hey- quick question...
do any of you sell your work through consignment with shops? ive been thinking about doing this for quite some time now, and the time is finally right. im not looking to sell my journals in shops because it just wouldnt pay working on a 60/40 deal. but im thinking about cards and art. i have a few places in mind (about 10) that i want to contact, but does anybody have any suggestions as far as this goes? anything at all. i think im on the right track, but it never hurts to ask for input.
ive decided that i dont post enough photos of my everyday life, and that i have to start. so from now on, i think i am going to include more of them. just for my own sake- so when i look back in 3 years, i can see what i was doing then.
okay i really need to get ready for my "real" job now- chili's. dang it.
3 comments:
This is MY experience + I want to STRESS that this may not be the next person’s experience. I tried to sell this way for a few years + got absolutely nowhere. My thought was it's better to be in someone's shop than in my house waiting for shows (this was pre-Etsy). I took my stuff around to stores, dealt with several flakey shop owners who made me wonder how they even stayed in business + turned my wheels, not getting very far. I was in a couple shops for a short period, realizing that I did not want to deal with the owner. I was in 1 shop for a couple years and made more $ on Etsy my first weekend than the entire time I was in her shop. These were shops that I liked, loved, shopped at, so who wouldn't my stuff fit in?? I knew my market. I am now ONLY selling wholesale to shops (not on the books though, like you have probably found, too much work for the 60% cut). With wholesale you walk away with the $ and don't have to keep up with what sold, changing your stock out, etc. that's the shop owner’s business, they now own your work. I have been quite happy with this type of selling + have a better relationship with the shop owners, which I think is very important.
Sorry this is so long in the comments section.
I have heard horror stories like Shona's from other artists as well. I do consignment with only one shop, who does consignment as a regular thing and send me a check at the same time every month.
With everyone else I sell wholesale with net 30 terms (they have 30 days to pay). If someone is having trouble committing to buying outright I offer the option of letting them trade in (not buy back!) what isn't working as long as they have kept it in selling shape. Luckily my reps deal with the actual sales now so they already have a working relationship with the store. (but I and my assistant used to do all sales)
But in summary (bla,bla,bla) I think if the store does consignment all the time I would try them out with a few things and sign a contract and if you can get someone to buy wholesale give them flexible terms (such as trade-back, net 30, and no minimum order) so they are more willing to take a risk.
oh yeah and always call first and make an appointment with the owner or buyer, makes it easier on you so you don't waste your time and doesn't put them on the spot.
oh and ask shop owners whose things you love if they know any good reps who might want to rep your stuff as well.
another long comment.....hope it was helpful!
Consignment can be great, especially in the beginning and then should your delightful wares and their venue prove a hit together you can then push for a better deal. It can be tricky to keep all your consignment stock in order and you can often get stock which is damaged returned to you.
Happy nutting it out... grache
Post a Comment