Creative Woodworks & crafts 2004-09, страница 30
by Wayne fowler. Introduction For a person who sells at craft shows, going home with many empty boxes and lots of money is like finding the Holy Grail. However, that does not always happen—so you either get over it quickly and develop a lew muscles from carrying those full boxes both ways, or quit the business. Still, every crafter continues to ask the all-important question: "What sells?" 1 have found that most craft folks will give you an honest answer, usually starting with, "That depends... because no one who sells crafts is going to get rich doing it and craft shows aren't a competition. My answer also usually starts with the same two words, but a more complete answer follows based upon my experiences and the answers from many other craft folk during those slow times at sales. Uniqueness One of the most distressing but challenging evolutions that T have witnessed in woodcraft sales in the past 15 years is mass-produced woodcrafts from third-world countries. These arc often copies of designs that at one time were original crafts. I have also seen the same phenomenon in other crafts such as pottery or quilting. So how do you compete? My answer is: you don't. If you are going through the trouble of producing scroll saw crafts, it is worth the extra effort to seek out great, designs and attractive woods to make your work unique. You have to find your own original hook to pull in the customers. I collect unusual pieces of local woods at woodworking shows and eventually match them to interesting patterns that take advantage of their character. Many of these finished pieces have been published in this magazine. As part of my sales pitch, 1 also tell people where the wood came from and make sure that 1 tell prospective customers what makes the piece special, including the grain, burls, color or the unusual source of the wood. Originality I have seen some excellent stack-cut Baltic birch plywood Christmas tree ornaments, but usually they make me ask myself, "Why?" I can stack cut thin oak or cherry using exactly the same designs and produce an original family keepsake with unique grains and colors. I also try to have a range of unique pieces on display with only a few of any one design out of the boxes (except for small pieces). If T have two pieces of the same design, T try to show them in different woods or in different sizes. For the bigger pieces, I try to keep in mind that almost all of my customers are only going to buy one, so the piece will be unique for them. This all tends to give the sense that each piece is one-of-a-kind. It's worth the extra effort to match unusual pieces of wood with inter-\ esting patterns. Note: the pattern for this elephant will be given in an upcoming issue of Creative Woodworks & Crafts. 30 • Creative Wnndwnrks & Craftr, September 2004 Year of tlie Tiger 1<WJ. w/j i-w-f. IW"? WW. Jvi*s:iyi« 1114 AJWia M till the d;-.:,":, toaHoK Jtokf, lb? most fotKwal.Si 3isa aicJctil jttacc ill Ciuiwj; Irtttltw* an early objttt ei\,ml«i'( l'V(i|Wr iwewwcd ijciwinipitoverlhcealtti TJras. IU. v,mi „i lis Y*jjar \s fix HvSKCCflfeawi -.'«a?y,: Tiww ixwa.■ .!-:( this btavs. ospesavc. and aclivc.. ... .. l.tmt- ' .:.:/ YEAR OF THE DRAGON ■tenuwy 23, IS.cs to Hecrja.-y <*, 1929 Febiwityfi iM0wjtanu3r,'2&. !'<M1 .U,.,iary27 13K? (e Febiyoty 33,1953 p£hn«ry 13.1SS4In HetxuS'y 5. 1365 January 31. i'->78 lo Feftnjfirv 17.1377 frar-M,y :7, lOSStoFstniar.i. 1039 FcSnjitV 200C to January 2Sj§ 2001 VF.Mi OF TH= BOAR February 16. r^23 lo Fe&t'jary * i&24 r.-T'iiftj ir351r.Ja:whiy^5 1936 .UhMTj 22. 1HJ « FMniarr 1.134S Fairj«ye 1559 to Januaiy 27.1SS0 January 27, 137' to f ooti;;". 1-1.1U72 rttei -., -3. 1SSSitt.Fotttt.-lrv 1, dioua^si 1»BG in February 1.3, !G3i3 pttfcntttV 18 2007 to ^ ' Ibis Utile Hog £s just for you; II tvtli you happy Wlwii you're blue; You'll leei warm all over, Jwsi whit slid see; When you squeeze this hug, Just think of me! Smaller, less expensive pieces seil in much larger quantifies than bigger items, and usually yield a higher profit margin. |
