So, I was looking over the sales of my artsy-types of woodturnings from 2006 the other night and discovered something interesting.  Sure, my sales of those types of things were better than any other previous year.  Nothing earth-shattering, mind you.  That's not what was interesting (but yet still satisfying!).  It was the fact that this was the first year when sales over the internet was higher than those from galleries.

Let me clarify this ... the number of items sold over the internet were a little lower but the profits from those sales where much higher.  No having to drive to the galleries (you have to drive quite a distance to reach any reasonable gallery for these types of artsy pieces) or shipping charges to the farther away galleries.  No commissions (70% ?!?  I don't think so, Dian!) or having to go to those blasted "evening with the artists" events for fear of losing your slot on the pedestal.  Just (almost) pure profit and you have a much closer relationship with the buyer too.

Oh, sure, there's absolutely a place for the gallery.  Large pieces, like my furniture or very very special turnings (due to pricing and clientel) really must be done at such places.  But the vast majority of these artsy turnings are selling just fine otherwise.  I sort of thought that this was the way it was going during the summer but didn't have the hard figures to prove it to myself.  Still, I pulled out of a few galleries and "gift galleries"  (we all know they are more GIFT than GALLERY!) that I knew weren't providing the sales this past year.  It's not necessarily the owners' fault either.  It's just the way things are going for these types of items.

Is anyone else seeing the same thing from their gallery experiences?

A part of the New American Bodging involves demonstrating what I do.  To help me become better at it, I like to study other demonstrators to try and pick up ideas of what to (and not to) do.  Not just what they are saying but how they are saying it and their demeanor in presenting their craft.  I think that this is easily as important as the actual skills and knowledge I acquire in making my chairs, treen, and other Bodger-craft.  And just as difficult, as it turns out.

I was recently watching a demonstration and learned some things that I must always strive to (not) do in my own demos.  What happened was this ... The demonstrator, a spring pole lathe turner, who had obviously been giving this same rehearsed speech for far too long, went about his presentation when asked a question about what he was doing.  His explaination held very little interest in it for himself.  There was no joy; little emotion at all, in fact.  It was as though it was just a reading instead of a way to inform and entertain.  I really hope that I don't get to that point in my own demonstrations.  I hope that I can keep the craft fresh for myself so that I can pass that same enthusiasm on to others.

Part of this speech went into a little history of the Bodgers in England and how much they were paid for each piece of furniture produced.  A woman piped-up with a question of how much a Shilling was worth.  A simple question, or so I thought.  I had no idea what the answer was though.  Neither did the demonstrator.  But, he didn't say that he didn't know.  He launched into a very VERY long (the organized crowd of about a dozen standing around started leaving when it became clear that an actual answer wasn't coming in the near future) and rambling course on how the Shilling wasn't worth the amount now that it was back in the 1800's and how a days' wages for the youth of today is far different than when he was young, etc. etc. .......   Basically, he had no idea what the answer to the ladies' question was.  He was searching, mentally, for something in his prepared speech that might fit the question.  Nor did he know what the lady was actually asking ... that is: Were the bodgers getting very much for each of their chair legs?  Were they better off doing this than something else that wasn't quite so labor intensive?  What would a comparable amount in our currency (USA) be to the Shilling?

So, what did I learn?  If I don't have enthusiasm for what I'm doing and can't pass that on to those I'm demonstrating for, then don't do it.  It's time to move on at that point.  You're doing yourself no good by continuing and, worse yet, you're passing on that same dull, passionless, boring feeling to people that might be actually inspired to try their hand at the craft or at least appreciate it and the craftsperson.  I also learned to answer peoples' questions.  Not only the specific question they ask but also what they may actually be asking.  You don't have to try to fit part of your canned rehearsed speech to the question.  You CAN say "I don't know".  It's allowed.  But you better find the answer so you're ready next time.

So, for the lady that asked the question ... if she should ever stumble upon this page someday, a Shilling is 1/20th of a Pound.  If a Pound is about the same as a US Dollar (it's not, right now it's about 2 Pounds = 1 Dollar) then a Shilling is about equal to 5 cents.  5 cents back in the 1800's wasn't a lot of money but it wasn't nearly as worthless as it is today.  5 cents for a chair leg wasn't a whole lot for the time and skill it took to make it.  But, when you consider that a good bodger could kick out a bunch of those each day, it's not a bad amount.  Certainly a living wage at the time; in the place; and considering the job.