2023 Wrap-Up and 2024 Goals

Now that we are in February, it solidly feels like 2024 has begun. January is always such a weird time - trying to get back into a routine after the holidays throw everything into chaos. I really enjoyed making a 2022 wrap up blog, so I wanted to make sure I recorded some happenings from 2023 before it gets too far off.

2022 was the start of my YouTube channel, but in 2023 I only managed to put out one new video. Luckily, it actually became my most viewed video and I still went from 171 subscribers to 459 over the year.

Check it out here:

The video was about pricing my new design - Gelatinous Cube Goblets - inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. I’d had the idea for them in my head for years and finally took some time to make them. They took a lot of work, but I was nervous about charging the highest I had ever priced a piece of pottery. A few sold online, but the rest of the 12 sold out at the New York Renaissance Faire. It was so nice to see people so excited about them!

Speaking of the faire, I bought my booth at the New York Renaissance Faire in 2023, meaning I plan to be there for a long time! We added a new sign and built a better accessibility ramp this year, but I’m excited to keep making the booth my own! Will you be traveling to the faire this year?

I continued running my Patreon in 2023, and I’m so thankful for the community there! Because of my patrons’ support, I was able to make time to sculpt a new design - a Wizard Kitty! They were offered as a Patreon exclusive pre-order, and I am so happy with the results. I can’t wait to make more cute characters in the new year!

Looking Ahead in 2024

January 2024 started with an interview in CanvasRebel due to the gracious referrals by Skapa Leather and Just Terrific. In the interview, I talked about my journey to becoming a full time artist, how I had to pivot (like most of us) in 2020, and some tips for how I use social media.

This year I have some big goals. I already made two new YouTube videos about it, so there really is no taking it back. My hope is to make $100,000 worth of pottery. Obviously, I would also like to sell that amount of pottery, but you can’t sell what you don’t have, so I’m focusing first on the inventory side of the goal. In January I planned out my whole calendar by day and even by hour to see if this goal was realistic. You can watch that process here:

I’m keeping a positive outlook on the big platforms, but if you’ve made it off of social media to my little old blog, then I’m willing to tell you that claiming this goal publicly is a little scary. The first obvious risk is that I might fail, which will be pretty disappointing to announce. But I’m also worried that people might think I’m making loads of money and I don’t “need” their purchase. I’m sure you know, but this is just a quick reminder that even if I sell $100,000 worth of pottery - that’s not my take home pay. Just like how “normal” salaries have taxes, I have income taxes too, but even more than that are all the expenses to run the business. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to work for myself for as long as I have, but this inventory/ sales goal is really what I should be reaching for pottery to continue as a viable livelihood.

I appreciate every act of support. I know not everyone is in the position to make purchases. I’m not even close to being able to buy from every artist I admire. Every time you like, comment, and share my work, you’re helping this dream more than you know. If you are in a place to buy, the shop is recently restocked with new pieces made this year!

If you want to know how the $100,000 goal is going so far, you can watch my January recap video, which also talks about my goals for February and beyond. I’m really excited about this new monthly reflection format, because it will keep me more consistent with making videos. I already have more out for 2024 than I made in 2023!

Thank you so much for reading this far! It means a lot that you’re interested in the goings on of my little business. I hope you’ve had a good start to 2024 and we’ll talk more soon!

Etsy Strike - The Results?

It’s been a little over a week since the Etsy seller strike ended, and you may know that I had some thoughts before it started. So, did the strike have any notable results? Well, there are data points we can analyze, anecdotal opinions we can discuss, and reflections from my own experience and how I’m changing my Etsy strategy going forward. You can also jump to the end to see my suggestions for small business sellers and customers.

Etsy’s Response

Etsy did not reach out to the strike’s organizers directly. Instead, a bottled response was repeated to the press:

“Sellers have consistently told us they want us to expand our efforts around marketing, customer support and removing listings that don’t meet our policies. Our revised fee structure will enable us to increase our investments in each of these key areas so we can better serve our community and keep Etsy a beloved, trusted and thriving marketplace.”

This response is in-line with the original email sent to sellers by Etsy on February 24th, and lightly touches on two of the strikes demands: cracking down on resellers and improving seller support. Etsy will need to make good on these promises, but the strikers are not optimistic. They are continuing their efforts with a letter writing campaign and possibly a union-like “solidarity organization for Etsy sellers.”

