Galleries

[DirtRoads]

Tell me about galleries and your experience.   I've been approached about the more expensive pieces in my line, which are $200 and up.  That I am marketing under my name "Sharon A. Grimes" and not Dirt Roads Pottery.

[Mark C.]

Most are 50% these days on consignment. Make sure they have been in business long time and have a good reputation.

I have had a few for many many decades.I trust them. I also long ago had some bad ones I dropped. One I turned into whole sale only about 10 yaers ago  and still do bus with after 50 years now.

 

[Denice]

Many years ago I put some  pots that I had made in the Anazai research group.   I had a friend that sold beautiful handmade furniture there and told me it was a great place.   I had left a few pots there,  when I went back to check on them  I heard her tell a customer who was looking at my work that they could buy it much cheaper in Taos.  I grabbed my work and left,  I found out later that they had stolen the business from their daughter.   She was in the hospital,  they told her she was dying and had here sign the business over to them.   They cheated everyone they could,  never did pay our friend for a $2000 cabinet they sold just before they skipped town.  Like Marc  I have sold work at more good galleries than bad.   Denice

[Callie Beller Diesel]

The last art gallery I was in was probably 20 years ago in a different economic climate. The owners were good human beings, but the rent on the place wasn’t feasible and they wound up closing down. Everyone got their work back, but not any outstanding payments from the previous month. 

I don’t make high end art work, and I’m not personally motivated at all by ego or prestige, so I don’t really feel the need to chase down opportunities like that. But I am keenly aware that others don’t share my opinion. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be in a gallery, but I haven’t seen it be a particularly lucrative income stream from anyone in my generation (Gen X) or younger working in clay. I’ve seen it bring travel and teaching opportunities and other fun things to some, which can be something. But no one I know who makes full time does galleries for anything other than an ego rub. And if that makes someone happy, give ‘er!

IMO if the gallery insists on the artist being responsible for any shipping fees, including return on items that don’t sell, I’d rather sell it wholesale and not worry about when I’m going to get a consignment cheque or how much it’ll be.  

[Kelly in AK]

Context: I am a low volume producer. I have a day job for money. Not trying to make money at it, just want to make better pots today than I did yesterday. My pots are expensive because there’s a lot to them and they’re good (Not because they take a long time to make, that’s totally different. If it takes you a long time to make a pot it could mean you’re just not very skilled at it). I price them at what they’re worth, maybe less. 

Galleries take between 40-50%. I have one gallery, it’s befitting to the quality of my work. Sometimes people ask where they can find my pots, this gives me a place to send them. It’s a special relationship, less about sales than having my stuff in the right place. I could hustle and get it all over town, but it’s not seen properly unless it’s in the right context.

That said, I can just as well store my stuff on shelves in the gallery as I do in boxes in my closet. The gallery might actually sell something. I, on the other hand, sell once a year. A holiday sale where I keep 100% minus the tiny overhead. That’s where the money comes from. But here’s the thing- I’ve had people buy at the holiday sale who first found my work in the gallery. I’ve had buyers at the sale ask where else they can find my stuff. Like I said, special relationship. Less about money than it is about people and personal connections, for me. 

[GEP]

I used to do a lot of wholesale work via trade shows, so I’ve worked with dozens of galleries. They come in a wide range from “grifters” to “well-intentioned incompetent” all the way to “craft industry superhero.” So whether this particular opportunity is a good idea depends a lot on the quality of the humans behind it. 

If it’s consignment, I would ask for a contract that allows you to take the work back whenever you want, for any reason. If they haven’t paid for it, they shouldn’t be able to stop you from having it back. 

If it’s wholesale, then just make sure to charge a wholesale price for the first order that satisfies you, whether the relationship becomes more fruitful or not. Then see how it goes. 

Ultimately I decided that selling my work wholesale was not worth the discount, and I made a much better profit selling directly and without a middleman. However, the margins were better for the higher end pieces (large platters and such) than they were for the mugs. So if that’s the type of work they want, and they have a customer base that will buy it, then there’s good potential. 

