What experiences have you had with doing consignment the sales? Have they worked out well and if so, what types of shops have been the best for you? Have such arrangements worked out poorly? If so, what happened?
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Consignment Sales: The Good, The Bad?
- Thread starter Rusty Fleeman
- Start date
go high end. Go to the most expend-O-licious interior decorators in the larger cities
Get a photographer to do a work up of your current portfolio have the images available in digital and black and white and also color glossies in 8x10.
Provide the designers with the images and a sample (AKA bribe). They will sell your work at enormous mark ups to their clients.
Now the problem is finding these people. I used to know a few in the NYC area. They do a full service for their clients, they design the rooms select and acquire the installations and have the furniture etc all put in place. The customer may or not actually look at anything before they pay for it - - that all depends on the customer.
Get a photographer to do a work up of your current portfolio have the images available in digital and black and white and also color glossies in 8x10.
Provide the designers with the images and a sample (AKA bribe). They will sell your work at enormous mark ups to their clients.
Now the problem is finding these people. I used to know a few in the NYC area. They do a full service for their clients, they design the rooms select and acquire the installations and have the furniture etc all put in place. The customer may or not actually look at anything before they pay for it - - that all depends on the customer.
I have done consignment sales in art galleries and gift shops in MT, CA, and AZ.
The usual take is 60/40......60% to you. Many shops do not display consignment products as prominently as those they have an investment in......there is a lack of motivation to sell your items. They tend to view your products as something to fill the shelves, making their shop look more diverse, and well stocked.
Aside from the fact that you lose control of how your products are displayed and handled, you also assume any "normal" handling marks......other than complete destruction of your product. What retail shops consider
"normal" handling means they are now "unsalable" to you.
Not all of this applies to all retail B&M (brick and mortar) stores. The best will have high traffic, and your products will be displayed well......resulting in decent sales for you. It's a good deal for you, but you'll have to sell yourself to get into these places.....and, they are usually well stocked, with or without your product. It's downright easy to get your products into places where you won't sell much of anything anyway......like falling off a log! 🙄
Personally, I think the future for the average home producer, is online sales......but, the competition is tough......very tough! Everybody, and their Uncle, are putting their stuff out there to sell. Even at that, some of the very best B&M stores purchase online these days. Some of my current bowls are for sale in gift shops and art galleries, and they were purchased outright, from the git-go! I get my money up front, and those who purchase for resale, take some initiative to sell them. It's a win/win. 😀
ko
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I was forced to do consignment at my local gallery because they are state owned and was a state employee. It's worked out well. It's kind of nice just getting a check every now and then. When I sell directly to another gallery of course they pay me then which is also nice. The dissadvantage of consignment sales is you have merchandise tied up. If you were doing shows this might be a problem. It can also be a problem at tax time because you want to keep track of merchandise that hasn't sold. For me it works out fine but then I'm not trying to make a living at it.
Don't most wood turners use the craft as a tax write off? 😉
I haven't started selling yet, but have already decided against consignment, even though a friend of mine has a shop she'd like to put my stuff in, and there are plenty of local merchants here (Seattle-area island community) who would probably take it also. Problem is, they would have to jack the prices up so high (in order for me to get a decent price), stuff would never sell. If it's priced at what people expect to pay, my take would be quite unsatisfactory.
Raul, Odie and John all have excellent points, based on experience in our type of merchandise. My retail experience is in antiques and collectibles (ran my own store for many years), I took furniture on consignment but no small stuff.
Raul, Odie and John all have excellent points, based on experience in our type of merchandise. My retail experience is in antiques and collectibles (ran my own store for many years), I took furniture on consignment but no small stuff.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Jamie I find that all retail establishements mark up the work, doesn't matter if it's consignment or not. YOu have to check up front how much they want. For example one place in town that finally closed down used to just double what every price you sold it to them for. At the other place I tell them what price it should sell for and they give me a percentage of that sale. So I have to decide up front what my costs are and I try to make it so the price to the consumer is the same as I would sell it to them from my house. this way I don't undersell the gallery and I get what I need. Galleries have an overhead which is why they need to mark it up. If you sell at shows you have that same overhead, travel, booth rental, food, lodging, etc. I used to always hear I don't like to sell at galleries because they take such a huge cut, but if you sell at shows you have the same expenses. If you sell strictly out of your house then obviouslly you don't have those same expenses but you also don't have the volume of clients.
- Joined
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There is always a cost to selling your work.
Doing art shows the cost is the booth fee, the booth fixtures, the days of planning and packing, transportation to the show, food, lodging, days at the show, credit card charges, advertising, got to build an inventory before the show....... sometimes the art show will promote individual artist in various ways. Some shows have prestige factors for the artist's resume. The best shows are usually juried with an application cost in photography. Time, money. Art shows provide amusement from customers too.
Gallery you have the packing and shipping to the gallery, have to send work the gallery wants, gallery commission. The galleries will usually promote the artist. The good galleries require some effort to get into.
Internet sales have costs too in time, photography, commissions, packing, shipping, answering queries, return policies..
Doing art shows the cost is the booth fee, the booth fixtures, the days of planning and packing, transportation to the show, food, lodging, days at the show, credit card charges, advertising, got to build an inventory before the show....... sometimes the art show will promote individual artist in various ways. Some shows have prestige factors for the artist's resume. The best shows are usually juried with an application cost in photography. Time, money. Art shows provide amusement from customers too.