Excerpt from Etsy’s email titled “Investing in Etsy’s growth: A message from CEO Josh Silverman” on February 24th, 2022

The News

The general Etsy Strike press release could be found on almost every major news provider. As the week continued, some sites tracked the progress and added interviews from various Etsy sellers. You can check out an archive of the news coverage here. I saw a couple interesting spins on the story, like this article that focused on Etsy as an entrepreneurship entry point for women and non-binary business owners. By bringing the strike to the attention of people who never knew it was brewing, news outlets helped to influence the public’s opinion of Etsy - but more on that in a bit.

One news-worthy development was the tweet by Etsy founder, Rob Kalin, supporting the strike - his first tweet in 7.5 years.

The Numbers

First, let’s look at signatures. When I released my Etsy Strike article on April 7th, the strike petition had around 33,000 signatures. Now, it has over 85,000 with at least 30,000 of those claiming to be Etsy sellers themselves.

One Etsy seller tracked an interesting number change during the strike - the total number of items listed for sale on Etsy. With so many Etsy sellers putting their shops on “vacation mode” during the strike, the number of items available for sale dropped notably, but you can also see that the item number has mostly recovered. Some shop owners closed their Etsy’s permanently, but the remaining sellers are mostly making up for it.

So what about stocks? The catalyst for many seller complaints is the moment that Etsy went public - turning its concerns from small businesses to stockholders. So have the stockholders been impacted? I looked to Google to pull the stock history for Etsy over the past month, year, and five years. Each graph tells a little different story. The five year chart obviously shows the jump in stock value starting in 2020 - the pandemic profiteering cited by the strike organizers. Looking at the past year, we see an understandable increase around the holidays, and a small jump after the fee increase announcement. A closer look at the last month shows a general downward trend, with a small spike after the strike ended. We’ll have to keep an eye on the continued path to see if a loss of sellers and a drop in public opinion will have any long term impact on stock values.

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Public Opinion

Even before the Etsy strike I’d noticed an increase in negative comments about Etsy. As the strike approached, I talked with other artists who noted concern that people would boycott Etsy permanently. These artists are dependent on Etsy’s marketplace searchability, sales tax collection, and VAT handling to easily (and legally) sell overseas, so leaving is not an option. Even the strike organizers recognize that there is no one-to-one alternative to Etsy. Of course, my perception of public opinion is also skewed by my social media bubbles. When I shared my strike blog post on some local artist FB groups, I found that many of the sellers there hadn’t heard anything about the strike. This was a surprise in comparison to my TikTok “for you page” where almost every other video was about the strike. During the strike, I also read a comment thread from an Etsy YouTuber where many of the commenters were not participating in the strike, didn’t know about it, or were even poking fun at it.

However, I do think the behind-the-scenes realities of Etsy are becoming more known within the art-collecting and small-business-buying communities. In 2018 when I wrote about Etsy fees, many of my Instagram followers did not know how Etsy worked, and 60% said that they preferred shopping on Etsy instead of an artist’s personal site. I have not redone this poll yet, but when posing a similar question to TikTok, many more commentors seemed willing to buy from an artist’s site, and there was also much heavier criticism of Etsy. Here are a few of the comments on recent TikTok videos:

Selling Online is NOT One-Size-Fits-All

One question that has been in the back of my head through all of this is: What are the business models of those most opposed to the fee increases versus those less bothered by it? Obviously, no one likes to pay more money, but I’ve expressed my belief that the fees are still worth the services provided by Etsy (so far.) I think it is important to note that my business exists online and offline, and before 2020, most of my sales were at in person events. Generally, for a craft show to be considered “good,” you are aiming for the booth fee to be about 10% of your sales - and you are still paying the same 3% credit card processing fees as selling online. Selling in a store usually means a consignment or wholesale cut of 30% - 50%, so 6.5% from Etsy isn’t detrimental to my bottom line. I also sell larger items - mugs, bottles, and sculptures that are just naturally priced higher than say, stickers. A lot of the fee complaints I have seen come from small item sellers like stickers and pins, which seem to just naturally have smaller profit margins, so I can imagine how an online-only seller might not have the wiggle room for a 1.5% increase. Though, I think charging accurate shipping has a huge impact on keeping online sales profitable. Etsy might not be the best match for every business type, but all platforms come with their pros and cons. I’m curious if the strike’s biggest supporters come from sellers who have only ever sold online, and if there are trends between product type, age of sellers, or even age of businesses - I think a comparison of demographics versus opinions would be so interesting to see.

