Galleries & Stores

joshcarver · #1 01-03-2005, 11:46 AM

Hello fellow carvers, my name is Josh I have been carving for a few years now and I just now have joined this message board. Well anyway, let me get to the point, i have been selling my carvings to friends & family and at local arts & crafts shows for a while now. I want to take it a step further, can anybody refer me to some good stores or galleries that would buy/carry my carvings. I carve bears, sailors, & santas ranging anywhere from 4 inches to 12 inches in height. Any help would be awesome, thank you so much...

al.rudd · #2 01-03-2005, 11:56 AM

Hey Josh.

Welcome to the forum. You can take the bunk on the right, next to the fire place.

Can't help you with a place to sell your carvings but I'm sure someone here can. One suggestion. Do a web search for gift shops and galleries and send them emails. Who knows.

al.rudd

Mitchell · #3 01-03-2005, 12:02 PM

Josh,

First, welcome to the board!

I don't sell carvings so there will be better responses from others. I would like to say that it depends on where you are located. I have a friend that sells through many area shops. He has built up a number of outlets that are within 1-2 hours drive from his house. They are locally owned. He built this base up through personal visits and many of them.

If you live near a city, there may be a gallery that would be interested in your work. Be prepared - they ususally want pictures and a written description of you and your work. The more professional you present yourself, the more likely they will be to accept you as an artist.

Good luck!

Colin_Partridge · #4 01-03-2005, 12:14 PM

Josh.
Welcome also nice to have you on board. Maybe you could post some pictures of your work so we can see them. As for galleries it can be a hit and miss affair. I have tried several galleries but for the most part I dont find it worth while. Firstly they will probably want 50% commission and then you have to wait for your money. My experience has not been a good one, I prefer to sell by word of mouth if you get a good reputation you will have no problem selling your carvings. I have done the craft show thing again not worth my time they all want something for nothing.
Colin

Old_Gord · #5 01-03-2005, 12:55 PM

Hi Joshcarver, welcome to this forum...as for your question I don't sell any of my carvings, it's just my hobby, but I might suggest though if you provide in your profile the location of the area you reside in you are more likely to get more useful info about stores or galleries to sell your carvings..just a thought.

OG.

Kenny_S · #6 01-03-2005, 01:54 PM

Welcome Josh. I am selling at a Craft store but it is different as I pay for space each month and they call when inventory is down. Rough number is $1.00 a square foot.

Tried the consignment route and like Colin, not happy and still have not recieved money for several carving and these people were friends,Once.
Again. like Colin, word of mouth and it may take you a long time to get a base going but worth the wait.

I have done only a couple of commisons pieces but would rather not be tied down haveing to carve what someone else wants.

Sorry couldn't help out more.

BTW, great name, My son is a Josh also.

big_Wayne_P · #7 01-03-2005, 04:08 PM

I have nit tried selling in stores on comission

I have sold some just by word of mouth

I do not and will no go the E Bay route

I do mostly sticks and canes
I have sold some at yard sales
on in good locations on side of the road

Parking lots of ols abandoned gas stations or stores are good locations
as long as there is good traffic passing by

Been thinking of asking Wal mMart if I could set up in their parking lot ocassionally. Not sure if they charge for that or not.

Since i do mostly sticks, every time i go out somewhere I always have at least 1 of the sticks with me. I have people ask about them and then if they want to buy it, can outside in the parking lot and sell it to them.

Of course you cannot do this with regular carvings. Check around for good locations to set up a small display on the side of the road.
Continue to work the craft shows.

The last craft show i inquired about was sort of expensive for a place to set up a table though

jamesfa · #8 01-03-2005, 08:43 PM

Old_Gord you had a good suggestion about postig where one is from it would be easier to answer certain types of questions that are specific to a certain area.

no one has to worry you won't find me and my RV parked in your driveway unless i'm in your area and am invited.

joshcarver welcome i don't sell my carvings so can't help you with your question,what i do sell is wood turnings and some small wood type furniture and i do it by word of mouth,for me selling anything on consighment has never been a positive experience

Frank

joshcarver · #9 01-03-2005, 09:59 PM

Thanks all who have responded so far with your advice. I live in Northern Virginia.....Woodbridge, Virginia to be exact.

Nancy_G · #10 01-04-2005, 12:31 AM

My two cents................and then some
I live in rural Missouri and there is no market around here. Even if there were, I have no interest or desire to be hauling things around to craft/art shows. Most shoppers at those shows are looking for lower priced items and I'm not selling my stuff cheap.

eBay can be wonderful ..... ask owlhaus. I think it's slow at first (isn't everything?) but, once you establish a reputation and a feedback record, it's a great way to sell.

If you look you can find some gallerys and shops that buy outright instead of using the consignment plan. They are few and far between and very particular.

Consignment shops - almost always a 50/50 plan - always have a bad reputation and most probably deserve it. BUT there are some fine ones.
In your location - one of the largest tourist areas in the USA - there must be 100s of great shops and I guarantee you they are looking for good 'folk art' - hand made things.
And location isn't that much of a problem. I ship everything I carve to a gallery, FolkWorks, http://www.folkworks.com in Evanston, IL.
FolkWorks is a 50/50 consignment shop. I have no problem with that. If I carve a Santa and try to sell it here, I'd be lucky to get $50 for it. If I send it to the gallery they sell it for $1,800 and I get $900.

Reasons To Believe http://www.reasonstobelieve.com in Seattle is another consignment gallery that WORKS. There are others ... you just have to find them. Pete Engler has one in Branson, MO.

Finally (thank goodness, huh?) IMHO the best way to sell wood carvings is to develop your own web site, get it on search engines, keep it up-dated and deal well, very well, with the people who contact you.