I'm opening a store for crafters and artists to sell their things - clothing, toys, art, music, comics, etc- basically trying to get the unknown and little known names out and about. I'm doing it on a commission basis but with a twist. You set the price you need, i put a small markup on top. You have no costs except shipping to get things to me. I cover rent, utilities, insurance, taxes, display - all the "fun" things people dislike having to deal with. There will be a contact between us; you will need to send me an inventory and I will send you a list of items sold and a check once a month if your items have sold. You will be welcome to send me more things at any time, and experiment - we'll both find out what sells best!
The store is named Ravenglass Gallery and located in Evergreen, Colorado.
If you're interested, contact me through tribes and we'll get started!
Hope you'll be interested in this business relationship!
The store is named Ravenglass Gallery and located in Evergreen, Colorado.
If you're interested, contact me through tribes and we'll get started!
Hope you'll be interested in this business relationship!
posted by:
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Colorado
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Thu, September 20, 2007 - 1:22 AMI dont mean to be pesimistic but it wont work.......No one should trust you with there inventory...Im not saying you could not be trusted but anyone who does a lot of hard work on their crafts will not just turn it over to somone else to hold on to and sell. What you should do is set up an internet site that people can advertize there wares at. You maintain the website for a percentage of the overall sales...People send you the cash and the vendor send out the merchandise....at the end of the month/week /whatever you send them a check minus your cut. Still takes some trust, but at least somone would be more willing to trust you to handle the sales if they are not likely to loose all there inventory if something goes wrong.....I can sustain a loss of a few pieces in order to see if your site works....However I couldnot loose my entire inventory, does that make sence? I am in no way commenting about you or your character....I am just speaking in a general sence....
I am doubtfull that consignment of this type will work for most arts and crafts people Either way I wish you luck -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Fri, September 21, 2007 - 8:14 AMI agree, I would rather sell my inventory to you wholesale than ship it off to "maybe" get sold on consignment.
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Fri, September 21, 2007 - 9:58 AMWell, so much for your pessimism- I have 20 contracts and goods from those people. Most of them who HAVE tried selling on the internet and not finding it lucrative, who have been to shows and know that the impulse buy with goods in hand brings much more money.
But thanks for your input and trust. -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Fri, September 21, 2007 - 11:40 AMI have spent my entire adult life working in the crafts, jewelry and gem world. People give me bags of pearls, gems and gold for me to make their stuff for them and I never have to sign anything.People have given me their entire collections, put me on a plane and sent me to shows.I have shipped boxes of gems to people my boss had never met All Over th Country and the only problem there ever was was that the UPS driver lost a package and lied when he said it had been delivered. Eventually it was found in the bushes of the apartment building because he was too lazy to ring the bell and get a signature so he threw it over the fence. A;most ALL gem business is conducted on memo. Art and Craft Galleries (noit stores, Galleries) operate almost Exclusively on Consignment basis.
I have sold two pieces and gotten three stringing jobs from my website. I gave Wholesalecrafts.com a big pile of money to do my marketing and made back less than 1/4 of 1%. I prefer the hands on approach myself.
I've done shows all my life and can sell just about anything that anybody other than myself has made. Sure wish I had someone to do that for me but in the meantime everything I have in inventory is out on consignment and I get little checks every month., Little checks do add up...
Pin, go see www.knot-working.com and see if you like any of my work! I am happy to consign my work.
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Fri, September 21, 2007 - 11:52 AMYou don't have to get mad about it. I invested a lot of capital on my inventory, why shouldn't the store owner? I'm glad it's working for other people, it's just not for me. I lost a lot of money and inventory when I sold on consignment at a boutique, it never added up right once. I sell on consignment at a gallery now, where the inventory is very strictly itemized and regulated, and it's LOCAL to me so I can visit it and make sure everything's going fine. I just chalk it up to the once-bitten-twice-shy principle, sorry if that's neurotic. -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Fri, September 21, 2007 - 2:17 PMI also prefer a hands on approach, but i'm also looking to expand. Wholesale is nice because its straight forward for us, but then the store gets their profits stuck in whatever doesn't sell. If I'm not happy with the way something turned out, then I modify it until I really do like it. If it doesn't sell, I would much rather have it back and find it a home that appretiates it than to be stuck in a store.
I imagine that I will be more shy if i get burned by a consignment. For now, I figure the stuff either sits around in my room not selling, sits on the internet basically not selling, or sits in a store with a possibility of selling. I also figure that good inventory/packing slips and photos with documentation help. -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Fri, September 21, 2007 - 5:06 PMDon't assume, Cat. Sorry you've been burned before; but please don't assume that every such venture will fail because you were burned before - or that every store owner who does consignments is a cheat. I too have been burned before; I've even had my wares ruined and had the store owner tell me "oh well" and offer no compensation. I don't work that way- something gets ruined on my watch, it's my problem if I can't get money out of the folks who ruined it. Bottom line -seller still gets paid whether the item is sold, broken, stolen or lost.
But if your situation works for you - use it. Just don't crap on other people's ideas is all I'm asking.