My Strike Experience

During the week of the strike, I did not close my Etsy shop, but I did change all my shop links to my Pattern site. I started my Pattern free trial in April, so I was not paying Etsy for its use, and chose to direct all my traffic there. However, in my current business model, I do most of my marketing and make most of my sales around restocks. I didn’t have any new product to push that week, so I wasn’t pushing a lot of traffic regardless. What did happen, though, was that I made two passive orders through Etsy. In fact, ever since opening my Pattern shop and trying to direct my traffic there, I have been able to more clearly see which sales come from my own efforts, and which are sourced by Etsy. This realization has led to a change in strategy. (You can read more about Pattern in my last blog post.)

My New Shop Policy

I still really like the user-friendly backend of Etsy listings, shipping, and customer communication (minus the pressures of the Star Seller program of course,) but I wouldn’t mind getting to keep a little more of my hard earned sales. So, I’m trying something new with my Pattern site:

1. Pottery restocks will release exclusively to my Pattern site. Etsy customers can still buy from Pattern and see the purchase in their Etsy history. Etsy coupons also still work on Pattern, so the buyer experience is pretty much the same as on Etsy. The difference is that I get to skip the $0.20 listing fee and the 6.5% transaction fee on these sales.

2. After one week, any remaining stock will be added to Etsy. Purchases can still be made from Pattern or Etsy, but this will allow the items to be discovered on Etsy search. (Once added to Etsy, the $0.20 listing fee will be charged and sales made on Etsy will take the 6.5% transaction fee.)

I’m hoping this approach will be a "best of both worlds” scenario - maximizing my earnings from self-directed traffic, but using Etsy’s marketplace to sell the pieces that aren’t immediately scooped up.

Make sure to sign up for my emails if you want to be notified of restock times - like my upcoming Seconds Sale!

My Advice for Other Artists

On my first strike post, I talked about how using the free trial of Pattern might help you test the waters of sales without Etsy, or at least give some wiggle room while building a new site. But what are some other things you can do to boost sales in the future?

• Diversify your social media presence - Putting all your content eggs in one social media basket can mean trouble when algorithms change and your engagement drops. Do you have to be an expert at every platform? No. I know my attempt at joining Twitter has been sorely lacking. But, it is good to expand your audience to at least two or three apps so you can hit the different markets that exist on each. I’m still trying to find the right way to harness Pinterest as an artist, but my pinned Ren Faire blog is consistently one of my most viewed webpages - now I just need to keep jugs in stock to catch the traffic.

• Build that email list - If you follow any small business tip creators, you’ve probably seen this advice, but I’m here to reiterate it again. Email inboxes are one of the most direct ways to reach your customer base, and they can’t be changed by an algorithm. Customers that opt-in to emails are likely your most loyal and interested, so make sure you market to them. You can offer sign up rewards like discounts, or long term bonuses - for example, I only announce the exact time of restocks to my email members so that they get an exclusive heads up on shop updates.

• Find interest groups - Facebook groups saved my business in 2020. When Renaissance Festivals were cancelled, Faire Relief 2020 was formed, and I suddenly had access to over 50,000 members of my target market. I saw a direct correlation between my posts to that group and the sales that I made in 2020, 2021, and now. Communities of interest groups exist all over - Facebook, Reddit, Tumblr, not to mention interest specific websites. Find a few that relate to your work and try them out. Don’t necessarily focus on your medium - for example, I don’t think I would find much success in a “pottery” group filled with other potters, but I could find customers in a “mug collector” or “coffee lovers” group. What sort of things are your ideal customers into? Just make sure to read all the group rules - some don’t allow marketing posts on them.

How You Can Support Small Businesses For Free:

You understand the importance of small businesses and that buying from a small business makes your money go further (paying directly for groceries and housing rather than lining a CEO’s pockets.) But, sometimes you don’t have the money to spare to support all the businesses you wish you could. So what can you do?

• Engage on social media - Social media is the easiest way for small businesses to reach potential customers, but sometimes the algorithm makes it not so easy. Every like, comment, save, and share you make helps to boost that artist’s post and get it in front of more eyes meaning more potential customers ready to buy. Plus, engaging means YOU will get to see that artist’s work more often too!

• Create a bookmarks list on your web browser with the individual artist sites that you want to support - that way you have any easy reference point when you are ready to buy.

• Subscribe and watch YouTube channels - Not every artist has a YouTube channel, but if they do, it’s an easy place to show your support! Did you know that channels need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours before they can start making money from YouTube ads? I have a long, relaxing video you can pop on in the background to help your focus (and help my watch hours if you’d like.) I also post pottery videos and business tips!

