Let's talk business for a minute...
I think as artists, we’ve all been there.
Someone asks us to
make 20 (or 200) of a thing… and the money is tempting.
At some point, I think most all
artists wade into the waters of making things in bulk or wholesale.
There are certain crafts that lend themselves to producing
in bulk, and are a natural “fit.”
Even jewelry sort of lends
itself to being made in larger lots… things like band rings where you can put a
different stone or design on each one. However, it doesn’t work for everyone.
There are several factors at play here. Being able to
purchase supplies in enough of a bulk so that you can bring the individual
costs down. Being able to then produce the items in enough of a quantity to be
able to offer them at half or less the cost that you would normally sell the
item for… and of course, the time and energy to make the same/ mostly the same
item over and over again. For some folks it is great. You get into a rhythm….
You knock out several at a time…. You become a sort of manufacturing “machine.”
It takes a very special personality to be able to do that, and to have it work
for them…. And kudos to those who do and can. But that is not me. And it’s not
for lack of trying. I’ve been there. I’ve done 100 pairs of earrings in a week
for a specific event.
I’ve made 50 rosary rings at a pop for gift giving, and I used to sell my envelopes at wholesale to a shop in Australia for several years. (which was cool).
It comes down to what you truly want to do. Do you have a
plan for your business? Are you looking to sell a specific “line” of items that
would lend themselves to more mass producing? Do you have several places that
you market your items that would each want a sampling or variety of your work? Are you
looking to sell your things in large quantities to shops and centers? Then this
is a great plan for you. And it’s a great way to get your work out there.
As a dirt-poor artist (and I am not saying this lightly)…
there is no way I could do this even if I was inclined. I just don’t have the
funds to start up a production of items like that. And I am not willing to
garner debt in order to start. It’s just my personal choice, there…. But one I
feel strongly about. My whole aesthetic, has been one of re-use, re-purpose, and
recycle. And that core belief is in everything I make, including my jewelry. I
use recycled materials when I can. I salvage old pieces and fix them, or use
them in new ways into new pieces. I buy metal, but I try to source recycled
materials there as well. A couple years ago I made a decision to only use my
handmade materials as much as possible. That means that most of my findings…
are ones I’ve made. Yes, I am using up things I currently have (and yes, I have
quite the stash)… but it’s the intention here that is important to me. I would
much rather make pieces with great care, attention to detail, and have there be
only one of them…. Than to mass produce them. I think there is a percentage of
the population that would prefer to wear unique one-of-a-kind pieces, than
something that perhaps 50 or 5000 other people might have.
There has been a movement sweeping the world for the past
decade or so, to go back to simpler times. To embrace the handcrafted.
To
respect the artistry that it takes for someone to develop the skills and the
wherewithal to create something from scratch.
Conversely, there is a strong movement to make things en
mass. To wholesale. To become (albeit on a smaller scale) a manufacturer of quality goods.
And either is fine. Either is correct. It’s just a matter of what works better
for you. There is no “right” way to run
your business. There is no set and firm answer that will work for everyone.
Choose for yourself. That is the beauty of it all.