[Mark C.]

If I'm wholesaling to a fancy gallery I ask about 2/3 my price (thats 60-70%) . They mark it up double .I do the same at my 50/50 consignment gallery about 2/3 my retail price but I hardly retail anymore these days.

[Denice]

  Lots  of people want to pay more,  they think it has better quality and design when it cost more.  You could mark a teapot for 80 dollars and it would just sit there,  mark it 150 dollars and it would sell.   You might even give them a 10 percent discount,  the discount makes them feel like an wheeler dealer and  often becomes a loyal customer.   I had a wallpaper\paint store for twenty years  and quickly figured out what type of customer I wanted to sell to.      Denice

[DirtRoads]

Someone on this board once gave me the idea of having a "gallery" line in addition to my production line.  I've sold a few higher priced pieces since that time.   For me that's $200 - $450.   Ok, I am going with this interior designer in Atlanta.    They will just put my pieces in houses they do and add the price, itemized.   The deal is that I will do hand built only for them.   At the moment, they only want 2 colors, both white matte with accent colors.    Currently they get a 30% discount from places like Restoration Hardware.    They are just adding one piece per house, and are taking a 30% commission, at a price that is way way above what I would ever mark my items here.   I'll post a picture of the first sale I made.   I picked Atlanta because my family travels to Atlanta at least once a month.     I've leaving 4 or 5 pieces with them and they will send me a check upon sale.    They just mailed me a check for this item (check to avoid cc fees) and it will be delivered when someone goes to Atlanta.    I'm confident this is a trustworthy source, due to the houses I've been in that they have done.  I have agreed to just sign the items Sharon A. Grimes (no Dirt Roads).   And I will do a small bio poster to put with the work and a website SharonAGrimesartist.com for their exclusive promotion.   I will refer all calls to them.    Let me go take a picture.

[DirtRoads]

On 6/15/2023 at 9:47 PM, Denice said:

  Lots  of people want to pay more,  they think it has better quality and design when it cost more.  You could mark a teapot for 80 dollars and it would just sit there,  mark it 150 dollars and it would sell.   You might even give them a 10 percent discount,  the discount makes them feel like an wheeler dealer and  often becomes a loyal customer.   I had a wallpaper\paint store for twenty years  and quickly figured out what type of customer I wanted to sell to.      Denice

^^^^ This.   And they will pay more from certain venues.   I couldn't get these prices on my own.    

[Denice]

Your right people who wander into my studio would be thrilled if I gave them a pot.   But they aren't so thrilled when you give them a price.    Denice

[DirtRoads]

Showing the size compared to a mug.   Could get a better picture.   Having a photographer come here next week and get a few shots.     Part of the deal is that I never post a price with any of this work.    I'm not even saying this is worth the price I will be getting either.    Or that this work is even "special".  We agreed to them have 4 to 5 pieces in stock.   And me supplying about 20-25 pieces a year.   Wouldn't be making a living and I'm not giving up my other line.   But, it's a new venture for me.  Oh btw, both of these pieces sold now.  2nd check being mailed.   They will be delivered next weekend.

I want to search and find the person here that gave me this idea so I can properly thank them.

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by DirtRoads

[DirtRoads]

People help find that smart person that came up with this idea!   It was someone here.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I think a few people have suggested similar methods over the years, although I can’t remember who would have suggested selling under 2 different names for the lines. 

Most of us who make dinnerware and other functional stuff do some form of more art based work at some point, although not everyone goes with 2 separate and concurrently produced product lines. I see more jewellers and graphic artists have 2 different names for their bread and butter vs art lines like this, but it’s not unheard of. 

I think getting in with an established interior design firm with a wealthy clientele is a very good way of finding someone who can help you realize a higher price point. I can see it having some positives, in that they’ll be used to a certain set of professionalism rules, and payment timelines. I think being familiar with the business and their reputation both on the client and vendor end is a really smart idea.