• Make a public list of your favorite artists - If you have any sort of a web presence, your list could help your favorite artists get discovered! Make a links page on your blog, or just be sure to tweet or post about your friends’ small businesses once in awhile. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools! You can see a list of some of my favorite small businesses here.

Alternative Ways to Show Monetary Support:

As I said in my last post, I don’t think you should stop buying from artists just because they are on Etsy. But here are some other places artists might be accepting support.

Fired Figment’s Patreon-Exclusive Mug Emblem

• Send a tip through Ko-fi, Cash App, Venmo, or PayPal. These links will likely be in an artist’s social media bio if they are accepting tips.

• Shop from print on demand sites - illustrators especially will be likely to have Redbubble, Spoonflower, Society6, TeePublic, or other sites to print their artwork on various products and send them directly to customers. I don’t know the policies of any of these sites, so my apologies if any of these suggestions are problematic.

• Join their Patreon pages - Patreon is a subscription style website that allows you to support creators by picking a monthly payment tier matched with certain rewards. My Patreon includes a secret store, product and restock polls, coupon codes, free shipping, surprise stickers, curated pottery gifts, and more! Providing a reliable income on Patreon can mean the world to an artist!

In Conclusion

If you made it this far - wow! Thank you for taking the time to read all my thoughts. I’d love to hear if you found anything especially helpful! Are there any other Etsy or business questions you would like answered?

Do I think a “New Etsy” is on the horizon? Not anytime soon. It would take a lot of work and industry knowledge to compete with Etsy as a household name. However, I do feel like there is a future for micro-marketplace communities. Creating a site to house every style of art and craft would be a massive undertaking, but creating purposeful collections of similar businesses can help one another flourish. I’ve found a lot of success on the FB group Faire Relief 2020. There are free websites like The Nile List, which is a searchable archive of Black-owned businesses. Do you know of other free marketplace websites? Unfortunately, in the wake of the Etsy strike I have seen several marketplace websites crop up with “small” fees, which can feel a lot like a scam without a promise of success. Be careful where you decide to join and evaluate if they will actually be of benefit to you.

Good luck to all the artists out there and THANK YOU to everyone continuing to support small businesses!

I Learned Something Cool on TikTok Today

If you're active in the handmade community you probably know that Etsy is increasing their seller fees from 5% to 6.5% (on top of normal processing fees) and most sellers are not happy about it. You might even know that I made a video explaining that even though I obviously don't want to give more of my money to Etsy, I saw enough benefits in their system to stay. 

So I was scrolling on TikTok when I saw this video and I learned that Etsy does not charge seller fees on sales made through their website creator called Pattern. Pattern does cost $15 a month, but I know that my Etsy fees are usually way over $15, so I decided to start with a free month trial! This means I can keep the Etsy backend that I'm used to and hopefully save some money on fees.

So what does that mean for YOU?

Now you have two ways to shop Fired Figments! The exact same items are in both shops, but the Online Store supports me a little bit more.

Online Store (Powered by Etsy)

• All of the buyer protection and benefits of Etsy

• Purchase still saves in your Etsy account

• More of your purchase goes straight to Stephanie - Yay! Support small businesses!

Classic Etsy Store

• “Favorite Shop” to your Etsy account so you can find it easily

• “Favorite” items to create your wishlist

• Etsy takes 6.5% of item price on top of processing fees (Stephanie earns less from your purchase)

However you decide to buy - I appreciate your support of my small business!

I'm excited to see if this change will be a happy compromise between losing less money on fees, and still staying on Etsy.

Why I Still Use Etsy

It's fitting that on the same day I filmed a video praising Etsy's features, they sent out an email announcing fee increases. But, I'm not running from the platform. Obviously, no one wants to give up more of their money, but the benefits to my customers and my business are still worth the price, for now.

Are you scared of the fee changes? Just starting to sell your art online, or wondering if now is the time to leave Etsy? Selling online is not a one size fits all formula. Every platform has its mix of pros and cons. In your research, you will find reasons to host your online store on Squarespace, Shopify, and others. There are plenty of videos urging you to stay away from Etsy, so I'm here to add the story of leaving my Squarespace store to join Etsy and how it changed my online sales for the better.

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This video was produced by my patrons! Join my Patreon for producer credits, behind-the-scenes, discounts, and secret pottery packages too! www.patreon.com/firedfigments

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Shop my Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/firedfigments

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Resources: Etsy Fee Exploration Googlesheet: Click Here

Etsy Shipping Discount Calculator: Click Here

Fired Figments is on Patreon!

