What is Group Advice?
We are all part of a community of artists looking for ways to connect with each other and improve ourselves. Group Advice articles are a collection of advice from many different artists, based on your personal experiences. The intent is to collect advice from many different people because there are often many different ways something could be done. What works well for one person may not work well for another.
I would like you to think about this topic and what you have experienced. It could be a short bit of insight or a detailed description. It is awesome that we can share our unique stories and give our community different perspectives based on our experiences. The more voices we have in a discussion the stronger we will be.
Please comment below to start the discussion and share what you have experienced.
We are all part of a community of artists looking for ways to connect with each other and improve ourselves. Group Advice articles are a collection of advice from many different artists, based on your personal experiences. The intent is to collect advice from many different people because there are often many different ways something could be done. What works well for one person may not work well for another.
I would like you to think about this topic and what you have experienced. It could be a short bit of insight or a detailed description. It is awesome that we can share our unique stories and give our community different perspectives based on our experiences. The more voices we have in a discussion the stronger we will be.
Please comment below to start the discussion and share what you have experienced.
Topic #1: Printed Vs Handmade
Discovering what works best for you, whether you are making everything by hand or hiring a company or printing service to create your merchandise, can be difficult. This topic in not about whether handmade products are better than manufactured products. Instead I would like you to weigh in on pricing, time sinks, and perceived value of the items you sell.
For example I used to sell handmade polymer clay charms. The material cost was low, but the amount of time and work put into each miniature clay sculpture was high. The charms were very popular at Artist Alley, but because small items have a low perceived value, the price point that sold best was also very low... often lower than what you might pay for an 8x11 print. Because of this I discovered that while I enjoyed the process of creating polymer clay charms, and the attention they received, the payout was not worth the time and effort expended on them for me in my situation. I know this is not the same for everyone. I have seen many talented polymer clay sculptors do extremely well selling online, so perhaps where I am selling my charms is not the appropriate place for them.
Discovering what works best for you, whether you are making everything by hand or hiring a company or printing service to create your merchandise, can be difficult. This topic in not about whether handmade products are better than manufactured products. Instead I would like you to weigh in on pricing, time sinks, and perceived value of the items you sell.
For example I used to sell handmade polymer clay charms. The material cost was low, but the amount of time and work put into each miniature clay sculpture was high. The charms were very popular at Artist Alley, but because small items have a low perceived value, the price point that sold best was also very low... often lower than what you might pay for an 8x11 print. Because of this I discovered that while I enjoyed the process of creating polymer clay charms, and the attention they received, the payout was not worth the time and effort expended on them for me in my situation. I know this is not the same for everyone. I have seen many talented polymer clay sculptors do extremely well selling online, so perhaps where I am selling my charms is not the appropriate place for them.
On the other hand there are items that are more cost effective to make by hand than to commercially produce. Which items do you prefer to sell prints/manufactured items of or handmade/originals of? How do you price them? What do you do to promote the value of your work?
Please comment below to start the discussion and share what you have experienced. Make sure to include your name or pseudonym and share a link to your website, gallery or portfolio.
Please comment below to start the discussion and share what you have experienced. Make sure to include your name or pseudonym and share a link to your website, gallery or portfolio.