Finally someone that shows the exact thought process and not only the calculations.
@firedfigments
10 ай бұрын
I'm glad you liked it!
@TinyChickPottery
Жыл бұрын
Excellent pint about pissing off former buyers by lowering future prices!
@firedfigments
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! You never want someone to feel cheated.
@micheledickey4066
Жыл бұрын
Pricing just makes me craaaazy!! I handbuild and the drying process is ridiculous!! I have pieces drying in every stage in plastic bags and of course I can’t remember which is which. Ugh thanks so much for the video. Would you please share why your glaze combo is in the classic purple mugs that you showed in the pic to the side? My gosh it’s gorgeous!!!
@firedfigments
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! All of my glazes are from Clayscapes Pottery and those mugs are Crown Heights (purple) and Cream.
@jaynorthwoods
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for this video. My son and I have started a small pottery studio 8 months ago. We are now 3 months into an Etsy store and we go through all the same thought processes as you. Really good job of explaining what goes into a piece. I hope the goblets work out for you. I feel you have always had a real innovative approach to your videos as you ‘tell the truth’ 😀 Who knows maybe we will make KZitem videos also to market our JerdeDesigns pieces if other social media doesn’t work so well. Plus I think there will be no replacement for hands on shows… Cheers Jay Jerde
@firedfigments
Жыл бұрын
Congratulations on the studio! I hope everything goes well for you! The Renaissance Faire is definitely where I make the most sales - gotta love an in-person audience.
@merrilymud7304
Ай бұрын
Wow, great video. I guess I get that 120.00 is above the general scope of the products you shared, and that you must decide if you want to make such types of more expensive novelty items, but I must say, I Love those Goblets! Perhaps instead of adding them to your regular line, you simply foray into them once in a while? Market them as a speciality item at their deserved cost (possibly using holiday timing...) and continue to expand your shop's offerings...? Wishing you all the best, and thx for the vid!
@firedfigments
Ай бұрын
@@merrilymud7304 Thank you! I did decide to make them a limited edition item. I'm looking forward to getting through my busy Renaissance Faire season because I have many more fun experiments in mind to start soon!
@themousehousepottery2724
Жыл бұрын
slip cast is the perfect solution. still hand made and designed by you. can still be modified and makes you competitive during price sensitive times. obviously on a design that is a proven seller and just take too much time
@firedfigments
Жыл бұрын
Slip casting definitely helps with production speed. However, I've always been fond of truly one-of-a-kind pieces. These goblets each have a different arrangement of items on them and I like being able to customize them. (I also always hated mold-making in college, so I'll do anything to avoid it - haha.)
@themousehousepottery2724
Жыл бұрын
@@firedfigments 100% agree and understand. i subbed out my moulds and casting and just paid for the finished blank bisque items. a product that can give you great returns and profits gives you the income and time to create new items. its always an option to look at. i paid for my block and case and working production moulds as they were complex. like watching your videos
@scottmcguirk4848
9 ай бұрын
If you hate mold making, no amount of time saving is worth it. I’ve learned one key for long term production is cut out or down the steps you don’t like to be able to focus on the steps you like. There are also times you just can’t think about time,money, marketing and just do a piece for yourself.
@themousehousepottery2724
9 ай бұрын
@@scottmcguirk4848 time saving is money making. hobbies can burn time. you make a great design like these and someone buys one and takes a mold from it... so its a choice of is it a hobby or to pay its own way. These are just my thoughts, no right or wrong way, just options. my thoughts at the time as it was a while ago i commented, was you can get molds made for you and slip cast the basic shape to add details to make each piece individual. its a subject covered many times on the potters cast
@scottmcguirk4848
9 ай бұрын
@@themousehousepottery2724 I agree slip casting is a great way to go. But not if you don’t enjoy the process. Could also look into hiring a fast wheel thrower and then decorate yourself. It was a job I did for a number of years that allowed me to look after my Mom. Might also be easier to hire someone to do the slip casting. Usually pay is 10-15 percent retail per item. Works out if they can produce enough for an hourly living wage.
@tereamacomber5213
Жыл бұрын
Very helpful! Thank you for the concise video. A video on shipping would be really helpful! Also the goblets are definitely collectible items!
