About Street Fair Thread

Dennis Kranz

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I wanted to ask as a follow up. Do you ever find yourself being to picky about the work that you sell? I am not an expert at turning or finishing but I have a very hard time pleasing myself with the finished product. It's gotten to the point that my wife says I will never sell anything because I'm overly picky about the way it looks. My pens turn out Ok but I hate pressure lines or even the smallest tear out or what ever. And that includes bowls and any thing else I make. Very few items are good enough. Am I going to far or only normal?
Dennis
 
In my opinion, you're not going overboard at all. I have displayed and sold pieces that are not necessarily my best, but they were the best I could do at the time with that particular piece of wood. Even for low-priced things like bottle stoppers or weed pots, I'll reject something if it has sanding lines or tool marks or a finish I don't like. (I don't actually reject it, I just re-do it.)

That all said, I've still never turned a perfect piece, either. I'm pretty sure I can point out imperfections or shortcomings in every piece I've ever turned. For me, there's a certain point where something is good enough to put my name on it and sell it. Some other sellers might have a lower point, others might have a higher one. Only you'll know where your point is, and even then it's likely to change over time.
 
I have to agree with Vaughn. First and foremost I try to get my sanding as good as I can get it. Several pieces I have started over from 80 grit:D and worked my way back up. Mostly when I find myself trying to press real hard on the sandpaper like that is going to cure it all. As I have progressed over the last couple of years my tool control has gotten better and better so tool marks are not as much of a issue as they used to be. I think turners are our own worst critics. When I first started maybe 1 in 5 pieces would pass for what I might sell even though my wife said all looked good. Now it is 5 pieces pass and 1 won't. So as time goes on and your technique gets better it will all work out.

As was said in the other post and as Vaughn said some people will pass things with lower standards. When I pick up pieces at these craft fairs with tool marks, sanding marks, or the finish is sagging or uneven I would be embarrassed to even show those things. But that is just me. In fact I probably wouldn't be at the craft fair in the first place with pieces looking like that.
 
Bernie.............and others - I agree and had to respond with this-------------copied over from original post........

I bought some Ca Buckeye and shouldn't have because i usually do not buy the wood i turn (its just a hobby). The wood was so punky that most of it was not usable and I paid about $120 with shipping so probably $80 worth of wood.............Anyway here is what I do with what I turn

Sale Pieces - I have for sale the pieces that I consider perfect in form and finish

Give Away or sold Cheaply - Has blemishes or errors in form or finish or experimental pc's I played with dyes or whatever.

The Famous "Hummmm Pile" - A few pc's that I have not decided what to do with them - Can I save them ? Can I enhance the cracks to make it look interesting instead of a turning with a crack in it ? experiment later on with them perhaps? practice some new dye techniques or colors maybe? One example is the small buckeye because the hole in it after turning was almost perfectly round and just didnt look right - I opened it up and completed the finish - bumped up to the Sale pc's now....LOL and still I have others that end up in the next category......

Designer Firewood Pile - after cussing and a project gone bad this is where they end up

I sell all my stuff at work and it goes really fast but im not asking alot for the pc's really - $10 - $75.00 and most in the $20-$35 range for bowls -Vessels with finials are high end and up in price..... I don't want to bring them back home ................and use the money to buy more supplies or new tools etc......kinda like a game - what I sell I use to buy more stuff......LOL
I think im going to buy another Supernova which is on sale at Woodcraft right now.............guess I better turn some more to raise the money hugh ?
LOL...............its all in fun...............thanks Dan
 
The sad reality is, many crafters who produce low quality work sell more than the better artists. Methinks pricing is a, if not THE, major factor. We have several pen makers who sell quite a few pens, all in the $5.00 to $20.00 range. What they are selling would be my discards. But they are selling when I am not. BTW, my pens start at $35.00. Oh, well.
 
... Some people shop at Macy's... some people shop at Wal-Mart... whether by choice or circumstance that is the way of the world
 
The sad reality is, many crafters who produce low quality work sell more than the better artists. Methinks pricing is a, if not THE, major factor. We have several pen makers who sell quite a few pens, all in the $5.00 to $20.00 range. What they are selling would be my discards. But they are selling when I am not. BTW, my pens start at $35.00. Oh, well.

I had this same trouble at one point. To the untrained eye the guy selling at 5 bucks is making you look like your price gouging.:doh:
For those that appreciate the better done work they will pass by that vendor and seek you out. They are the ones I want to sell to anyways. :thumb:
I attempted to drop my price to be more in line with the cheaper guys that where selling. Then realized that I was putting more effort into my work and it is a better product there for it cost more. And I even will direct people to the other guys. Oh you want a 5 dollar pen, they are right over there. Some come back with cash in hand some don't.
 
Thanks for asking that dennis I have the same problem(well not really a problem). My wife says I should display or sell something but I wont cuz I feel its not worthy. But then I go and see what other people are trying to sell like a goblet with a straight hole drilled with a forestner bit and about 5 seconds worth of shape on the lathe. I guess I see self critisism as a way to push myself for better looking, better quality stuff.
 
... Some people shop at Macy's... some people shop at Wal-Mart... whether by choice or circumstance that is the way of the world

KaLea hit the nail on the head and I also believe it depends a lot on your area. The only price adjusting I have did is I went in high and then ever so slowly lowered them till things started selling. Now I raise my prices ever so slightly every year. I sell bowls here for $35 to $75. Back east in Virginia where my son lives he takes some of my bowls down to Williamsburg. The guy down there gets 30% but he sells the bowls down there for $75 to $200. He sells some vases for me down there in the $175 range and up. I am lucky if I can sell one here for more than $75 which is a Agricultural community.
 
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