There’s still plenty of time to turn your craft into cash before Christmas.
December 11, 2009 by Terri
Filed under Crafting A Living, Start-up NOW
Have you noticed that many of the small boutiques and galleries that sell handmade are low in inventory two weeks before Christmas? I have, and I know why. And this is to your advantage as a craftsperson.
As a result of the media’s fear-based reports, small retailers ordered light this season anticipating slow sales. But guess what? Discerning consumers are searching for unique, handcrafted, meaningful gifts this season, catching retailers unprepared with insufficient supply and no time to re-order handmade gifts. Most people say they haven’t even started shopping yet which means shop owners are missing out on revenue if they don’t have inventory. While the big-box retailers can mark their wares down after the holidays, and still make a profit, as you know, craft retailers don’t have the margin to discount since their markup is so low. So, they are afraid to purchase this late in the season.
But this is where YOU come in. Boutiques and galleries that may not have had space to display your work previously need the inventory between now and Christmas. You likely have pieces you’d love to turn into cash and the shops NEED your work now. It’s risk free for them if you put pieces on consignment and you have nothing to lose either. (review previous tips on consignment.)
Don’t limit yourself to galleries. The next three weeks, women are dressing for holiday parties and looking for that one-of-a-kind accessory to add pizazz to their outfit. Approach apparel shops and offer to consign your handcrafted jewelry, evening bags, shawls, etc.
No one can buy them if they are sitting in your studio unseen,
Check back frequently for more “eleventh hour” tips on selling your crafts and if you haven’t yet received your “13 Quick, Easy, Low-cost or NO-cost Ways to Turn your Craft into Cash” get your free gift here.
You’ll find many of these tips can be implemented NOW.
Should You Consign to Galleries?
May 27, 2009 by Terri
Filed under Crafting A Living
The question of consignment keeps coming up and while I’ll address it in more detail in the tele-seminar series this summer, let’s touch base on some basics since it’s the time of year to get started.
Assuming you’ve selected the galleries where your crafts will be most compatible, you’ve narrowed down the choices and set up appointments, it’s time to prepare for your meeting.
Show up well prepared with your pieces attractively tagged, with the information we’ve discussed. Price the pieces at retail. Number each piece so that it coincides with a number on your inventory list. (which you will duplicate and leave a copy with the gallery.) Ideally, a thumbnail photograph of each piece next to the number will help you and the gallery owner identify them easily. This doesn’t need to be a high resolution photo, it’s for reference only, not a marketing piece. If your objects are fairly flat, for example jewelry, a simple way to do it is to just place it on your photocopier, scan it and reduce to thumbnail size..
Also, if you have a display that shows your work off well, present the gallery owner with that option. You always want to have display recommendations.
If you are consigning work to gallery far from home, consider asking someone in the area to periodically “shop” the gallery for you. (they are actually your spies.) I can’t count the times I’ve walked into galleries to see a particular artist’s work and it’s nowhere on display. The artist has no idea why he isn’t receiving commission checks and it turns out
