I have always been skeptical about the idea of doing and selling pottery at shows and at fairs.
You see, the weakness of using pottery to rake in a good base and money outweigh that of the pros of indulging in pottery. I rarely would recommend pottery to an entrepreneur. But of course, one would hear the success stories of pottery entrepreneurs. So here are a few personal experiences that I hope would make it easier for you to decide whether pottery is a good thing for you, or not.
For one thing, pottery skills are needed to bring your talent to levels acceptable for consumers to buy your product. Unless you have natural talent and have been honing your skills, you would have to invest in buying yourself a good book, paying a tutor, or going to a pottery school to invest in yourself.
Second, needed pottery materials. You need the equipment, you need the materials, and you certainly need the time and the money. Pottery requires mixing, molding, tempering and baking. If you cannot routinely follow these, then it is best you drop the concept.
The big difference with pottery at shows is the change of place. There are a lot of things to be done. For one thing, preparation of the prepared pieces of earthenware would require you to transport the heavy stuff from your shop to the booth or the table.
The second one is the inclusion of demos in your booth. This is a very important thing.
Having demos in your booth actually keeps people interested in your work and in your final product. It doesn't have to come out finished like that. You can just leave it in the mold, or dramatically bake it in the kiln. Just let people know how pottery are done.
Sell at shows that target the upper crust of society. The common people, with the stories of recession and laying-off at jobs, won't easily buy into your wares. Pots are mainly ornamental, less functional. Unless you're doing something along the lines of tea cups and and mugs or glasses that would put most factories to shame, I suggest you start something ornamental, cheap and functional. Like paper weights for example. - 15246
You see, the weakness of using pottery to rake in a good base and money outweigh that of the pros of indulging in pottery. I rarely would recommend pottery to an entrepreneur. But of course, one would hear the success stories of pottery entrepreneurs. So here are a few personal experiences that I hope would make it easier for you to decide whether pottery is a good thing for you, or not.
For one thing, pottery skills are needed to bring your talent to levels acceptable for consumers to buy your product. Unless you have natural talent and have been honing your skills, you would have to invest in buying yourself a good book, paying a tutor, or going to a pottery school to invest in yourself.
Second, needed pottery materials. You need the equipment, you need the materials, and you certainly need the time and the money. Pottery requires mixing, molding, tempering and baking. If you cannot routinely follow these, then it is best you drop the concept.
The big difference with pottery at shows is the change of place. There are a lot of things to be done. For one thing, preparation of the prepared pieces of earthenware would require you to transport the heavy stuff from your shop to the booth or the table.
The second one is the inclusion of demos in your booth. This is a very important thing.
Having demos in your booth actually keeps people interested in your work and in your final product. It doesn't have to come out finished like that. You can just leave it in the mold, or dramatically bake it in the kiln. Just let people know how pottery are done.
Sell at shows that target the upper crust of society. The common people, with the stories of recession and laying-off at jobs, won't easily buy into your wares. Pots are mainly ornamental, less functional. Unless you're doing something along the lines of tea cups and and mugs or glasses that would put most factories to shame, I suggest you start something ornamental, cheap and functional. Like paper weights for example. - 15246
About the Author:
Ian Kleine takes every opportunity to visit festivals in his area, and enjoys it well enough to say a few thing about them. Florida Craft Shows has a complete list on every festival around the state. Don't miss out on your town's fairs and visit Florida Craft Shows.