Hi! I'm Stephanie, the artist behind Fired Figments.

You might know me from Etsy, TikTok, the Sterling Renaissance Festival, and soon - YouTube! For over 10 years I have been bringing the figments of my imagination to life through whimsical ceramic sculptures and pottery. I'm excited to expand the magic to YouTube and to embrace my love for fantasy with more sculptural work and larger pieces. Your support will make this experimentation possible!

I have been blown away by the support everyone has given my small business, especially over the past two years! Now I'd love to reward that support with some fun bonuses! From extra behind-the-scenes access, to stickers, discount codes, free shipping, and even curated gift packages, there is sure to be a reward you'll love. Oh! And don't forget the exclusive mug designed by patrons for patrons!

How it Works:
Patreon is a subscription style website that allows you to support creators by picking a monthly payment tier matched with certain rewards. Read through the reward tiers and choose which level you would like to join. You will be charged upon joining so that you can gain instant access to your rewards and benefits. After that, your membership will be renewed and your account charged around the 1st of each month. You may unsubscribe or change your tier at any time.

Everyone chooses to support for their own reasons, so I completely understand if not every reward is of interest to you. Your welcome message will include a link to a quick form which allows you to opt-out of any of the recognition or product rewards that you would prefer not to receive.

Thank you for reading and considering, and for all the ways you support my small business!

Why I DON'T Offer Free Shipping

It’s almost holiday time again and small businesses will be fighting for space among the shipping giants like Amazon. Fast and free shipping can be appealing, but here is the breakdown of why I don’t offer free shipping as a small business. Scroll through the visuals above or read on below:

Free Shipping is Not Free
Businesses that offer free shipping are actually rolling that price into the product price.

Here’s how it would look in my business. . .

I live in NY’s Southern Tier
Shipping ONE Mug Costs: $9 to New York City $15 to California

Some strategies suggest increasing prices by the average shipping cost, but if I make more West Coast sales than East Coast sales, I lose money.

Shipping TWO Mugs Costs: $10 to New York City $20 to California

Notice how shipping prices do not double, but they do increase more for the West Coast than the East Coast.

Here’s what it would mean for customers. . .

My Basic Mug Price is $30

I have to assume that every mug is being sold individually, so I would add the average of shipping one mug: $12

A New York City Customer Pays:
$39 for one mug with paid shipping OR $42 for one mug with “free” shipping
$70 for two mugs with paid shipping OR $84 for two mugs with “free” shipping
$102 for three mugs with paid shipping OR $126 for three mugs with “free shipping

A California Customer Pays:
$45 for one mug with paid shipping OR $42 for one mug with “free” shipping
$80 for two mugs with paid shipping OR $84 for two mugs with “free” shipping
$117 for three mugs with paid shipping OR $126 for three mugs with “free shipping

The customer in California makes out slightly better for one mug, but after two mugs, they are also overpaying.

Prices get even more complicated for small items (like spoon rests) that ship on their own for $5, but naturally ship free with larger items if they don’t push the package into the next weight bracket. But as a business, I have to assume every item is shipping alone, which would mean every spoon rest would be $5 more.

Raising prices online also means raising prices in stores and at shows. It is important that your prices are consistent everywhere a customer shops. No one wants to see a mug at a show and then go online and find that it is $12 more than at the show. But, shipping is a service, and that means paying for the service.

I would rather fairly charge shipping based on weight and location than raise prices across the board. I’m not here to make profit on shipping. Keeping shipping separate protects my business AND my customers from over-paying.

I also refund shipping overages in cases of overestimation.

Hopefully this post gives both customers and other small businesses a look behind my decision to keep my product prices transparent and to charge shipping on a weight and distance basis.

Shoppers: How to be the BEST Art Festival Customer EVER!

Summer festival season is kicking off and art festivals will continue into the fall and through Christmas. Art festivals and craft fairs provide a unique opportunity for artists and customers to come face-to-face. It takes a lot of guts for an artist to present their work to the world, and rude customers can ruin a whole show. Even well-meaning comments can come off as insults when piled in with less pleasant experiences.

How can you know if you’re accidentally insulting an artist? Well, after five years of selling at art festivals and talking with fellow artists, I can tell you what artists love to hear, where you should tread carefully, and what you should NEVER say!

Please Do These Things:

“You have very beautiful work” or “I really love your style.”

