[Noelle's Pottery]

Hi everyone, I am looking for suggestions of how to help out my sister market her pottery. Or more specifically, how I could do so without her knowing. I think with the help of our mother she has put her pottery on a website called 'etsy', and if one goes to that website they can buy her work. But from what I can tell she isn't getting very far, and I wonder if most of the purchases are extended family. She has special needs and is currently unemployed, so I would love to help her out by attracting people to her pottery. Any ideas of how I could do that? Pay for advertising or something? I'm not savvy in this area at all! I'm not even sure if 'etsy' would allow a link to her pottery page specifically in an advertisement. Looking forward to feedback, thanks!

JP

[Seasoned Warrior]

etsy has great tutorials for selling on their site, you could start there http://www.etsy.com/...eller-handbook/

Regards,
Charles

[GEP]

JP,

We've had some discussions about Etsy, both its benefits and shortcomings. These links should be helpful. I'm afraid there is no quick and easy answer to your question. Selling well on Etsy can be done, but it takes a lot of constant attention and work. There are over 100,000 sellers on Etsy, it takes a lot of marketing effort to stand out.

Mea



http://ceramicartsda...marketing-work/

http://ceramicartsda...ence-for-sales/

[Matt Oz]

There is also an Etsy forum team that is very friendly, and knowledgeable, about selling pottery on Etsy.

Anyone can join....Mud Lovers and the Mud Team

[TJR]

You could have a sale in your home. Send out invitations by mail and Email about 3 weeks ahead of the sale. Have everything priced in a visible spot. Offer snacks and punch and coffee. You do the selling and just let your sister meet all her fans. Keep the mailing list and have a guest book. This is how I started. I still have two sales a year from my studio-one at Christmas, and one before Mother's Day.
TJR.

[Red Rocks]

TJR, on 03 May 2012 - 05:19 PM, said:

You could have a sale in your home. Send out invitations by mail and Email about 3 weeks ahead of the sale. Have everything priced in a visible spot. Offer snacks and punch and coffee. You do the selling and just let your sister meet all her fans. Keep the mailing list and have a guest book. This is how I started. I still have two sales a year from my studio-one at Christmas, and one before Mother's Day.
TJR.

TJR - on your first sale - how did you develop your mailing and email lists?

Thanks

[TJR]

Red Rocks, on 28 July 2012 - 01:26 PM, said:

TJR, on 03 May 2012 - 05:19 PM, said:

You could have a sale in your home. Send out invitations by mail and Email about 3 weeks ahead of the sale. Have everything priced in a visible spot. Offer snacks and punch and coffee. You do the selling and just let your sister meet all her fans. Keep the mailing list and have a guest book. This is how I started. I still have two sales a year from my studio-one at Christmas, and one before Mother's Day.
TJR.

TJR - on your first sale - how did you develop your mailing and email lists?

Thanks

Initially I kept all the cheques until I could write down the addresses. I also have a guest book, and we have a raffle with 3 pottery door prizes. Customers buy tickets for a chance to win a work of art. Tickets sell for a dollar each or 3 for $2.50. Lots of people buy 3. We keep all the tickets and then mail/Email to our next sale.I was in a co-op of 26 artists in a shared studio, so we divided up the work. When I first started at 20, my two sisters helped me out.
TJR.

[Mark C.]

TRJ
Started back in the day as well as me.
I did what he did except I did all the local art fairs (all two of them) and took the names and address off checks and kept a add to mailing list binder-over the years my (two studio sales-x-mas and spring) mailing list grew to 1,000. I used to near the end send out a postcard 1st class which kept the list current as all returned mail came back so I could update list.I had it all on software and a printer near the end.
I did this mailing for 19 years before giving up studio sales and going to a few big shows instead. This was easier for me and still is. All this was 20 years ago and the two shows I replaced my studio sale with are my best shows now after the 20 years and no studio sale will come close to these two shows. I tried our local open studios weekend about 10 years ago with very poor results.
I do have all my stuff in local shops so the market is saturated for me locally. Now I'm not looking for any more business-Its a good place to be in.
Mark

[TJR]

Mark C., on 28 July 2012 - 05:36 PM, said:

TRJ
Started back in the day as well as me.
I did what he did except I did all the local art fairs (all two of them) and took the names and address off checks and kept a add to mailing list binder-over the years my (two studio sales-x-mas and spring) mailing list grew to 1,000. I used to near the end send out a postcard 1st class which kept the list current as all returned mail came back so I could update list.I had it all on software and a printer near the end.
I did this mailing for 19 years before giving up studio sales and going to a few big shows instead. This was easier for me and still is. All this was 20 years ago and the two shows I replaced my studio sale with are my best shows now after the 20 years and no studio sale will come close to these two shows. I tried our local open studios weekend about 10 years ago with very poor results.
I do have all my stuff in local shops so the market is saturated for me locally. Now I'm not looking for any more business-Its a good place to be in.
Mark

Mark;
I didn't mention about the mailings. I have always found that people appreciate a mailed card. I still do Emails where possible to save on postage. I just ran into a buddy of mine-Steve while walking the dog.We do a studio open house together with two other artists twice a year. My sons saturate our neighbourhood with postcards/flyers in peoples mailboxes. I still haven't made the jump to the big four day craft sales, as I am still teaching full time. Great for you that you have made a go of it all these years. The road not taken.
Tom[TJR]

[Frederik-W]

Take her pots to shops and let them sell it for you with some percentage profit.
Examples of types of shops: Shops that are near a tourist route, weekend drive route, Garden centers, Tea-garden etc will do best.
Good luck!