[Jewelry making - Article 00945] - Re: [Orchid] Wholesaling one-offs

[Lisa Bialac-Jehle]

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    Ok...my favorite story on why you do not necessarily have to consign
    to get into a gallery: I was at the Rosen show a few years ago. A
    gallery owner I had never met before approached my booth and started
    looking at my work. She asked a lot of intelligent questions,
    checking out each piece thoroughly. After about 15 minutes of
    looking, she told me that she really loved the work and was ready to
    place an order. She went through my inventory, meticulously
    selecting a really nice collection of pieces one by one, again asking
    questions and taking her time. 

    While she was making her selections, two of my long time buyers from
    two well established galleries, came up to my booth. They both smiled
    and said hi, and then started to look at what was in my cases, also
    checking out what the first woman was buying while they waited their
    turn. 

    When the order was all written up, about $3000 + worth, bagged and
    ready to be put away for later shipment, the new woman launches into
    what was obviously a practiced spiel, gushing in a somewhat sing-
    songy voice: "Well, as you know, we are a very very well known
    gallery, however, we do start virtually all of our new artists on a
    consignment basis. We are going to be so happy to add your work to
    our stable of artists." 

    In unison, the other two buyers who had been waiting patiently on
    either side of her during her selection, slowly looked up from the
    cases, reared slightly back and looked at her. Then.... again in
    unison, both turned to look at me, eyebrows raised. Finally, one long
    time buyer broke the silence by looking across the new woman at the
    other long time buyer. As she did so, she pointed at the bagged
    jewelry, tilted her head, leaned in, smiled sweetly and asked,
    "So.......which of these pieces do you want? I'll flip you for the
    necklace". "The other old customer cackled and retorted, you can
    have the necklace if I can have both pairs of earrings". They then
    both turned, laughed and grinned widely at me. The new buyer stopped
    dead, obviously confused, and somewhat flustered. Looking first at
    one and then at the other of them she huffed, "excuse me, but we are
    in the middle of a transaction if you don't mind". 

    Long-time buyer # 1 looks at me and then at Long time buyer #2. She
    then gently placed her arm around the new woman's shoulders informing
    her softly, "honey, if she starts giving you consignment, then you
    can get in line....." Long-time buyer # 2 then puts HER her arm
    around the woman and chimes in: "and that would be behind both of
    us...... and a whooole lot of other people." They both then laughed
    like hell. I tried sort of unsuccessfully to keep a straight face. 

    I fully expected the new buyer to walk at that point and I was
    prepared to let her, but instead, the three of them began chatting.
    Truthfully, I thought she had a lot of nerve not to tell me what she
    expected her terms to be up front. My long time buyers told her how
    long they had been buying my work, and that although some of it took
    a while to catch on, they had both been very happy with the jewelry,
    and that it sold very well for both of them. They also assured her,
    that from their years of working with me, in their experience, there
    was no chance that I would be doing consignment, that I had always
    been adamant about that unless something had changed that they
    didn't know about. 

    I told the new woman, that they were correct and I would be sorry to
    lose her business. However, I would not be making an exception.
    especially as I felt it would undermine the purchasing relationships
    that I had established with other galleries that sell my work. I told
    her of my exchange policy, and that I would work with her as much or
    as little as she wished me to, sending along bios and anything else
    that she though my help move the work. She hesitated for a bit, but
    then in the end, completed the order, agreeing on first order COD,
    terms with references, as all of my first time buyers do, (unless
    they are a museum or a non-profit. They have some serious
    constraints). 

    She still regularly buys from me and on occasion she will crack:
    "So........you doing consignment yet??" Then she laughs. We are good
    pals now. 

    My point is, from an artist's point of view, you have to value your
    work enough to have confidence that it is worth the purchase price.
    If you can't convince a gallery that your work is worth buying, why
    should they buy it, and how will they confidently sell it? 

    All I am really trying to say is, have passion for what you make. 

    Lucky you guys.....I think that may have been my last two cents...but
    don't tempt me......... 

    Thanks for the vote of confidence Lisa, and I wish I could claim it,
    but its not me up for those Niche awards this year. I have applied
    three times over the years. I was a finalist once, I won in 2000, and
    as for the last try......, the application must have gotten lost in
    the mail.......yeah right.... 

    Lisa, (spent today downtown dropping off and picking up work and
    gold, ($ouch$). I want to know why my setter bead set something that
    I had explicitly specified as a flush setting!? Bead setting...ptui!
    Now I have to redo the dang thing myself. Hate it when that
    happens!!) Topanga, CA USA 

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