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The state of the biz - 9/1/2007 8:09:46 AM

dawnt

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Its tough out there folks! What strategies are you employing to compete?

The glass business is certainly not unique in being hard hit by China, but it has definitely been particularly hard hit, along with other labor intensive fine craft. The stained glass lamp business in the US is virtually non-existent, with the exception of repairs. In the span of 5 years, nearly every lamp maker in this country has been put out of business. Cheap Home Depot lighting has taken a product that was once considered to be truly a luxury item and reduced it to trinket trash. Of course the product itself is not trash. It takes hours of painstaking skilled labor and is intrinsically beautiful. But perception is everything. Where once, the customer was willing to pay for that beauty, now they perceive it to be "cheap stuff" and can't understand why a lamp made by an aritsan, taking many hours and hundreds of dollars in materials, should cost any more than the one at Wal-Mart.

Panels are suffering the same plight. As are garden items, chimes, fused vessels, jewelry.....the list goes on. When I first saw Dianne's garden stakes and Andrea's wind chimes on eBay, I had never seen anything like them. And they were fetching good prices for their work. But in the last several years, I've seen similar, albeit inferior, products in the aisles at Hobby Lobby. It is a known fact that the Chinese manufacturers' marketing teams scour the internet to see what labor intensive craft is popular and fetching good prices. Then they copy it and sell it to US marketers for pennies. Their turnaround time is staggering to me. How quickly we have to adapt!

The smaller items suffer less, as time and materials make them more affordable to the consumer, and thankfully, some consumers are still willing to spend on artisan made craft.

Add to that the massive influx of "hobbyist" competition in online sales; those who truly don't care if they make a profit, or are even paid at all for their work, but are simply subsidizing their hobby material expenses, and the full time artisan is in a real bind.

Are we being phased out? Is there a place for us any more?

I believe there can be, but it calls for hard work and hard choices.

One choice is commission work. I don't know of any artist that would rather realize someone else's vision rather than do whatever moves them, but for me, it is a necessity. To get good consistent commissions, you have to develop a whole different set of skills. Patience. Making the client feel special and involved. Educating the consumer. Easy for some, tough for others.

Another tough choice; maximizing the efficiency of your operation. "Elite" materials v. affordable materials. Home studio v. outside studio. Difficult and unique products v. fast, easy and saleable products. More expensive marketing v. legwork and simply "getting your stuff out there". This requires experimentation and is in constant flux.

Above all, I've found that I have to be adaptable. The moment you've come up with a fast, inexpensive and unique item, someone will copy it and offer it for less. You have to constantly be changing and stretching.

What are your thoughts? How are you adapting? What are your strategies to compete?

Food for thought for the long weekend!

Peace,
Dawn

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/1/2007 11:45:15 AM

gillie

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What a meaty topic, Dawn! While I know that some areas (Pittsburgh, Seattle, Venice, Waterford) that have a fine-art glass tradition still respect the good stuff, I definitely agree that the influx of cheap goods from China has definitely hurt lampmakers in particular. Anyone can buy a Tiffany-style lamp at home depot for 30 bucks these days, and it really does cheapen the perception of the genre as a whole since rarity in addition to craftsmanship was what made these types of lamps so valuable and sought after.

May I repost this article in our blog and direct traffic here for further discussion?

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/1/2007 3:24:13 PM

dawnt

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Sure!

I think it is something that anyone serious about being a full time artist, be it in the traditional craft genres or fine art, should be aware of and thinking about. I really would like to hear a lot of opinions on the subject.

Dawn

< Message edited by dawnt -- 9/1/2007 3:26:17 PM >

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/1/2007 3:28:18 PM

glistenglass

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Very well said, Dawn. You've hit the nail on the head. The eBay market for stained glass, including the detailed, large art chimes I used to make, has been thoroughly trashed.

< Message edited by glistenglass -- 9/1/2007 3:31:11 PM >

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/2/2007 11:47:49 PM

groovyglass

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Wow Dawn,
You just put in to words what I've been watch happen now for about 5 years. It started when I had a difficult time purchasing colors of nuggets I had been buying for years, taking for granted the fact that they would always be around. Then when I talked to one glass store owner in Boston, she said the yellow nuggets she ordered came in and they were olive green almost a putrid mustard green color. And they sent those calling them yellow? And then everything else went downhill. Then the reds started to go for environmental reasons.

