Part 2 of my 3 Part Series ~ Consignment

Several weeks ago I began a series of blogs about galleries, consignments and craft showsand my advice and personal experience in each of these areas. In my 12 years as a working artist I have been subjected to some pretty miserable situations, and some super exciting and rewarding situations. Let's begin part 2 now, consignment.

Consignment

This is where things can get complicated. Opportunities present themselves in this category more often than galleries and I have found they are always hit or miss. I'd like to start by talking a little about the misses....

I have had my work abruptly returned to me in a large box via UPS without warning. Intact and all accounted for thankfully.

I have been told via email to come pick up my work that the shop was closing at the end of the week. At not one shop, but two. (Didn't I just respond to an ad you ran last week looking for artists? WTF?)

I have had shop owners rip my business info stickers off of the back of my work leaving the paper backings on my mirrors ripped. (If you don't want people to know where to find me directly you should have told me and I would not have put them on the pieces I dropped off.)

There have also been pieces returned to me damaged, gift shops that end up not having normal business hours but signs out front that say "Open by appointment or by chance" and shop owners that merchandised my art like a tag sale. Yes, I have learned the hard way when it comes to consignment.

Here is my advice when it comes to choosing & dealing with consignment opportunities:

• Think twice before consigning somewhere out of state or too far from your house or studio. It is nice to be able to hop in the car and take a ride to the places you are consigning at. You can keep an eye on what is selling, if the shop owner is dusting off your pieces and properly merchandising things, and you can also rotate your stock more frequently. It is also easier to build a working relationship with the owner, and get to know the target market for the area.
  

• While it is probably not a good idea to come out and ask a shop owner if they are still going to be in business in a month, you can look into how long they have been in business and their overall reputation in the community. Ask around. See what businesses are next to them or across the street. Is it a busy area? Is there a place for customers to park?

• As with any business agreement, it is imperative that you enter into some type of written contract that clearly states the terms and conditions. What commission does the shop get per sale? How long will they keep your pieces before they will return the items that do not sell? Will they even rotate stock, or if no pieces sell in X days, will the agreement be terminated? Is your work insured while in the shop? If damaged, do they pay you your would be earned percentage on it? How and when will you be paid? If you need to ship items to them will they split the cost or cover it? If there is anything you are unsure of, ask. Be sure to sign and date the contract and the shop owner should do the same. If it is in writing, you have all you need to dispute things that may arise.

• "Wow! They found me on Etsy and convo'd me to ask if I would like to consign at their shop!" Let me just say, be careful! While some opportunities may be totally legit, it is very easy to be taken for a ride. Think, think and think again ~ do you really feel comfortable packing up a bunch of your creations and shipping them off to most likely somewhere across the country *without receiving payment for them*. That is really what consignment is. You are providing a store with beautiful handmade merchandise to stock their walls and shelves and racks at no cost to them. (Yes, they are providing the venue, the exposure to potential customers and all of those things) But... you are making the decision to part with your work up front with no immediate compensation.
  

While I don't despise this method of selling, I am much more cautious when deciding who & where to do business. After several bad experiences and at one point having 5 consignment accounts at once, I am down to one. This one shop is a pleasure to do business with. It is much less stressful for me to deal with one successful and easy-going account than several dysfunctional ones.

It is always best to do your research before jumping into any opportunity. Hopefully I have provided you with a little bit of insight into things. Good luck!

Next in the series, craft shows.