Really any sincere compliment should be well met. Some artists might be a little sour if they’ve been getting only compliments and no sales, but if an artist responds negatively to a compliment, then they need to work on their customer service.

“I follow you on [Instagram, Facebook, etc.]”

Awesome! It’s so cool to put a face with the username! Meeting customers face-to-face is the best part of art festival so don’t be shy! Bonus points if you talk about a favorite recent post.

“Hi” and “Thank you”

Sometimes artists are nervous about greeting every customer and don’t want to seem too eager to make a sale. A simple “hello”, smile, or even a nod helps the artist know you’re friendly. Saying “thank you” when you leave the booth, even when you didn’t buy anything, is a nice way to show your appreciation to the artist for taking time to attend the festival.

Take a business card, postcard, or sign up for the email list

Artists (should) understand that not everyone is in a position to buy, but any of these actions show that you are interested in their work and will hopefully be a customer in the future.

Proceed With Caution:

“How long did this take to make?”

This may seem like a harmless question, and a go-to conversation starter, but it can make an artist go on high alert. Artists might be wary of giving an exact number because they’re waiting for you to multiply the hours given by minimum wage to come up with a value for their art. Please know that there are two things wrong with that formula:

1.) A working artist should not base their prices on minimum wage since minimum wage is not a living wage.

2.) Isolating a product to the time it takes to produce ignores the time spent learning the skill, designing the product, and maintaining business responsibilities like websites, social media accounts, shipping, and even the time spent attending the current festival. Not to mention material costs, studio rent, and more!

Artists that have had too many guests criticize their prices right after a question of time, might not be happy answering this question. Some similar, safer questions to ask are:

• “How long have you been [painting, making pottery, sewing, etc.]?”

• “Can you tell me about this piece?”

• “What inspired this design?”

“How did you make that?”

Similar to “How long did this take to make?” too many artists have been bitten by this question. It can imply that you have some basic skills in this craft and want step-by-step instructions to recreate it when you get home. Try instead, “Can you tell me about your process?”

“I have always wanted to try [calligraphy, pottery, macrame, etc.]” or “[Drawing, embroidery, jewelry-making, etc.] looks like so much fun!”

You might be trying to create a connection with the artist and show interest in their craft, but these comments can often feel demeaning. Artists work very hard to become professionals in their field, and even though they may have started by taking a community class just like you, they went beyond that intro class and invested in their own studio and materials to develop this craft into a business. Comments like these suggest that you see their work as just a hobby. Of course an artist likes what they do, but making art to sell is a lot more involved than just spending your free time to make art for your friends and family. Try these questions instead:

• “I really admire the work of [metalsmiths, sculptors, photographers, etc.]. Do you have any suggestions for someone trying to start out?”

• “Do you teach any workshops?”

• “I took a [pottery, knitting, needle-felting, etc.] class last year. I definitely have a newfound appreciation for the skill required”

Taking pictures

It is always best to ask an artist for permission before taking pictures. Many artists do not allow pictures so that their work is not copied. If your intention is to copy the work at home, please reconsider. Here are some good reasons to take pictures:

• “I’m thinking of getting this as a gift for my mom, can I send a picture to my sister to see what she thinks?”

• “Can I take a picture and tag you on Instagram?” - bonus points for giving the artist credit!

Stop! Never Do These Things!

“Can I get a discount?” or “This is too expensive.”

Art festivals are not flea markets. Artists spend a painstaking amount of time calculating their prices, and many are still undercharging for their work! They are probably already self-conscious about their prices, and asking for a discount is an insult to their work. Remember that artists need to pay for materials, education, equipment, studio rent and utilities, website hosting, business insurance, shipping supplies, and then pay themselves for their time spent designing, producing, photographing, and marketing their work. Plus, some artists can price based on demand. It might be your first time seeing this artist’s work, but they might have a following more than happy to pay those prices. If the price doesn’t meet your perceived value, then you don’t have to buy it. However, if you are truly in love with a piece, but just can’t afford it right now, try these questions instead:

• “Do you offer a payment plan?” - some artists might be willing to work out a few month payment plan with you so you can have the piece once it is paid in full.

• “Do you take custom orders?” - If an artist takes custom orders, you can save towards the piece and commission them when you can afford it.

• “Where else can I buy your work?” - Just like custom orders, buying online let’s you wait until you have the money to spend.

“Can I pay cash to skip the sales tax?”

No. This is straight up illegal. Professional artists have a state issued Sales Tax ID and are required by law to collect sales tax.

