Ed Weber wrote on Jun 7^th, 2016 at 8:11am:


Yes, but entirely relevant

Ed, I think they are related in some ways. I see the type of show one is  selling in can determine what you sell. The craft shows, I see,  really need  some low cost items. I made a pretty good study of one particular show by watching many booths and fifteen dollars was pretty high end but they could sell. It's pretty hard for a turner to be in that market.
Just my thoughts,
Lee

I just typed up a reply to this as well and was told it was spam...

I do 4 craft fairs per year and I used to fret about what will sell or not. Same with pricing, is it too expensive or am I giving it away?  Now I have got to the point that I turn for "me" and what I like.  I do like to have a range of different stuff and that suits me because I do not like doing the same thing over and over.
  As a general rule if the customer picks it up and feels it and it feels good to them it will sell.

Been selling our work for 10 years, have sold over 540 items. We sell only in art galleries. I worked in a co-op gallery for a while, behind the cash register. Overall, I would say that women made up about 90% of our buyers, & would generally ask: "Can I put salad in it?", "What kind of wood is it, & where did it come from?". Virtually all wanted to feel it. Feedback from the galleries was about the same

What bowls sell the best? Really hard for me to say. I think the larger & deeper bowls generate the most interest, but are not necessarily our best sellers. Unique grain configuration, & color seem to generate the most interest, in my opinion, & I think a perfect finish is imperative.

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I find this string quite interesting and I think several have hit on the type of attendance a given show will bring.  Last fall I attended my first as a vendor and had quite a number of relatively small and quite inexpensive bowls, plates, etc. as well as several higher-end pieces of Cocobolo or other exotic.  Those attending couldn't get enough of the smaller spalted maple pieces while a beautiful 8" Cocobolo bowl didn't receive as much as an offer even at $80.  So for this year, my inventory is weighted heavily towards the six to nine inch variety of 'user' pieces and an even smaller selection of exotics.

I think there have been some really good points mentioned here that I believe contribute to the selling of a turning.
1.  Plan wood, unless it has sentimental value for people will more than likely just sit on the shelf and not sell.  When I say sentimental, an example where I live is that a piece of wood that came from one of the trees that was at the high school that were destroyed by "the tornado" has huge sentimental value.
2.  If it is a bowl, platter or HF it must be smooth and "sensual" to the touch.  This is something Jimmy Clewes talks about.
3.  Aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  People will not buy "dog dishes" or other items that don't attract the eye.  A smooth curve, proper proportions are a must.
4.  Create a conversation with the people in your booth.  I know every piece of wood that I have in a show and am able to tell a story about where it came from, etc.  People like being able to develop a "relationship" with a piece of art.  And whether we are selling a bowl, a HF or a pen, it is a piece of art.
5.  Not all shows are created equal.  If the majority of things that you turn are seam rippers, ice cream scopes, slim line pens, etc. then your market will probably be a craft fair.  As said earlier, people attending a craft fair are usually looking for items around $25 or less.  If the majority of the things you make are bowls, HF, platters and decorative turnings, then you need to be looking at art fairs or art festivals.  And the really good shows are juried.  Which means that they are not just judging your turning skills but they are also looking at how you market your turnings by requesting a photo of your booth as well. So you need to make sure that your booth looks completely different than a booth you might have at a craft fair.  I went to a mock jury one time and one of the judges really liked the pictures of my individual turnings and even wanted to buy one, but said if she saw my booth at a fair she wouldn't even consider going in. Thus, she would not consider having me part of a show.
Just some of my thought on the questions at hand.  Hope they provide some insights to those reading this thread.

Brad Barnhart wrote on Sep 15^th, 2016 at 8:29am:


That pretty much sums it up, you can only do so much in preparation when you are dealing with an unknown.

Something like 'You can't please all of the people all of the time"