has anyone figured out a more genius approach to storing finished product and a lot of it? 

 

Thanks, 

Whitney

[liambesaw]

I'm now up to 10 Costco totes full of finished work.  I have another probably 3 totes worth of stuff on tables and racks in my carport.  I think I need to get a storage unit.

[neilestrick]

On the shelves in the gallery. If I didn't have a gallery, I'd probably have it on shelves so I could easily pick and choose from my inventory when I needed it.

[oldlady]

stacked by size and type on shelves in the studio or if already taken to a sale, in the box it was packed up in to bring back home.    still in box by size and type.   i usually do not have much hanging around, maybe 4 or 5 boxes.  these are cardboard clay boxes, no plastic tubs.  can't handle that weight.

[Marcia Selsor]

I try not to keep it around but I do stock pile in my finished work  basement where my photo setup is located. I have about 5 galleries that I keep stocked. I am having a show with a wood turner next December so I keep a piece for that every so often. The wood turners pots look so much like my clay pots I had to take a close look at one after thinking it looked like mine from across the room.The wood turner came to see me demonstrating last summer at Art in the Beartooth because he saw that our work looks alike. It was an interesting experience.

Marcia

[Roberta12]

On shelves.  So I can see what is what.  I have gotten into a making cycle, bisque cycle, glaze cycle, so I do store bisque ware in tubs until I move into the glazing cycle, simply to keep it clean.  But once it is made, it is on shelves.  Because I share that part of the shop with my husband (woodworking, etc) I cover those shelves with sheets.  

Roberta

[LeeU]

I don't have a huge inventory so I keep it in several large storage carts with deep drawers, or large totes.  Each piece has an item code and a reference photo that I keep on a spreadsheet, assigned to broad categories, i.e catchalls, bowls, desk top items, wall pieces etc. I can look on the spreadsheet for what I want and go straight to the labeled container it's stored in. Works for me! 

[CactusPots]

33 minutes ago, Marcia Selsor said:

I try not to keep it around but I do stock pile in my finished work  basement where my photo setup is located. I have about 5 galleries that I keep stocked. I am having a show with a wood turner next December so I keep a piece for that every so often. The wood turners pots look so much like my clay pots I had to take a close look at one after thinking it looked like mine from across the room.The wood turner came to see me demonstrating last summer at Art in the Beartooth because he saw that our work looks alike. It was an interesting experience.

Marcia

When I was a wood lathe enthusiast; at least in my own mind; I told a potter that I drew inspiration from ceramics, he  told me he drew inspiration from glass blowers. 

So there ya go.

[Mark C.]

I keep much of it packed in my dedicated pottery van-the rest is in banana boxes in my huge covered kiln area which is an overflow area

[Callie Beller Diesel]

A combination of shelves and bins. The bins stay packed during show seasons, and the shelves hold the overstock. If items are destined for a store, they get delivered within a day or two so they’re not hanging around. 

[GEP]

Shelves. So I can see everything and do an inventory when needed.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

If you store your work in opaque boxes, write the contents on the side with a piece of chalk. 

[kraftea92]

That a good shelf you have there. 

[PSC]

On 1/10/2020 at 10:02 PM, Marcia Selsor said:

I try not to keep it around but I do stock pile in my finished work  basement where my photo setup is located. I have about 5 galleries that I keep stocked. I am having a show with a wood turner next December so I keep a piece for that every so often. The wood turners pots look so much like my clay pots I had to take a close look at one after thinking it looked like mine from across the room.The wood turner came to see me demonstrating last summer at Art in the Beartooth because he saw that our work looks alike. It was an interesting experience.

Marcia

I was doing some public demoing at a small show and a woodturning came up to have a chat and asked if i knew of a good book for ceramic shapes  cause he could see they might help him with his wood lathe. So i gave him the name of a couple of books. I have since seen him at other shows and he has said the books were a tremendous source of inspiration.

[PSC]

The wheel thrown work stacked in 5 gallon buckets using cloth yardage and some cloth bags for packing. The buckets stack up 3 high nicely. When a show comes up i just load up some buckets and the rest of my stuff and off i go. I do a lot of repeating shows and to keep people buying they like to see different work so i try to bring a mix of new and older buckets so there is something fresh to see every time. I also have a few larger bins for nonround shapes and platters. I find the stacking totes' lids  don't really take too much weight so not overly practical for long term stacking.

[kswan]

I took inspiration from how wine bottles are packed tightly with cardboard grid separators. I made my own to fit large see-through plastic totes. I can put my jars and vases into each section without having to wrap each one individually. Then I can take that whole tote with me for a show. It makes me nervous when I hear things clinking together and the cardboard stops that.  I made the separators in different sizes so I can just fit the pottery into the right place. I was wrapping up each item but it took me forever to pack them and take them out like that. I'm slow enough as it is! For smaller things like mugs and little bowls, I made a cardboard lift-out tray that sits on top of a lower level. I put a sticky note with contents on the top of the tote for things I can't see through the sides. I'm lucky that I have space to put those totes, but at least they stack on top of each other nicely so they don't take up a huge footprint. It would probably take me a year to make what Mea makes for one show , but I do have those same shelves for my bats and greenware.

Also, if you're near an Ikea store with the housewares section, look out for the foam sheet pieces they use to separate their bowls and plates. Most people leave them behind when they buy things and the staff throw those away. So far they have been very nice in letting me have those! They're great for putting in between stacked pieces.