When we moved to Phoenix from New Jersey, I had no idea I wouldn't be able to get my hands on half the glass I previously was able to get on a regular basis back on the east coast. They are saying it's because it's too expensive to have shipped. Ok, I'll buy that to an extent only because they are a small store anyway and don't have room to carry everything. But even Lincoln Glass, a major warehouse distributor doesn't carry all the brand name glass.

I've asked glass store owners what's going on. They just shrug their shoulders and say they have no idea. But then when I went back to Michigan a month ago and called my previous glass store there they only had limited colors of certain glass too. I asked them, "what's going on?" They said, bottom line, "people can't make a living doing stained glass anymore." That's pretty sad. They did say though that they have increased their fused glass line because people are fusing more and more and the jewelry fusing line has increased too. People here in this area also are catering to the fusing industry more and more because just because a glass is labeled fusing compatible, it can still be used in the traditional stained glass method. But it's a very expensive option for someone that doesn't want to fuse with it.

As far as what am I doing about it, well, I figured when you've got lemons, make lemonade. I've noticed that the mosaic art is picking up it's pace right now. I try to follow the trends as much as possible. So since I've got so much glass, I figured I might as well try some mosaics. I did just make one that I haven't grouted yet and it's gotten good feedback from people on some mosaic forums I belong to. I've got a big wedding commission I'm working on now so will pursue the mosaics some more in a few more months. I've also tried to encorporate my other media in to my glass art like my paintings and collage art. Right now I'm putting prints of my original paintings between glass and selling them as pendants.

If you'll notice, I haven't been selling on ebay for awhile. I have some things on Etsy which is starting to pick up for me. I figure for only $.20 to list, I won't be losing if it doesn't sell. I've seen a decline in ebay and unless you can be consistent and list every day, things get lost in the catagories. It's hard to pick up new buyers these days.

Dawn, you pretty much covered everything about the cheap knockoffs that there is to say about it. Like you, I'm just trying to keep it as original as possible and keep plugging away. There isn't much more we can do than that.

Dianne

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/5/2007 7:34:59 AM

gillie

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This did indeed appear in our blog and we've gotten our first comment:

http://community.livejournal.com/ebsq/65245.html

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 10:50:43 AM

AnnieM

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I'm glad you brought this up, Dawn. Although I'm not a glass artist (except on occasion), it seems that all artists across the board are facing the same dilemma, cheap stuff coming in and (worse yet) cheap COPIES of their own stuff being sold. I don't have a lot of solutions, but all I can offer is what EBSQ is already doing - somehow to promote the importance of buying from real live American artists. I try to put that slogan wherever I can when I can. Otherwise we'll go the way of the carrier pigeon....

But I think this dilemma deserves a more in-depth look somewhere. Perhaps it's own (temporary, we hope) category on the Forums here, so we can get ideas from other artists and see what they think about solving it.

Annie

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 11:05:52 AM

gillie

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quote:

ORIGINAL: AnnieM

I don't have a lot of solutions, but all I can offer is what EBSQ is already doing - somehow to promote the importance of buying from real live American artists. I try to put that slogan wherever I can when I can. Otherwise we'll go the way of the carrier pigeon....

I agree with this almost completely with the exception of the American artists part. Our membership spans the globe, and I want our Canadian artists, our European and Australian artists, and our small handfuls of others sprinkled elsewhere, to do just as well selling their work. America isn't the only country being hard hit by the glut of cheap knockoffs coming out of China. EBSQ supports ALL living artists who are selling their own original work to the public, regardless of zipcode.

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 12:31:13 PM

dawnt

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I agree, Annie and Aime. I think this is an extremely important issue, and certainly not confined to the U.S. One thing I've tried to do is encourage support of LOCAL and REGIONAL artists. If enough PR pressure were put on corporate entities to do this, it could help tremendously. If it were perceived as PR money well spent, architectural firms and design firms would be encouraged to work with local artists and artisans, rather than slapping up some generic print or mass produced window.