Ian - I hear what you're saying, which is why I have a contract and why I insist my sellers send me an inventory. And why I photograph everything when I get it. Plus send back the updated inventory every month with their checks.
I've done this before, and worked in stores that do this before - those the last was an antique/junk mall.
Of course, I would also recommend that any artist photograph their own work (what artist doesn't?) and keep a copy of their inventory and contract for themselves. That way, if you were put in a bind, then you'd have legal recourse.
Qatana - I'll message you - great stuff! -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Fri, September 21, 2007 - 5:09 PMOh, and the store owner does invest a lot of money - surely you don't think building rent, utilities, phone, insurance, credit card processing, and advertising just fall off of trees, do you? -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Sat, September 22, 2007 - 3:48 AMHey if it works for you great....I personally am way to pesimistic to ever allow somone else to handle that for me....Even if I never make a dime on my art.....Truth be told I do it for me not the money. Perhaps someday Ill change my mind but.....for starters what I do takes to long to get done for me to afford loosing it, and basically Ive been F-ed over by life too much to trust anyone so there you go... Maybe as I get more experiance with this whole sell you soule er I mean art thing I'll change my mind -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Sat, September 22, 2007 - 2:00 PMThats understandable, but there is a difference between, "i don't trust anyone" and "nobody should trust you". You might not be willing to let your work out of your sight until it sells, but there are those of us who still trust people. Your post didn't sound like a warning, just discouraging pessimism. -
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This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Sun, September 23, 2007 - 11:16 AMThank you Iansane.
My point exactly.
I don't crap on other people's efforts to do something with their lives and their work, even if I disagree with it.
I just asking you don't crap on mine. -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Thu, September 27, 2007 - 1:11 AMEverybody has there own opinion. Mine is that noone should trust anyone with there work as I stated it was not about you but if you wish to take it personnaly then I guess that is your right. However I still say that noone should trust you or anyone with there work unless they can afford to loose it. What if your store burned to the ground do you have everything insured? Do you intend to pay everyone for their their belonings if the store does burn down or if a tornado hits or huricane or whatever act of god may spread somones wares across the universe? What happens when you loose tens of thousands of dollars in invetory? I do not know what precautions you have take nor does anyone else...there fore at the very least untill they know more they should not trust you. Yes it is a warrning...and yes it is a bit pesemistic....Either way it is something that everyone should take into consideration before blindly handing their inventory over to you. Wheather that is considerd to be crapping on your ideas or not I guess thats up to the interpretaton of the individual..... -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Thu, September 27, 2007 - 12:02 PMWe do take that risk into consideration. Thats why we ask about insurance and read over the contract offered. We ask about the "what if" possibilities and how they will be dealt with.
"Bottom line -seller still gets paid whether the item is sold, broken, stolen or lost. "
Acts of god happen. They are not likely, but I don't see why it would be any different than the risk of your house being wiped out by some disaster. My families house burned to the ground. I understand that nothing could have been done. Such events are when insurance companies do in fact pay for everything, especially with good records of what was there and how much it was worth.
In a way, its safer to put your stuff into stores because if one place is destroyed, chances are the others will survive--the whole, don't keep all your eggs in one basket philosophy...
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Thu, September 27, 2007 - 9:18 PMYes, I DO have everything insured - it would be supremely stupid not to! In fact, the building is doubly covered - by my insurance and my landlord's insurance. It's why I have a copy of the contract and the inventory and each seller has a copy of the contract and their inventory - of the rare off chance something does happen. Yes, I do plan to pay everyone - regardless of how the item was lost or sold - as I stated before, lost, sold, stolen or broken - the seller gets paid.
*I* am the one taking the BIGGEST risk here - or do you not understand how leases, insurance, etc work?
Don't worry, Mike - NO ONE is making you send stuff to me.
Let everyone else make up their own mind.
I see you don't ever plan to be represented in a gallery - because they have very similar plans and contracts - at least this way, I'm not taking a cut out of my seller's income. -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Thu, September 27, 2007 - 9:20 PMBesides, if my store floods, based on it's location, we ALL have MUCH bigger problems in the world - MUCH bigger.
Same with the tornado - mountain peaks tend to break them up. And if a hurricaine got this far inland, well, back to the bigger problems issue.
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 5:07 AMI agree let everyone make up their own mind.... And by that alow everyone to have their opinions. In the mean time mine is made up already especially by your attitude. If I had been considering it, I cetainly am not now. The concerns that I brought up are valid, And the fact that I brought them up is just good thinking. If you can not handle even that small amout of constuctive critism then there is no way I would trust you with anything of mine. And especially if you feel that you are the one taking the "Biggest risk" then No way in a hot place are you getting your hands on my stuff. Hopefully anyone else reading this post will use their heads and follow suit.
Sometimes, especially as a buisness owner, if you really want to stay in buisness, you need to follow the concept that the customer is allways right. Now I am not saying you always have to agree with potential customers However; You could have ,instead of responding to accusations wich I did not make, could have reasured me by saying everything above without pretending that I am Crapping on you as Iasane or whoever seems to think. Instead of responding like I had kicked you, you could have simply stated that you are a proffesional wich I doubt at this point. You could have said this is my location, my phone number and I am issured by________. Instead of I am taking the biggest risk here.