@firedfigments
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
@nalontocs
9 ай бұрын
Thank you! Fantastic video. I love how you got straight to the point. Money and pricing can be such a daunting topic. You seemed so relaxed and your cut away shots were on point.
@firedfigments
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!
@robertandrews5408
Жыл бұрын
Great video! Very good analysis and information on the business side of being an artist 🎉 Thank you 🎉
@firedfigments
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
@ElizabethMartinez-m3q
4 ай бұрын
Very very good information. Finally a realistic list of business expenses!
@firedfigments
4 ай бұрын
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
@kleiwerper
Жыл бұрын
Cool!!! Could you make a video on how to make the goblets from start to finish?
@firedfigments
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! And yes! The full timelapse is headed to my Patreon soon! 😊
@dietrichvarez1720
Жыл бұрын
I make homemade Beer and Wine. Getting a lot of good ideas for making Mugs and asian Sake cups. Cool video thank you!🤙🍺
@AdamBHarrisHarpist
2 ай бұрын
Awesome goblets, hope you sold a boatload.
@firedfigments
2 ай бұрын
Thank you! They were a big hit at the NY Renaissance Faire!
@natashaperreault9425
5 ай бұрын
Thank you so much!!!!
@firedfigments
5 ай бұрын
I'm glad it was helpful 😊
@BasilWallace
4 ай бұрын
I agree with the possible conclusions you left after judging this piece. I think it's worth calling out something else with collection cohession. $120 feels outside of the collection when compared to similarly sized items as it's over 3x the price of your cheapest item. I don't think similarly sized or similarly comparable items should extend past 2x the cost from the lowest cost item to the highest cost item as it makes you wonder why the more expensive item is that way, but then you start to question what's wrong with the lowest cost item for it to be priced where it is too. From your calculations I think the correct business decision is to find a way to make them profitable at the lower cost (i.e. find ways to spend less time on them) or yeah... Chaulk it up to R&D, sell them as is and make the business decision to drop them from the collection. Have you thought about making several sprig molds for the decoration pieces? You could mold like 6-12 swords and skulls that all look slightly different from each other for example and each piece would feel unique, and you'd spend much less time putting them together
@firedfigments
4 ай бұрын
I think that similar size is a good comparison when the level of detail is also similar, but since these have so much more surface decoration than a smooth-sided mug, I wouldn't expect them to be similarly priced if looking at another artist's work either. (For example: BAT's Ceramics beautiful hand-painted mugs vs. a regularly glazed mug.) I did consider sprig molds if I was going to continue making the design, but I decided to make them a limited edition offering and they sold out. Creative projects like this are a nice break from my usual production, but sometimes turning them into production pieces themselves sours the experience, so I was glad that I was able to keep them special. Thanks for your comments across my videos! Glad you are enjoying them!
@BasilWallace
4 ай бұрын
@@firedfigments I think dropping them is wise. you'd end up putting a lot of creative effort into bringing their cost down. Thank you for putting the effort into talking about the business side of art. Other channels give you one or two such videos and they're typically not as deep or planned out
@Deem57
6 ай бұрын
I found this video both interesting and helpful. I wonder if you simplified the fantasy goblet so that it didn't have so many "appliques" on it, maybe just one for an accent, if you could price them more economically. Also, you could post the photos of the fantasy goblet set on your website and only offer it as a commissioned set. That way, you wouldn't tie up so much studio time (and money) making them to sell then having them sit around in inventory. Just some thoughts....
@firedfigments
6 ай бұрын
Thank you for your comment! I've definitely been playing with the idea of doing just a sword on a mug or goblet lately. I ended up selling the remaining goblets as a "limited edition" series at the NY Renaissance Faire, so it would now feel disingenuous to sell new ones, but definitely something to keep in mind for future designs. Thanks again!
@ensenadorjones4224
6 ай бұрын
Simplify the making process of the goblet by making sprig molds for each shape. Or do 2D shapes with stamps and underglazes on the goblet rather than 3D sprigs. I personally like unique pieces. If you can streamline the process then you could lower the price. Everyone wins.
@firedfigments
6 ай бұрын
It was a really fun experiment and I ended up selling them as limited edition pieces at the Renaissance Faire, so I won't be making more like these, but I have been thinking of sprig molds for some upcoming projects! Thanks for watching and commenting!