Think of restaurant chains. All are heavily "decorated" with mainly junk. Even McDonalds will hang prints that somehow relate to the locality. Why not hang art by local artists and artisans? Why not have the Chili's filled with interesting items, hand-made, locally?

The problem is, it needs to be much bigger than the artist. The populace in general needs to have an appreciation of real artists and real art. They need to not see spoiled flakes, unwilling to do real "work" for a living when they envision and artist or artisan. What we contribute to our local cultures needs to be seen as valuable. If it isn't....well, then, we will go the way of the carrier pigeon and buggy whip makers, and rightly so, I guess.

As with every non-essential good or service out there, global competition makes it tough. We don't live in isolated villages anymore, where the good singer and the good drawer, and good poet, and the good athlete all have their special niche and are valued and accepted. And that's fair, I guess. It is frustrating, but a fact of life now. What drives me nuts is the competition of mass produced non-original work.

This not only puts artists out of business, it dilutes culture. What the hell will there be to look back on as representations of our time, if all that is out there is Kincaide prints and Monet reproduction oils? What will define the culture of "Midwest, early 21st century", if the Grant Wood counterparts for our time are either put out of business all together or forced to produce cheap and unoriginal work in order to squeak by?

Not much for answers....but certainly more questions. I'm glad that there is more discussion happening here. I think it is SO important!

Dawn

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 2:27:09 PM

GreenBiscuit

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Dawn (& Amie & Moo),

What a perfect, heartfelt essay. This needs to be posted elsewehere on the board, on LJ, and revised slightly for the Zine, in my opinion. Why not indeed? Isn't that the summation, really, of "Support Living Artists"?

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 2:30:10 PM

gillie

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quote:

ORIGINAL: GreenBiscuit

Dawn (& Amie & Moo),

What a perfect, heartfelt essay. This needs to be posted elsewehere on the board, on LJ, and revised slightly for the Zine, in my opinion. Why not indeed? Isn't that the summation, really, of "Support Living Artists"?

This was blogged back on 9/5 (see link above) because we totally agree!

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 5:06:15 PM

AnnieM

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Ooops, yes. Considering that I just bought some art from a Mexican art coop, yup, I didn't mean to leave out the rest of our beloved planet

Annie

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 5:17:17 PM

AnnieM

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quote:

Think of restaurant chains. All are heavily "decorated" with mainly junk. Even McDonalds will hang prints that somehow relate to the locality. Why not hang art by local artists and artisans? Why not have the Chili's filled with interesting items, hand-made, locally?

Hi Dawn:
I think this is an EXCELLENT point. I think a lot of business owners just aren't aware of the fact that buying real art would support a real artist; it's something they don't think about in their busy lives. It sounds like a simple idea, but then all great ideas start out simply. More of "they just don't know it yet" rather than a deliberate attempt to exclude a working artist. However, that being said, I guess the question would be "how do we get the word around?" Any ideas out there?

Annie

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 5:43:17 PM

dianam

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quote:

The populace in general needs to have an appreciation of real artists and real art. They need to not see spoiled flakes, unwilling to do real "work" for a living when they envision and artist or artisan. What we contribute to our local cultures needs to be seen as valuable. If it isn't....well, then, we will go the way of the carrier pigeon and buggy whip makers, and rightly so, I guess.

This is the crux of the situation. Everywhere I've worked people have treated me like I'm different, spoiled, eccentric (well, maybe), and they seem to put me on some pedestal, like they're "just a secretary" and I'm "an artist" that gets special treatment. I've experienced this over and over in my life. But there is another side to that coin of being admired and it's envy I think. So what happens is people got desktop computers and suddenly everyone was their own graphic artist, turning out their own business cards and stuff.

Suddenly, in the 80s, you couldn't get anyone to bring their business to print shops because they thought they could do it themselves. Of course it's not as good but they don't care or they don't know or both.