“This is so ugly” or “Who would like this” or “My kid could make this”

This should go without saying, but don’t insult an artist’s work while you are standing in their booth. You don’t have to like all kinds of art, but there is no reason to be so rude in front of the person who has put their heart and soul into creating. You aren’t walking around a store as an anonymous buyer. The artist can hear you, and they can definitely see you.

“Hey, [friend’s name], will you make this for me?” or “I’m gonna make this at home.”

Anything that implies that you are going to copy an artist’s work shouldn’t be said. And you shouldn’t copy for that matter, either. Obviously, no one can stop you from making a ceramic mug, or a cross stitch hoop, or a mosaic picture frame, but you should never copy an artist’s exact design.

“I’ll be back later” when you won’t be.

When an artist is having a bad show, they might be counting on all those “be back later” customers to make their sales goals for the day. When you don’t show up, it just adds insult to injury. If you’re trying to find a polite way to leave the booth, simply say, “You have very beautiful work” or a similar, sincere compliment. Even just taking a business card and smiling it better than giving false hope.

What do you think? Have you unknowingly done any of these festival fouls? Which tip did you find most helpful or surprising?

If you’re an artist and need some ideas on how to respond to these tricky questions, check out my post Artists: How to Answer Your Most Dreaded Art Festival Questions!

Artists: How to Answer Your Most Dreaded Art Festival Questions

Art festival season has officially begun!
The good part: You finally get to meet your customers face-to-face!
The bad part: You have to deal with customers face-to-face.

Whether you are a seasoned festival artist, or are headed to your first craft show, there are questions that customers are guaranteed to ask and will likely trip you up if you haven’t planned how to respond. After 5 years of selling at art festivals and talking to other artists, here are my best ways to deal with those tricky questions.

“How long did this take to make?”

I know, you’re breaking out in a nervous sweat wondering if this person is going to recalculate your pricing based on minimum wage and the time you give. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Many customers ask this question simply as a conversation starter and don’t realize the weight this question can hold. Here are some ways to answer:

• Talk about the general steps it takes to make your product. Listing out the steps can better represent the effort it takes to make art. I might only spend X amount of active time on a mug, but making pottery is a long process. I have to throw the mug, let it dry to leather hard (1-3 days), trim the foot, carve the design, attach the handle, let it dry to bone dry (up to a week), bisque fire (a firing that takes 8 hours and requires over 12 hours to cool,) glaze, and finally glaze fire (a firing that takes 16 hours and requires over 16 hours to cool.) My hands might only be on a mug for X minutes or hours, but it can take up to two weeks to finish a mug! If your list of steps feels a little short, try these other responses.

• Talk about your design process. When did you first come up with this idea? How long did it take to develop? Did you have to redesign the product? Talk about the changes you made and why you found those changes to be an improvement.

• Talk about your education. Even if you are self taught, how long have you been practicing your craft? Say, “ I could never have made this when I first started, but after X years of working, I’ve gotten pretty fast at it.”

“How did you make that?”

It might feel like a customer is asking for step-by-step instructions to duplicate your art at home, but this question is really just the simplest way to express curiosity. You can answer this similarly to the last question:

• Again, talk about your design process or the general steps you take to make your product. For example, an embroidery artist might say, “I start by drawing my design with pencil on the fabric. Then I pick out my color scheme and buy the thread that I need. I stretch the fabric in the hoop and use various stitching techniques to make the design.Then I have to knot off the thread in the back and cut loose strings.” The artist has talked about their process without giving a pattern for someone to copy.

“I’ve always wanted to try [your craft]” or “[Your craft] looks like so much fun!”

You worked hard to become a professional at your art, and now it feels like this person thinks it is easy. Don’t get defensive, try these answers:

• Give an anecdote about when you first started. I always like to tell people about my first wheel-throwing class and how we spent the first 4 weeks making cylinders. You were not allowed to move on to anything else until you could make 4 identical 6-inch cylinders. This story proves that pottery takes dedication, and is a lot harder than it looks.

• Offer suggestions of local places to take classes. This person probably won’t ever become your competition and you look like an expert in the field, so there is no harm in offering a little advice.

• Do you offer your own workshops? This is a great opportunity to talk yourself up!

“Can I get a discount?” or “Why is this so expensive?”

You’re probably undercharging for your work already, so don’t haggle on your prices! Here are some responses:

• Offer a payment plan. Instead of just saying no to a discount, this option might get you a sale you would otherwise lose. If someone really loves your piece, they might jump at this opportunity. Require a deposit on site (at least 25%) and then get contact information to send invoices for a few months until the item is paid in full. Only give the product to the customer once it is paid in full.

