consignment

[Daggrim]

I'm having a few things consigned to a booth at a big show, and they're taking a small fee per item. No problem. I'll even be in the booth some of the time. But...would they get a fee if I take orders for a later time? I plan to have order forms there, and they could fill them out there, or take them home. Also, I might put pictures on my website, and they could order later with Paypal. Is there a standard way to handle this?

Doug

[HorsehairBraider]

I don't think there's a standard way, but you should certainly have all these details worked out beforehand.

A gallery or store typically takes what's called "keystone" - that is, they take 50%. That helps them pay for the store, the electricity, advertising, their hired help and any other costs they may incur. However, every place is different - there is a local coop, for example, that only takes 30%. But all that needs to be worked out ahead of time so there are no hurt feelings along the way.

This is why I personally decided NOT to show in any galleries, many years ago. I tired of keeping track of all the paperwork, working out details etc. Nowadays, you can only get my work from ME. I have turned down many big-name galleries etc. because, as I tell them, I am simply too old and crabby to wholesale anymore.

ETA: This is not to say it can't work out wonderfully! It just does not seem worth it to *me*. You may have the PERFECT situation.

Edited July 28, 2009 by HorsehairBraider

[wildrose]

Here's my end:

I have two dear friends whose work is totally different than my own. Sometimes, when I do a show, I don't have enough of my own product. To "fill up the booth", I ask if they'd like to put up some of their things. This makes the space look better, and it's a better variety. What we do is this: if I sell their product, I get a cut of the price. If they are helping at the booth, and they sell their own piece, they keep the whole amount. After all, they're helping me by being there! This has worked great for us, and has never resulted in hard feelings.

In fact, one of them is coming all the way down from PA to VA this next weekend to help me with a huge event. She hasn't done a show in ages and has a bunch of stock sitting around. I told her to bring what she could and we'd set it out. I don't intend to charge her at all, since she and I are going to be at the booth the whole time and she's doing me a huge favor by helping out. But if she offers me something, I'm not going to turn it down, either. After all, I'm helping her too by getting her stuff out!

I did have a third friend who took a cut of my work at his booth, and that was fine with me - even when I was there. It was my first big event, years back, and I was pleased to be asked. Plus, the event took a cut of his sales too!

I think if you can work out a reasonable arrangement, all can benefit. I do think you should not be charged a fee for orders you take, or orders you later receive because of people seeing your work there. That is unrealistic.

My .02

[Daggrim]

Yeah, I think your word "unrealistic" is a good choice of words. That's a good word to hang my policy on, of not paying the folks a % of a custom order, if I take it while in their tent.

That being said, I appreciate so very much that they invited me in. There's a huge celebration this year in New Ulm , MN of Hermann's victory over the Roman Legions, in Germany, in the year 9 AD. This 2,000th year celebration doesn't happen just every day, and there are dignitaries coming from Germay, and Roman Legion reenactors from Italy coming. There's going to be a big mock battle near the 34' high bronze (copper?) statue of Hermann. He stands on a pedestal about 50" high, on a tall hill, so he can be seen from nearby farm communities.

Anyway, the point is, he wears a winged helmet, and since I already make leather helmets, it's an easy step to add some resin cast wings, and sell them as souvenirs at the event. I promoted my product to the Monument Committee, and they asked me to sell the helms in their own tent. Oh, yeah!

They're only taking a small fee for each sale, so I'm just sitting here wishing I was two people, so I could make more helmets!

Doug

[TwinOaks]

just being grumpy I suppose, but I have to add............

If they want a % of 'future sales' and custom orders, they should be obliged to pay you a % for orders you miss (for whatever reason).