Well, I think that art has become a commodity rather than a profession, a craft. I said this before in a post. Art is about the individual who makes it. It is not a box of cereal. well, it could be if you are a contemporary artist

But you know what I mean. Once fine art and fine crafts became product oriented, commodities, rather than an expression of teh individual, there was a wholesale change in the public's mind about what art was. Did Madison Avenue do this or Ikea? It doesn't matter. The point is, it's been reduced to the level of buying art at the dollar store. No one seems to care who made anything any more or for what reason.

I think it's the death of the artist as individual. And the rise of "art" as Pop Tarts you can buy on the grocery shelf. Would you like the strawberry one or the chocolate? No thought at all beyond that.

We used to call it, in the 70s...Sofa art. Art purchased to match your sofa. It's totally gone that way except in some hip comunities. Don't have a clue what to do about it.

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 5:59:08 PM

dianam

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Wait, why is the U.S. allowing all this cheap crap in here to compete with our products anyway? remember the American automobile? Remember dressmakers? My aunt had a dressmaking shop! She made hand-made dresses for women, fitted and tailored.

It seems like China and the (Un)fair trade agreements we've made in the past have left us with cheap sweatshop crap, and food unfit for animals or humans. Miscolored glass is bad but the least of our worries, poisons in our food are very scary. When is the govt going to wake up and see we're putting ourselves out of business and threatening the economy we've established over hundreds of years of development?

eventually we americans will be left sitting on our thumbs or twiddling them, with nothing left to do but "buy" and no income left to buy it with

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 7:08:00 PM

dawnt

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I moved this to General, since it is getting nice input, and I'd like more. All mediums are affected and all ideas and solutions can help all of us.....

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 7:29:02 PM

dianam

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thanks

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 7:50:52 PM

glistenglass

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It's not the government, it's corporate America, starting with Walmart, always after the bottom line. Now, we can look at them with disdain, but in this world they *have* to look at the bottom line in order to survive. We have created our own monster. How many of us will seek out the made in America label? How many of us look for the cheapest toy? The cheapest lettuce? The cheapest blouse, paint, canvas, brushes? So how can we fault them? We all do it for survival. Do I like it? No. But it is the world economy today and it is not going to change.

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 8:26:30 PM

bluekelli

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Thanks for this thread Dawn... But.. my question is this... well, actually this has made me think much about myself... Then am I a hypocrite since I am trying to make a living painting - and I feel the frustration about what art has been reduced too... but I still am a consumer looking for a good deal, whether it be at Walmart or Costco, or whatever... (actually I hate walmart)... but.. am I supporting the decline?

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RE: The state of the biz - 9/13/2007 10:28:48 PM

dianam

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quote:

It's not the government

Yeah, I know all about Walmart but who lets them do it? There is the trade deficit wherein we import far more than we export.(currently $509,454,400,973.77 at this moment and counting up every second according to http://www.americaneconomicalert.org/ticker_home.asp). The trade deficit is calculated on an annual basis, so the number above was $0.00 on January 1st, 2007. More info from the aforementioned site says:

quote:

The number looks like a lot of money, but what does it mean for me?
Thousands of U.S. layoffs occur every week. You only have to look at AmericanEconomicAlert.org's news section to see the number of US jobs that are being cut across a wide range of industries. A high percentage of these layoffs are as a direct result of competition from foreign companies. Eventually, as more and more money leaves the U.S., our businesses will be powerless to prevent further such activity.

When we talk about losing jobs to cheap labor, that also includes us—Artists!

The govt controls the trade deficit, right? And why is this happening? read http://cafr1.com/Deficit.html

So I'm wondering if we had never introduced so many cheap goods into our markets if we wouldn't just be used to paying more for better quality. we'd be buying less i guess. Only so many dollars to go around. But then, if we weren't competing so much with foreign goods and labor, we'd have jobs at automakers still and steel and everything else, maybe wages would be higher because we needed to make those things cause we're not gettin em somewhere else on the cheap. That's my point.

And to Kelli, we have so much competition from the outside here that wages get lowered so we have to go find cheap stuff! It's a circle of pain! So no, you're no hypocrite, your a victim...of the current hijack of capitalism!

Someone, somewhere has good ideas on how to fix this but, ahem, they are not in power and probably would never want to be (too smart to get into politics).

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