• Pick your battles. You can usually tell by the person’s tone of voice if they simply want to complain and probably won’t value your work at any price, or if they would be open to some education. If it is the latter, talk about all the time spent learning your craft, the materials you buy (you do not need to tell them the exact numbers), and all the business side of things that people tend to forget. Other times it’s best to just ignore the comment (like if it wasn’t actually directed at you, but to a friend.) Don’t say, “Well, X number of people don’t feel that way.” You’re not winning an argument with a statement like that.

• Let the customer know that you sell online and that the product will be available when they have the money to purchase. (Remember tone is important here - you don’t want to come off as rude.) Only use this method if the customer seems interested in your work, but is upset that they can’t afford it (and so it must be “expensive”), not if the person simply does not value your work.

“Can I pay cash to skip the sales tax?”

No. This is illegal. Don’t do it. It’s your choice to absorb sales tax into your listed price, but make sure you increase prices to account for this expense.

“This is so ugly” or “Who would like this” or “My kid could make this”

These aren’t questions, but you still might hear them. Insults hurt, but here is where you need to put on your customer service hat and bite your tongue. Usually this comment is being said to a friend in the booth, and the person isn’t even thinking of the fact that you, the artist, are sitting right in front of them. It is not your place to jump into the conversation to defend yourself. You might come off as rude and other potential customers in the booth might be turned off by your tone and leave. Now, if the insult is being said directly to you, put a positive spin on the exchange by taking the opportunity to talk about your inspiration and why your work looks the way it does.

“Hey, [friend’s name], will you make this for me?” or “I’m gonna make this at home.”

This is another time that it is best to bite your tongue. Again, the customer is probably talking to their friend and not to you, so your attempt to educate against the wrongs of copying will likely not be well received. If you are worried about copying, make sure you have visible “no photos” signs near your work. Even if someone does try to copy your work, it will never be like yours.

Bonus Tips:

Here are some ways to put your best foot forward at all times.

Accept Compliments Graciously

It can be frustrating when every person at your booth says “This is so cute!” or “You have beautiful work!” and none of them make a purchase. However, you should understand that festivals are a form of free entertainment, and not every person is in a place to buy. A customer has no way of knowing that you’re having a bad sales day, and you shouldn’t make it obvious by responding poorly to a compliment. Instead, say “thank you” and offer them a business card or your show schedule so they can find your work when they are ready to buy.

Say “Thank you”

Even if a customer doesn’t buy anything, thank them for stopping by or for checking out your work. Leaving a friendly final impression might inspire them to reach for a business card on their way out, or even to loop back around before they leave the festival.

Don’t Use Passive Behavior

Don’t sit at your booth reading a book or scrolling through your phone. This makes you look uninterested, uninviting, and unprofessional. It’s ok to bring some in-progress product to work on at your table. In fact, it might even spark conversations about your work. However, don’t be so involved in your work that you don’t look up to greet customers.

Avoid Eating Messy Food

I know all the food trucks at the festival are tempting, but it’s probably not the best to have BBQ sauce all over your face from that pulled pork sandwich when a customer walks into your booth. Pack small snacks that are easy to pop in your mouth during those brief moments your booth is empty. If you want to indulge on festival food, make sure you have someone to cover your booth while you chow down away from potential customers. And make sure you have mints for afterwards.

Don’t Pack-up Early

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. By agreeing to vend at a festival, you become a representative of that festival and it is your duty to be professional even if the last hour, or even the whole show, has been slow. What message are you sending to the customers who maybe work weekends and just got out of work with a half hour left of the show? They were so excited to see all the artists, and now all they see is a bunch of half-empty tables and boxes. I’ve been known to take down a few of my more expensive and fragile pieces that require more delicate wrapping when there is fifteen minutes to go. Maybe I’ll collect my display rings from the ring dishes, take the spoons from my spoon rests, and consolidate my business cards into one pile. But I do all of this from behind my table so it isn’t obvious that I am calling it quits, and a customer would never look at my table and know I am packing up. A last-minute customer should never feel like they are disturbing you by wanting to look at your product. If a show ends at 4:00 pm, you should not be loading your boxes onto your handcart and rolling away at 4:00 pm. You should be actively displaying through 4:00 pm. I know show days are long days, but you agreed to this commitment, so follow through.

I hope you found this post helpful!

Which response or tip had you never though of before? What other questions or encounters are a struggle for you? Let me know, because I would love to help!