[Jewelry making - Article 00964] - Re: [Orchid] Wholesaling one-offs

[Lee]

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>     My art cost money to make and loan to you for consignment so I
>     wouldn't say it "no cost". BTW, of all the retailers I talked with,
>     nobody consigned for under 30 days

    Why would you want to consign for less than 30 days? Most jewelers
    (and galleries) don't have each of their clients visiting every week,
    and most want to show that they have a relationship with the artis,
    not just a 'drive-by' one time relationship. I think I see the basis
    of your problem with consignment. What kind of stores are trying to
    take your work? Any legitimate jeweler or art gallery will have
    insurance, alarm systems and case locks as a matter of course - If I
    were being approached by retailers who didn't have these things, I
    would laugh at them as well. Don't they value their own stock? You
    should visit any store in person before you consign anything, to get
    a feel for the location. And of course you must have a written
    consignment agreement. What kind of fool would leave their work on a
    handshake? 

>     Once again, I'm not, but it seems like you assume consignment is a
>     win-win situation for everyone. Regardless of how good or bad an
>     artist's product may be, there are retailers and galleries that
>     really take advantage of their consignment artists and their
>     products. 

    Of course there are! Your job is to get to know the owners, the
    staff, and the clientele to determine whether or not it is a good fit
    for you and your merchandise. 

>     See bulleted area. Thanks for finally making my point. Consignment
>     isn't a win-win for everyone. I know of people who even had to buy
>     the displays for their art and give them to the consigning
>     retailer otherwise their art just laid flat in a case somewhere. 

    Honey, it's called merchandising, and everyone has to do it. Where
    do you think the greeting card racks, the pantyhose displays, and the
    makeup standups come from at the drugstore? These are provided by the
    manufacturer. In our jewelry store, when we bring in a new line of
    PURCHASED jewelry, be it Artcarved wedding bands, Galatea
    diamond-in-pearl (gorgeous!), or Seiko watches, they always come with
    nice new displays and point-of-purchase materials, at no extra cost
    to us. Why should you be different? Secondly, the piece might be
    "their art" while it is being made, but when it is in the gallery, it
    is a product that needs to be displayed well to sell. Who whould know
    better than the artist how to show it in the best light? 

>     No one is perfect and perception is in the eye of the beholder.
>     Everyone has off days and that's perfectly fine but you seem to
>     not want to admit to even that. That is what my problem was/is with
>     your refusal to accept that their have been artists that have
>     really been crapped on by the whole consignment thing. In my heart,
>     I don't believe that the only people having problems with it are
>     just the artists who have an over-inflated value of their work. OK
>     so you are an exception to the rule and have the right to point it
>     out, but that doesn't mean that you should deny that many people do
>     encounter problems/risks associated with consignment or assume that
>     they are all unjustly prejudiced 

    None of these artists have been 'crapped on' by the 'whole
    consignment thing'. They have been hurt by their lack of 'due
    diligence' as to what constitutes a worthwhile arrangement for
    consignment, as well as negligence in choosing their consignment
    partners. We receive phone calls EVERY DAY from large companies, with
    which we have never done business, wishing to send us diamonds,
    pearls, finished jewelry, etc., on consignment. These deals often
    exceed $10,000 in merchandise, and all that is asked of us is to try
    to sell them, to take care of them, and to pay for what is sold and
    return the rest. If this works for these companies, it certainly
    should work for a talented artist. 

Lee Cornelius
Vegas Jewelers



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