Hello everyone. I always enjoy reading the discussions here, but
have never posted. Does anyone have suggestions on what is the best
way to get into galleries. Although I’ve been making jewelry since
the early eighties I’ve only become serious about selling over the
past decade. I’ve taken business classes which were helpful, but not
artist focused. I am also a fine artist,which is what I went to
school for…and they do not have any business classes. I know the
procedure to get into a gallery with my paintings and my sculpture,
but I don’t know about the jewelry. I’ve done some advertising and I
am working on upping the quality of shows that I participate in…but
I would really like to spend my money in the most strategic
fashion…I’m open to suggestions… Manifest Light!
Bianca Dorsey
amajewelry.com
Hi Bianca,
One of the best ways to get into galleries to sell jewellery is to
make direct contact with the buyer (Usually the owner). Make an
appointment to see them. Before you go make sure your work is well
presented. Take a small brief case. I have found that putting work
in display boxes is counter productive. Put your work is plastic
bags. Use grip seal bags. make sure that the work is in perfect
condition, no marks, no scratches, no polishing dirt. Also you will
need a wholesale price list; your price to the shop. It would also be
a good idea to know what the shops’ mark up will be so that you know
what the final retail price will be. This can vary from 20% to 150%.
Work out your own wholesale price so that your work will sell for
realistic price in the shop. It’s no good having wholesale prices
that make the retail price too high. Don’t undersell your work
either. If you undervalue your work, so will the gallery.
Be prepared for questions about delivery times, quantity discounts.
Have some very good photos done, so that you can leave them with the
retailer. This will help them to remember you if you have to phone
the again for another appointment.
Always be charming without being aggressive. Listen to what the
retailer has to say, they may not buy your work straight away, but
they may well give you ideas and suggestions which will help you to
make a better product. Retailers have a lot of experience of what
sell. Their advice can be extremely helpful.
I hope that helps
Good luck
Richard
Hi Bianca,
I have had a quick look at your website and notice that you talk a
lot the spiritual value of semi precious stone “Ruby encourages one to
follow their bliss…Ruby-Zoisite amplifies all the psychic abilities
and the entire energy field of the body. Silver is a mirror to the
Soul” Please, please don’t talk to gallery owners about the spiritual
qualities of stones, some may believe it this, but many don’t. Those
that don’t may well show you the door! Tank about the aesthetic and
merchantable qualities of your jewellery!
Good luck
Richard
I always enjoy reading the discussions here, but have never posted.
Does anyone have suggestions on what is the best way to get into
galleries?
One first step is to visit local galleries to see what best fits
your work. Do this while wearing your work and looking the part. Ask
for a card of the person doing the buying. This should engage you in
a conversation and you may get some insight as to the possibility of
showing there. You can take some samples of your work or a catalog,
but don’t assume you will be able to show them then. Dropping in
with work is a no-no in a lot of galleries. Make an appointment to
meet with the owner/buyer. You may be asked to consign, which is a
pita, but might work to get you started.
Other way is to gather a list of galleries you want to be in, mail
or email samples of your work with pricing, better yet a catalog.
Follow up a couple weeks later with a phone call.
Buyers Market of American Craft (BMAC, Rosen show) has a Visiting
Artists Program that many have found invaluable.
artsbusinessinstitute.org Many of us take orders from galleries
around the country at wholesale craft shows such as BMAC, ACC, ACRE.
It costs in the neighborhood of $6k to do a wholesale show, which is
why I recommend the Visiting Artists Program to get started.
The Rosen Group sponsors the American Craft Forum which has a lot of
established artists answering your questions. americancraftforum.com
You need to register which is easy.
I have found wholesalecrafts.com equivalent to doing a wholesale show
for a lot less cost and great results. It’s an online wholesale show
24/7. Contact Terrie at or 888.427.2381 ext. 109 and
tell her Nancy Goodenough sent you. Terrie can also tell you about
the Emerging Artists Program for the ACRE show in Las Vegas.
acrelasvegas.com
Enough to get you started?
Nancy Goodenough
artbusinessinstitute.org is listed as a dangerous site for
installing “malware” on the machines of people visiting. I use
Foxfire as my browser and when I went to see what they offered, a
warning came up telling me about the processes that had been
installed without consent on visitors machines. These sins were also
looked into by Google.
Visit at your own risk. A pity - I wanted to see what they were
about.