@user-dd9dh9kw5c
3 ай бұрын
Ultimately it doesnt matter too much what you charge its whatever people will pay.
@firedfigments
3 ай бұрын
Yes, that kind of goes with the Cohesive Collection segment. I might not have said it in the video, but things like your reputation/ popularity as a business/ artist can impact the price people are willing to pay, along with the price of living in the area you are selling. My same prices that might get gawked at in small town NY are considered a "good deal" closer to NYC.
@nataliecastro4711
5 ай бұрын
Very helpful video. I am curious… A year later what ended up happening? Were your prices correct? Were you able to go up on your prices? Or did you decide to stop making them? Thanks again.
@firedfigments
5 ай бұрын
I'm glad you liked the video! I decided to make them a limited edition offering and sold about a quarter of them online and the rest sold out at the New York Renaissance Faire. Creative projects like this are a nice break from my usual production, but sometimes turning them into production pieces themselves sours the experience, so I was glad that I was able to keep them special.
@nataliecastro4711
5 ай бұрын
@@firedfigments thank you so much for sharing that insight.
@rainbowrabbitclubhouse1408
6 ай бұрын
Question...would it be a bad idea to charge less if im just starting out? Thanks for another helpful video by the way! I really like how you break it all down for us!
@firedfigments
6 ай бұрын
Hi! Charging less is sort of a relative term, and I'm assuming you mean new to pottery, and not just new to business. If you are already skilled in pottery, some of these won't apply, but here are a few extra insights to consider when pricing: 1.) Ask yourself: is this a hobby, a side hustle, or your full time living? Each approach to your business requires your pottery to meet different financial goals. Work backwards from how much you need to make in a month, year, etc. to make your art and your life viable, down to what a single piece should cost. 2.) Hourly wage calculations might not work for you if you are just starting out with pottery. Early in my years I might have only been able to throw 6 mugs in an hour, and now I can throw 18 in an hour. That doesn't mean that my old mugs should have been priced 3x higher. Skill does work it's way into your pricing. You might have to "feel" out your prices a bit before you establish your average speed for calculations. Compare your work to other's in your area and online that seem to be at a similar skill level to find an average price for the quality of work you can make. 3.) My professor always said that it is easier to raise prices than lower prices (I might have said this in the video already.) You can start "low" to see how customers respond to your work. Every time a category of work sells out, raise the price. For example, mugs could start at $30, then $32, $34, $36, etc. When you get to a point that you are still making sales, but not selling out as quickly, you've probably found a good middle-ground for pricing. 4.) One thing that is very important for potters just starting out is to think about how your pricing impacts the pottery community as a whole. If you are at more of a hobby practice, you don't want to greatly undercut the prices of potters relying on pottery as a full time income. If you're charging way less than the standard for other potters in your area, you are cheapening the customer expectation for pricing across the board. You can't know if you are someone's first exposure to handmade pottery, and so if your prices are too low, it makes it harder for other potters to charge fair prices because customers will expect something cheaper. 5.) I don't know if you're just starting out with pottery, or just starting out as a business, but another thing to consider if you're just starting with pottery is if your work is ready to sell at all. Pottery takes up a lot of space, so it's tempting to want to sell right away to make space and money for clay. I honestly think I started selling too early. I cringe at some of the things I sold right out of college. When I was more established, I did eventually sell off more of my old work at a huge discount, but I had my better, newer, work as my regular offerings. The podcast, The Maker's Playbook by Rebecca Ickes Carra brings up this concept a lot. It's ok to just make work for practice, smoosh it down into new clay, and throw it (or handbuild it) again to work on your skills. Remember that everything you fire will probably outlive you! 6.) Last thing I'll say is that if you are self conscious about your prices and really want to start low - consider selling at a venue that matches that price point. Things like school or church craft shows generally have an expectation of lower prices than popular juried art festivals or shows. I definitely started at smaller shows and open studio nights before working my way up to bigger shows. I hope that was helpful and gave you some ideas! There are so many great pottery business podcasts to listen to for tips too - here are some of my favorites: The Mud Peddlers The Maker's Playbook Wheel Talk The Potters Cast Batty Bitches with Brooke Thivierge
@ab9879
6 ай бұрын
@@firedfigments Thank you so much for the detailed reply. All these points are hugely helpful - and thank you for sharing the list of pottery podcasts too!!
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