Howdy

[Ky_Whittler]

I have been lurking around quite a while now and enjoying this board a great deal. Although I have been carving a few years I still rate myself as a beginner.I'm in my forty's with a family and own a small farm. I carve mainly found wood or sticks I harvest myself. There are all types of driftwood available to me including cottonwood bark, which I am beginning to love dearly

A couple of questions for those of you who have gone professional. How did you go about getting your name out there in the market place?

And is 30 % a common rate for commisioned sales?

Thanks, Whittler

[Nancy-G]

Hi Whittler ... Welcome to the WCI board - glad you've joined us.
Getting your name 'out there' is a slow process and can't happen overnight unless you win a big contest like one of the Woodcraft ones or something similar.
A 30% commission rate is VERY good and VERY uncommon. The usual rate is 50%. 60/40 is unusual. No matter the rate, you'll always be better off if you find places that buy out-right instead of taking your work on a commission basis.

[Hugh]

Hi Whittler, when first starting to sell a few carvings, a man quite famous for his art work told me , that he sold his paintings for what ever he could get, traded them for food, feed for his animals, just got his work out there what ever way he could. He carried his paintings with him, showed them to people. He became very successful. If your work is good enough it will sell.
My own opinion of selling through craft stores on commission , is, dont bother. Nancy has the right idea, find stores that will buy your work.
I traded a nice little Green Wing Teal, for feed for my animals one summer. I took the feed up in small lots over the summer. Now when ever I go in that Feed Store, the man always says to his customers, you should see this mans carvings, and I get a chance to show my work. To me its a little embarrasing, but I get to show and sell my carvings, and to get people to know my name.
Hope this helps.

[Colin-Partridge]

I couldnt agree more the commission thing is a a pain in the you know what. They have your carvings and you dont get a chance to sell them yourself. Not only that when they do sell your carvings they dont call and tell you and when you go in and inventory they have a thousand excuses why they cant pay you. I have $500 owed to me for almost a year now and still havent got my money. I agree with Nancy have them buy it dont do the consignment thing I will never do it again. As for getting a name for yourself that doesnt come over night reputation is everything and quality of work as well. I always tell my customers if they are not satified then neither am I. I have never had an unsatisfied customer. Good luck and welcome and feel free to ask as many questions as you want someone will give you the right answer.
Colin

[Nancy-G]

I think I need to clarify something :P . I've been selling 100% of what I carve through the same 50/50 consignment gallery for 12-13 years now and it's just fine.
Consignment galleries do have a terrible reputation and most deserve it but there are some GREAT ones out there. You just have to be careful choosing. (Of course, I didn't choose, I just made a lucky stumble - lol).

You'll always be 'safer' with a buy-up-front-gallery but those are few and far between. Or you can join the sell it yourself circuit of craft/art shows.
I hope I made myself a bit more clear.

Ky_Whittler,
Howdy back at ya.
Where do you find the time to carve if you own a farm?
Seems like raising a family off a farm would be a full-time job.

I suppose that selling on commission is much like farming, (you may wait all summer to get paid)

[Ky_Whittler]

Well, I would have to say with living on a farm you learn patience. You take what you can when you can I often carve while at work during breaks. I also carve at night while in front of the Tv. The winter is basicaly just feeding livestock and checking fences. That's when I collect my sticks. I even take advantage of some famr jobs such as fencing to collect. I cut suitable sticks and hang them in the nearest large tree to cure in the shade and wind. A fishing trip to the river is an oportunity to collect bark while I work at loading the freezer.

So far I haven't had a problem with getting paid. Finding a Gallery with any traffic has been one of the problems. I don't often travel beyond my home town so I don't know where all the shops are in the region. Or how they operate for that matter. Whittler

Hey Ky_Whittler

Welcome to the post, I am new to this as well, lots of good people and lots of great info. What part of Ky are you from if I may ask? I am from the Louisville area and have been trying to find carving clubs around here.

Whiskers

[macktruck]

Hi Kywhittler,
I've tried the consignment shop route. I don't care for it. 50/50 is what I've done but foot traffic and payment can be iffy.
Flea markets they always want talk you down on the price, craft fairs are good.
mack truck

[Ky_Whittler]

Hi Whiskers, I am way down at the other end of the state about forty minutes south of Paducah Ky. I'm not having much luck at finding other carvers either.I know of a total of four besides myself. Two I've only seen their work in galleries and met the others at a craft show at the LBL. Not a carving group around here. The only group I know of in the state is in Madisonville. Whittler