Gallery you have the packing and shipping to the gallery, have to send work the gallery wants, gallery commission. The galleries will usually promote the artist. The good galleries require some effort to get into.
Internet sales have costs too in time, photography, commissions, packing, shipping, answering queries, return policies..
I plan to sell direct to customers. I don't need all that much monthly $$, so if it's slow to build, no problem. If my stuff evolves to be gallery-worthy, obviously that's an option. But I think I'll start with an Etsy shop. No need to lecture me on how the galleries have their overhead -- remember, I ran a 2000-square-foot retail store for several years.😛 Shows are out -- personal preference not to spend a day packing, a day unpacking, and 3 days stuck in a booth. Way too old for that (horse-show days burned me out on that lifestyle). Perhaps -- perhaps -- a local Christmas in the Country booth, but no mas.
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I sell bowls on consignment at one art gallery owned by a good friend.
Lots of great advice already in this thread. I'll echo what Bill said because it's so true: There's always effort in selling bowls. Even when folks visit my shop, that's a couple hour investment.
I've had several galleries ask about consignments, but so far, I haven't gone for any others. It takes a great deal of trust.
You asked about what galleries might be a good fit. My gallery owner friend suggests anywhere that your art compliments their existing collection. Compliment means both similar quality, but more importantly, does your work round out what is already there. So if a gallery is all prints, obviously that wouldn't be a good fit—unless there is something special and unique about adding your art. A good fit would be a gallery with art such as sculpture, ceramics, and maybe even turned art that is significantly different.
The other side of things is what broad niche is the gallery in? The gallery I have bowls in is all Alaskan artists, mostly local, and frankly: virtually all of the work is by artists with more talent and experience than me. So you might think about a gallery that is regional, or quality local art. Or mostly original art.
One plus to consignment is that if something isn't selling, you can always swap it. I've taken a few bowls that sat for months out of the gallery, because I see many pieces of turned art in other galleries that has sat for years. Presumably those pieces were bought, and I would wager that the owner won't be buying more. It also wouldn't look good for me to have the same stuff sitting there.
Another thing to consider is visibility. Is the gallery you place your work in good for your overall reputation? Will people find your work through the gallery and become future direct customers?
The only somewhat negative thing I've had happen was that I advertised for an opening of my work last year and potential customers that were acquired through my own marketing bought bowls through the gallery, when they otherwise would have bought direct from me. I could have had heartburn over all that lost profit if I didn't have such a mutually beneficial relationship with my gallery.
Another thing gallery owners will want is consistent pricing for your work between their store and any other galleries or fairs you might sell at. And gallery owners will not appreciate your work in three galleries per block, either! Ask them about what they want or expect before signing anything.
I've only been at this a year and a half, and lucky to have a good fit with one gallery right off the bat. You learn as you go, just have to hop on the horse and figure it out. 🙂
Lots of great advice already in this thread. I'll echo what Bill said because it's so true: There's always effort in selling bowls. Even when folks visit my shop, that's a couple hour investment.
I've had several galleries ask about consignments, but so far, I haven't gone for any others. It takes a great deal of trust.
You asked about what galleries might be a good fit. My gallery owner friend suggests anywhere that your art compliments their existing collection. Compliment means both similar quality, but more importantly, does your work round out what is already there. So if a gallery is all prints, obviously that wouldn't be a good fit—unless there is something special and unique about adding your art. A good fit would be a gallery with art such as sculpture, ceramics, and maybe even turned art that is significantly different.
The other side of things is what broad niche is the gallery in? The gallery I have bowls in is all Alaskan artists, mostly local, and frankly: virtually all of the work is by artists with more talent and experience than me. So you might think about a gallery that is regional, or quality local art. Or mostly original art.
One plus to consignment is that if something isn't selling, you can always swap it. I've taken a few bowls that sat for months out of the gallery, because I see many pieces of turned art in other galleries that has sat for years. Presumably those pieces were bought, and I would wager that the owner won't be buying more. It also wouldn't look good for me to have the same stuff sitting there.
Another thing to consider is visibility. Is the gallery you place your work in good for your overall reputation? Will people find your work through the gallery and become future direct customers?
The only somewhat negative thing I've had happen was that I advertised for an opening of my work last year and potential customers that were acquired through my own marketing bought bowls through the gallery, when they otherwise would have bought direct from me. I could have had heartburn over all that lost profit if I didn't have such a mutually beneficial relationship with my gallery.
Another thing gallery owners will want is consistent pricing for your work between their store and any other galleries or fairs you might sell at. And gallery owners will not appreciate your work in three galleries per block, either! Ask them about what they want or expect before signing anything.
I've only been at this a year and a half, and lucky to have a good fit with one gallery right off the bat. You learn as you go, just have to hop on the horse and figure it out. 🙂
I have heard of consignment arrangements from people in other businesses/hobbies. A couple have been stuck when the person receiving the consignment items folded, took the items and never paid the original crafter.
"Ask them about what they want or expect before signing anything." If they do crawfish on you, is it worth a lawsuit? When I sold custom fishing rods, it was 50% up front and 50% before delivery. This is true for all the rod builders I know. I know- what if they don't deliver! Then they are dead in the water and will not get any repeat business or any new business.
"Ask them about what they want or expect before signing anything." If they do crawfish on you, is it worth a lawsuit? When I sold custom fishing rods, it was 50% up front and 50% before delivery. This is true for all the rod builders I know. I know- what if they don't deliver! Then they are dead in the water and will not get any repeat business or any new business.