My first jewelry store was located in a small regional mall. The mall did an annual fashion show and that year I was bent on making a splash. I hired a ballet troup be my models. My jewelry on a dozen beautiful dancers. Got my splash on the front page of the paper. But the thing I hadn't counted on happened. The dancers became customers! each one of them! Seems I had accidently found out something about selling to other creative diciplines. They got involved. It became their jewelry show, and of course their jewelry store. Perhaps this story is part of the answer you're seeking. For what's worth, Brad

Your functional artwork is beautiful Janet! And I'm sure each individual piece will look great in the buyers home. The thing is that, as show pieces, they need to be set on top of pedestals and highlighted with spot lighting. Make them look majestic!

The alternative is to place other furniture and decorative accents around your pieces. Let people "use" the furniture during the show. Something like a wine tasting party. Maybe go in with your local wine store? And then make sure you have some obvious red tags to indicate that each piece is for sale.

Just thinking out loud...

I like the design and execution of the tables. It's not very often I see table 'legs' I like. These are way cool.

One thing I notice from the picture is that the surroundings are too sparse for my taste. I'd want to have some plant and flower arrangements around to show how the tables might look at a potential buyer's house, and to help the tables standout from the walls. Those tables have a modern design, so some simple orchid displays or, maybe a fern might be useful. Maybe try some different color rugs to set off the table, because the wood floor doesn't really accent the table that well. Maybe a 'rug' of diamond plate?

funky work i love it its space age iam a smith from totnes in england cherio spence

Hi Janet

Nice tables. I've not seen their like before.

If its not too nosey, can I ask how much you are selling them for? Are they in your own gallery or are you using someone elses space?

I have no idea about the market in New York, but I found it pretty difficult in Michigan when I tried there a few years back. Lots of interest, but no takers until I slashed prices to 1/3 of what I could get for the same works at home. It really wasnt worth the effort.

As far as selling here, I sell most of my work directly rather than dealing with galleries (I only use 1 or 2 galleries and then only for work that hasnt moved for a while). I find that customers like to meet the artist and the galleries take most of the profit.

Selling at art markets and from my own worshop has been the easiest and most profitable. I think the key is to be present in the same place reguarly and to have a constantly changing display. After a while, people will seek you out.

good luck

Peter

YIKES Janet!

Those are very high construction costs. You really need to be selling items for at least double your costs (including paying yourself a wage). I find that there are a huge number of hidden time costs in this type of work, including head scratching, driving about looking for steel, talking to customers, planning etc and it all needs to be paid for by the art.

Your prices for the tables seem to be very good. You just need to get the material costs down. Sometimes (but not always) it is better to modify your design to suit what you have on hand rather than buying new stuff.

I'm wondering what equipment you have and what access you have to scrap metals. A plasma cutter would handle all of those shapes and most of the tubing should be available from scrap steel merchants. A MIG will weld steel, stainless and aluminium.

I dont know where you get your glass from, but I generally get mine from glass artist friends who can source cheap glass and cut it for me at a reasonable price.

Hmmm...I suspect I'm just telling you stuff you already know....If so, I apologise.

Good luck

Peter