Time for a Sticky Wicket. . . . QotW: What are your best sellers?

[Pres]

 

Hi folks, this last week @JohnnyK sent me a message with a request for a QotW. At first I was inclined to water the request a bit, so as to try and illicit more responses. However, the more I thought about it, the more I came to be interested in showing the full intent behind the request as stated by JohnnyK. Here is the original message sent to me:

Many, if not most, of the participants in this forum have been selling their pottery for years and I would guess that you have best selling items whether they be spoon rests, sponge holders, mugs bowls, or whatever. As an inspiration for those of us who are just getting started in marketing our materials. I would like to suggest that you pros show us photos of what you sell so that we may emulate you and your success assuming that we are not selling in your market and not competing.

QotW: What are your best sellers?  Please include photos.

 

 

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[Min]

Best selling lower price point item for the amount of work involved would be my little tubs (with black walnut spoon). Mugs always sell well. Higher price point best seller are my swirl serving dishes. 

Edit: I don't get the opportunity to soda fire very often but when I do anything that comes out of the kiln fairly decent sells quickly.

  

Edited October 24, 2021 by Min

[Pres]

I haven't done an actual show in years, but I have had some sales from various outlets. If I were guessing. . . Fillers: thrown boxes, small dishes, spoon rests, scramble egg bowls, and mugs; Mids: berry bowls with drain dish, honey jars (my way), small pitchers, serving bowls, batter bowls, Communion sets, and larger thrown boxes; Top: Larger pitchers, teapots, vases, casseroles/dutch oven style and large bowls; High end: Floor vases, and finally experiments.

 

best,

Pres

[Mark C.]

Mugs are my best sellers-I make 5 sizes and 3 kinds-regular -soup-motion.

Spoon rests -sell them by the hundreds-sponge holders -also sell a zillion

from there its an assortment of glasses -half glasses pie plates chip and dips

candle holders cereal bowls and miso bowls -as well as all size serving bowls (very popular) and huge bowls )no one makes them much anymore

 utensil holders-baking dishes a few sizes platers round and oval in many sizes -vases- canister sets

I make 35 forms and soon will be narrowing it down as shows are going to an end for me in next  few years

Teapots -flatware are near the bottom as slow sellers

These two photos are my 2 shows I did this year-Aug and Oct-I have my 43rd annual xmas show (private in a local shopping center) left to do

shows sell all forms other outlets sell a limited variety of forms like my galleries or supermarkets-much more limited selection than a show

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Mark C.

[oldlady]

if i could figure that out, i would make more of them.

[Pres]

Took Me a while to figure that out, @oldlady! Duh! Got me, but I understand now

 

best,

Pres

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I don’t mind sharing at all!

My best selling mug I can’t post from the front, because they have assorted swear words on them. Yes, I know. People either love them or hate them, and there’s no in between. But we’re all still 12 on some level, and fart jokes and swear words have endured for a reason. I’ve had some really intense emotional stories from people who told me that they used a mug with their favourite cuss word on it to help cope with the last year, and that’s no small thing, so I’ll keep making them. 

Other than that, berry bowls are usually popular, I came out with some candle lanterns last year that get snapped up at a pretty fast rate, and I need to make more of them. They started off as garlic jars that got moved into a more multipurpose item.

Larger pieces always seem to sell eventually, but not at the same rate. I don’t really have any stock from last year; it’s all turned over. Cookie jars, large serving pieces, they all go. But it can take a few months sometimes for a piece to find the right person.

 

[GEP]

Best sellers are the Enormous Coffee Mug (I do make a smaller mug too but the enormous ones sell better), and the Bowl with Chopsticks.

Edit to add: my whole line of work contains about 40 different items, ranging from $10 to $225. These two items are roughly 20% (dollar-wise) of what I bring to each show. I don't recommend making only mugs and eating bowls, that wouldn't add up to a good sale. I'm just saying that mugs and small bowls are an essential and substantial component to a functional potter's line of work. 

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by GEP

[oldlady]

this post was useless in the discussion so i removed it.

Edited October 26, 2021 by oldlady
add photo did not work