Copying: All Risk and No Reward

"Autumn Hues" by Yael Berger of The Joy of Color

In the art world, imitation is rarely seen as the sincerest form of flattery, but instead as violation of intellectual property rights. In a recent AGTeam article, the line between Inspiration and Copying was clearly defined. Yet, artists who are perfectly aware of this line will often still copy. Too often, an artist will convince themselves that they aren't copying and that the style, image, or idea is a generic one and they weren't influenced by someone's work. While the reasons why this hurts the original creator who is being copied are fairly clear, the plain fact is that it hurts you as an artist to copy and sell another's work without permission more than anyone else.

Three of the major drawbacks to copying are:

It's not just an illegal copyright violation, you can permanently damage your reputation as an artist. If people see you to be copying, they may begin to assume that it's because you aren't capable of creative ideas of your own. Even the integrity of your original work can be diminished because people may lose respect for you as an artist.

You don't create an identity of your own when you copy. When potential customers run across your work, they may mistake it for the original artist's and even vice versa. This doesn't help you out at all and can hurt the original artist.

As an Etsy seller, you run the risk of having your shop closed. Etsy reserves the right to close down shops that don't operate within their terms of use and having a claim made against you for copyright violation can be enough reason for them to close you down.

The costs of copying someone far outweigh any benefits that could be gained. Large companies, small businesses, and individuals have all found themselves in hot water for doing it. The best policy is to respect other artist's as you would like them to respect you and not reproduce their work without permission.

The DON’T DO list, pt 1, Shipping

As seasoned Etsy sellers, we’ve learned what you need to do to succeed and thrive. Our most valuable lessons have come from making and observing costly mistakes, so don’t not read this list, as members share the best  from their personal DON’T DO lists.

When you are SHIPPING:

1) DON’T leave a buyer guessing about how and when their package will be arriving.

Jen of SewnNatural advises:

Don't silently take in orders. Once someone places an order, we send them a note (ideally within a few hours) to thank them, confirm their order, the shipping method and timeframe, and let them know we will send them another message as soon as their order ships out. We go over details and shipping info that might not have been noticed by the buyer.

Here is an organic baby hat for sale at SewnNatural, modeled by the cutest baby ever!

2) DON’T assume that a buyer has read all of your shop policies, listing copy, and shop announcement where you’ve specified  vital shipping info.

As Yael of TheJoyofColor says:

Don't take for granted that buyers read all the information in your listing. In your thanks you note to buyer specify again the time it takes for an item to arrive. Especially if you are an international seller, this can save lots of embarrassment.

Pumpkin Hill archival print by TheJoyofColor

3) DON’T “gestimate” postage. You will lose repeat business if you inconvenience a buyer.

Toni of TheBuckToothedBunny related:

Ugh, I had to go to the post office today and wait in line to pay the $.43 postage due on an item that I ordered.

4) DON’T save money with inferior packing material. Reused materials are fine as long as they aren’t ragged and dirty.

This is also from Toni:

Don't skimp on shipping materials, I appreciate when my items arrive clean and in good condition.

Here is a new hand screened bag from TheBuckToothedBunny

This series will continue tomorrow with the Don’t Do list to avoid negative feedback.

Have you found these tips helpful? Have you learned other shipping Don’t Do’s?

By Lee Wolfe of OneClayBead

Why Deep Discounts Don’t Benefit Your Artisan Business

bag from Iragrant

The Handmade Revolution was founded to support indie artisans in making a fair wage living by selling retail without a middleman or working for a corporate chain. As part of the New Economy, “a fair economy that works for people and the planet”, artisans have unprecedented opportunities to connect with an avid and growing sector of buyers who want to change the world by changing their spending habits; by voting with their wallets. As part of the New Economy, I buy free range organic eggs from a local farm. I buy luxury quality handmade bags from an indie designer, one of a kind individually made jewelry, and hand stitched home decor.

Jewelry from PoleStar, hearts from SewnNatural

These things are not selected because they are the cheapest available. Each of these small business owners has a family to support, and, just as I buy fair trade coffee, I expect to pay a price for these quality goods that supports the modest lives of the makers and allows their dreams to grow.

As artisans, we can compete on price or quality, and competing on price is a losing proposition, as factories can always sell their soulless goods for less. Discount shoppers and bargain chasers are not our target market. And this is why Heartsy, which is a Groupon version for Etsy shoppers, cannot deliver on their promise to grow your indie artisan business.