Justine
Hi,
One of the best ways to get into galleries to sell jewellery is to
make direct contact with the buyer (Usually the owner).
Thank you Richard for your answer to Bianca, and thanks Bianca for
asking it, so very helpful!
So I am going to now ask a question.
I am very new at this, but I am now ready (I think) to start to try
and get my jewelry into stores/galleries. I live in New York City and
I don’t know how to find locally the kinds of shops/galleries that
carry craft jewelry. I don’t even know what category they would be
listed under in the yellow pages. Ideas and thoughts would be most
appreciated.
Thanks,
Rhonda
I live in New York City and I don't know how to find locally the
kinds of shops/galleries that carry craft jewelry.
Well the first thing you do is use your search engine on the web and
type in all the key words like crafts, jewelry, galleries, etc. with
NYC associated with it. But what I don’t understand is why, if you
live in NYC, you aren’t just walking the streets there. There is a
craft gallery every five blocks and if you head into Soho or Nolita
there’s one every half block. Walk up 5th Avenue and you’ll run into
some, especially if you walk up and down the cross streets within a
few blocks of 5th. Greenwich Village still has a bunch. The upper
East Side has a bunch. For goodness sakes, it’s New York City!
They’re everywhere!
Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
I don't know how to find locally the kinds of shops/galleries that
carry craft jewelry.
This may not yield local results, but one way to find potentially
suitable galleries is to look at the web sites of artists whose work
you think is comparable to your own and see where they are selling.
Most web sites will have a list of shows and galleries.
Noel
artbusinessinstitute.org is listed as a dangerous site for
installing "malware" on the machines of people visiting.
It may not be the company’s fault. There is a nasty piece of malware
out there that essentially hijacks web sites and uses them to send
unsuspecting visitors to sites that load their systems with malware.
One particular attack (SQL injection) has infected something like
100,000 otherwise innocent web sites.
RC
artbusinessinstitute.org is listed as a dangerous site for
installing "malware" on the machines of people visiting.
I took a risk to see what would come up, and the URL is
www.artsbusinessinstitute.org, an s on art makes a difference. I did
not see an issue with the site. Visit at your own risk!
As the site seems to be about helping artists, has anyone worked
with them?
RichardHart
Hi Rhonda,
I live in New York City and I don't know how to find locally the
kinds of shops/galleries that carry craft jewelry.
The American Craft Council’s library is in your backyard:
http://www.craftcouncil.org. I know they used to have lists of
crafts galleries available and I presume they still do.
Beth
As the site seems to be about helping artists, has anyone worked
with them?
Yes, I attended the Crafts Business Institute in the early 90s. It
was great!
Elaine
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com
I wrote them a letter…on most sites I do that. I have software
that stops it in its tracks, so it costs me nothing to inform them.
Kim P
Kim Paluch
I took a risk to see what would come up, and the URL is
www.artsbusinessinstitute.org, an s on art makes a difference. I
did not see an issue with the site. Visit at your own risk!
I did just visit the site. My anti-virus software informed me that
the site tried to install a trojan horse (virus program) on my
computer. The anti-virus program deleted the file. Be sure you have
an up-to-date anti-virus before visiting. And if you don’t have said
up-to-date and have visited, run the scan program at
www.trendmicro.com.
Barbara
Thanks for your suggestions everyone. I will consider all of it. I
did walk the streets of SoHo and the village a few years ago and
found most shops were designer owned. The Upper East Side does not
seem to have any real interest unless the pieces are gold and
diamonds.The few boutiques/galleries I’ve had work in in NY didn’t
really sell anything, because the clientele was too conservative to
purchase jewelry my size…even if they liked it. I seem to need to
find galleries in the Southwest. Everyone seems tto be more
comfortable with big silver jewelry there. I get such a different
reaction when I’m in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona in the summer… I
do always ask for the buyer’s ccontact and try to find
out if they’re looking for new artists and I would never walk in
expecting to show actual pieces. I do one of a kind work so I was
kind of hoping the website would replace getting a catalog printed. I
don’t talk to gallery owners aboutt the metaphysical properties of
the stones, but I do provide that on my website as I am
often asked about it. Thank You Nancy Goodenough for all of your
helpful suggestions and the referral. I will check it out.I was
interested in the Visiting Artists program for next year. I will look
into the Las Vegas one. Thank You everyone for your insightful
suggestions!
Bianca Dorsey
www.amajewelry.com