There are ways of getting things done and then there are ways of looking scarred. You simply look like you are scared....I dont do buisness with people like that and I hope others will feel the same way -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 4:30 PMThat's nice, Mike- and no one is insisting you do so.
Are you done beating the dead horse yet?
Consideration for you - if you have questions, then ask them - don't automatically assume that you are going to get screwed. It took you many posts to bring up those valid points - and they were valid points. But you started with a condemnation.
Of course offense will be taken. You would have taken offense as well.
You have money wrapped up in your creations- of course you do. Everyone does. I have money wrapped up in other people's creations, my own creations, plus the rest of the costs of running a business. I would like to turn a profit for myself, and for everyone; but honestly, the consigners will make more that I do this year.
This isn't the first time I've been involved in such a business from some angle or another. I know where the money goes, and where it comes out of.
Which is the bigger risk, Mike? $500 to you, or even say $2000 to you, or tens of thousands to ANY business person you consign with, if their business failed?
Do you understand that angle?
If you were my customer, then I'd nod and smile at you and let you think what you like and go on with my day.. However, you aren't a customer or even a client- but I'm still going to let you think what you like and go on with my day.
Have a nice day, Mike- I wish you success with your work, it is very nice. -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 8:44 PMAll that info you seem to think was never provided? been here on this site for days now - colorado.tribe.net/event/GR...201e13277
Serious folks could have found it (and likely did) on www.dexknows.com.
The insurance - my clients, and those considering becoming my clients, can ask me that and I'll happily provide it to them, as well as coverage, etc. I don't provide that to just anyone, and especially not in an open forum, any more than I'd tell you the names of my children, their schools, etc. It's just not prudent.
there - now I'M done beating that dead horse.
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Tue, October 2, 2007 - 12:22 AMIll stop beating the dead horse when you stop trying to resurect it. What you consider risk is no more or less than what I consider it. You are no more at risk than I if you are insured as you claim to be. So your thousands mean nothing compared to my hundreads of uninsured inventory. So if you want to start talking semantics we can do this till you drop. My Hundreads are more at risk to me than your entire buisness is to you as I am not insured and do not have the money to do so.....And like I said before if you were legit you would not only understand this but take it as a matter of course.
So, as we are being so polite,
thank you so much for so graciously allowing me my opinion.
And as it is just one opinion I shall use it to continue to prevent others from making a stupid mistake.
Have a nice day -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Tue, October 2, 2007 - 7:14 AMWhere was Mike being polite?
Dude, we know your opinion.Please allow the rest of the art economy function as it alway has. You don't have to sell your art. you can get a job.Apparently you don't even Want to sell your art.
But its a comfort to know that no gallery will ever give you a show or an opening reception, otherwise you might have to be polite to people with money.But since you won't consign, we are spared the ordeal. -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Tue, October 2, 2007 - 9:00 AMWell, if you choose to not insure your art, that's your choice. My stuff's been insured for years now.
I'd insure like anything else you have of worth - your house, your car, your life, your health.
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Wed, October 3, 2007 - 12:16 AMIf you would really like me to stop posting my opinion then stop degradeing it....Im sorry you cant handle the fact that I wont just lie down and allow you all to claim you are right. as long as you continue to degrade me I am going to contimue to reply and continue to tell you where you can go with your stupid ideas -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Wed, October 3, 2007 - 10:15 AMLets end this
Tone doesn't carry well on the net, thus its easy to get into arguments.
Mike, You are quite argumentative as i've figured out from this and our discussion of toxicity of shell dust in Jewelry Artists. I like your work and I respect your opinions, but I find your wording harsh and condecending when it doesn't need to be. We may not agree, but I also figure that these arguments are basically pointless.
Problems with consignment:
You have to trust the person you are consigning with and trust that they won't try to screw you over.
Be sure to ask about insurance and the "what if ____?" cases. If its lost, stolen, broken etc.
Ask about how the prices are done. Is a percentage taken out of your asking price? is it added on top? how much does the store take?
If there is a contract involved, read it carefully.
Items might not sell and the artist might not get paid as a result.
Lack up upfront money is not good for production artists who need to pay for the next batch of supplies.
Benefits:
Artists can experiment and attempt to sell items that may not be popular. A wholesaler will usually go for things they know will sell.
The store often marks items up less than a retailer because none of their profits get stuck in unsold merchandise. This allows artists to pay themselves what they are worth without having absurd prices at the consumer level.
Accepted standard for galleries.
If any of you have points to add to either catagory, please feel free. I wouldn't mind a constructive discussion on benefits and risks of consignment, wholesale and internet sales. In fact, I think this should be a new topic as a general discussion of how is best to sell goods. -
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Re: Looking for a physical site to sell your wares?
Wed, October 3, 2007 - 6:48 PMGood idea, Ian - I posted my experiences in your thread on the topic. I'd like to know how ohers have done, what they're doing, and what they are selling as well- all good things to know.
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