If people want to support indie handmade businesses but want 65% off in order to do it, they are highly unlikely to  return for more at full price. They are far more likely to simply use the next Heartsy coupon available, which is what happens with Groupon shoppers overall.

It is infinitely more worthwhile to advertise and promote the quality of our work, and to reach out to buyers who are looking for that. 70% of my Etsy buyers return for more, and I offer no discounts. I give the best that I have at the fairest price to everyone, and this is building the kind of customer base that allows me to make a living wage. Offering a modest (10%- 15%) discount is all a good indie business needs to do when an incentive seems necessary. This business model works for me, and I recommend it to other artisans. When you put your heart and soul into making an honest and conscientious business, you deserve to profit from it, and slashing profits drastically isn’t necessary to gain attention.

editorial by Lee Wolfe

Selling Wholesale: What Galleries Want

leather cuff by WaterRose

This is a more optimal time to approach art and artisan craft galleries to buy from you than it has been in years. Gallery sales in the last quarter of 2010 were better than previous years, so their inventories are low and their spending capital is high. The wholesale craft markets aren’t booked until February, so you can get a foot in the door before they commit their yearly budget. So what are they looking for?

First of all, have a body of work to offer.  A body of work is a clear, recognizable  path that you are taking with your artistic exploration and creations. Every piece in your body of work relates to the other pieces. If your work is primarily extravagant one of a kind pieces, make at least 4 less expensive variations that still have your personal style and innovations. Conversely, if your work is generally well priced pieces without a lot of innovation, create at least  5 highly unusual pieces that show the very best of what you can do.

Markhed’s shop is the perfect body of work that would interest a gallery buyer.  These pieces all relate to each other while bering unusual and innovative:

Galleries are interested in a broad price range. They want something new and different but buyers are also very cautious and gravitate towards work that they know from experience will sell well. My wholesale list is fairly large- I offer 21 pieces in 3 glaze patterns. Gallery buyers want to see at least 20 pieces that you can make and deliver in a timely fashion.

If your Etsy sales are fairly good, I would use that to show a buyer that your work has a following. Be aware that gallery buyers don’t want their customers to find you online and get a cheaper price. Before you approach galleries, remove all mention of sales, discount codes, and giveaways from your store, blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Have your online prices set at the same retail that a gallery would have. And plan to keep it that way, if you want to retain wholesale accounts.

Next Wednesday, I will cover how to approach a gallery to carry your work. If you have any questions, ask in the comments and I will gladly reply. I wish you all success in the new year ahead!

Lee Wolfe / OneClayBead

Should I Sell my Work Wholesale?

 

bracelet by jibbyandjuna

Selling wholesale to galleries, boutiques, and gift stores is beneficial if, and only if, that outlet increases the demand for, and value of , your work. If it is merely an opportunity to cut your price, don’t do it! A good wholesale outlet will promote your work as part of its branding and image. The gallery’s  buyer and sales staff will become familiar with your whole body of work, your studio process, the materials you use, and your individual story. They will take pride in carrying your work; they will act as a your representative to their clientele.  As their sales create greater demand for your work, the price that you charge can be increased.

Any time the demand for your work exceeds the supply (what you can make in a year), you can raise your prices.

fine art print by Gretchen Mist

It is very important to understand this! The single most common mistake that artisans make is lowering price in order to sell more volume. It is almost always better to sell less, at a greater price, than to sell more with a smaller profit margin. So you must make sure that your wholesale opportunities are beneficial to you in order to justify the discount you give them.

If you want to sell wholesale, scout out markets that would add prestige to your work. Look for outlets that have an established reputation, that ask for exclusive representation of your work within a specified territory, and that have a median price of what they carry that matches the average retail price of your work. You don’t want to be the cheapest thing they sell, nor the most expensive. Look for outlets that take pride in selling artisan work or art. Make sure that their marketing makes a distinction between manufactured goods and handmade work if they carry both.

felted elephants mobile by Sewn Natural

Future posts will cover what galleries and exclusive boutiques are most likely to buy, how to make sure that you have that, and how to successfully pitch your work to wholesale buyers. Please let me know if there are other topics that you would like me to cover. I have sold my own work wholesale for over 30 years, owned, managed, and worked as a consultant for, American Craft and Fine Art galleries. I’m happy to help you get started and succeed in selling to galleries.

by Lee Wolfe/ OneClayBead