[Jewelry making - Article 00008] - Re: [Orchid] Internet Commerce Phenomena

[wemery AT earthlink.net]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


    Jody, Thank you for your open and honest post. I have a retail
    jewelry store, we buy lots of finished inventory and we also produce
    our own custom designs. This will be my 13th year at this location,
    our sales are in the mid six figures and I started the business with
    about $350, believe  it or not.  Lots of lean times. Something has
    always bothered me about the Gallery/Artist relationship, maybe it
    would be a good topic for discussion, pl ease bear with me here. My
    wife has a close friend who is a sculptor (sculptress?), MFA, works
    in marble and soapstone, very recognizable work.   Nice stuff. She
    approached us a few years ago about displaying her work in the store.
     We get 40%, she gets 60%.  She had expected those figures to be
    reversed, which I thought was unfair to her. Her prices were rather
    low and we finally got her to agree to increase her prices by 50-60%.
     Result is, she gets more, w e get more, no problem. And I only have
    to devote a few square feet to her stuff, which is mostly table top
    to coffee table size. It enhances the look of our store, and the
    inventory is without cost to us, except for the small space it takes
    up. When a piece sells w e call her right away, and send a check that
    day, and ask for another piece. It sure would be nice if my regular
    jewelry vendors would let me select inventory and return what hasn't
    sold three to si x months later, and not pay them until the item
    sold!!! That does not and will not happen, and, for the life of me, I
    can't figure out why artists work this way with "galleries" When I
    create a piece of jewelry I get paid for it, period.  And when I see
    a piece of her work that I'm not excited ao ut I say no thanks!  It's
    my job to SELL it and I do. Now, I know that artists and "galleries"
    (it's a store, folks) have worked this way for a long time, but.....
    if I were a gallery, I would want to pay the artist what they want
    for the piece up front and own it. And sell it for the most I co uld
    get....and if it doesn't sell in a few months, I'd want the right to
    sell it at whatever I feel like, or if the artis t objects, to return
    it for a piece of equivalent value (or trade it in on another piece).
     This keeps money in the hands of the artist, keeps the gallery owner
    on their toes, and each person in complete control of their own
    business. I've seen way too many galleries that were overstocked with
    an artist's work...some great, some losers (sorry), but they  take
    all they can get from the artist in the hopes they'll sell some and
    can always return the rest. Doesn't seem fair to the artist, IMO,
    unless every piece flies out the door.  If it DOES fly out the door,
    raise the pric es 25%. Now, if there's anyone out there who wants to
    supply me with wearable, functional, well-made jewelry on
    consignment, plea se let me know.  I won't hold my breath. Can
    someone clear me up on this???? 

Wayne Emery
Jewelry Design Studio 

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________