Thursday, December 17, 2009

Sales - when to have one


Over at my Etsy shop, I'm having a Half Price Holiday Sale on select necklaces created with semiprecious stones, sterling silver and other natural materials.  The sale will last until December 24th  - or until they all sell, whichever comes first! 


Like most artists, I usually have an inventory of stock, in my case consisting of paintings, drawings and jewelry.  So when do I decide that its time to have a sale to encourage people to buy and to make room for me to produce more? 

Length of exposure is a strong factor.   If a piece has been around for awhile and hasn't generated a lot of interest it can go back into stock or can be reworked into a new piece.

Orphan work.  By this I mean something that isn't part of my general style of work or theme and as a result becomes a stand alone piece.  This can be good or bad depending on whether it catches someone's eye or not.  If not, then off it goes to tempt someone with  a sale price.

Lack of storage space.  When my studio shelves and storage areas are getting full, I know its time to make some things available at a reduced cost.

New projects looming.  When I have ideas for a series of pieces or want to experiment with new media or supports, I need a clean slate to help that happen.  Moving old stock out to make way for new is always a good reason for a sale.

Encourage new clients.  A sale is often the introduction of a new buyer to the purchase of original works and can be the making a long relationship between artist and buyer.

So go and browse.  Perhaps you'll find something there that tempts you or may be the temptation of someone else.


Meanwhile, this little pup is slowly coming together.  Time is against me in the lead up to Christmas, but as of tomorrow I'm off work for two weeks, then I can catch up again.

2 comments:

Rose Welty said...

All of your readers know that your work is superb already...but, I can't resist giving an endorsement. I bought a necklace from Jeanette for a gift - it is stunning and the receiver considers it a real treasure. So, go check out the shop!

Jeanette Jobson said...

Thank you Rose. I'll have you on commission soon. :) I'm glad the recipient enjoys it.