& how to repond if asked…

A while ago, I received a couple of messages in close proximity asking me when I will be having a 'sale' or if I ever offer discount for first time buyers. I shared how I responded on Instagram and got such an overwhelming response I thought I’d share it with you on my blog too….

The message went something like this:

‘Hi Kara,
I love your work but I can’t justify spending £35 on a mug. Will you offer a discount for a first time buyer?’

and here’s another (received around the time of Black Friday):

‘Hello, when will you be having a sale, with Christmas coming up I want to buy some gifts?’

This was my response....

‘Hello….
Thank you so much for your message and kind words about my work. All of my ceramics are handmade by me, it is a very labour intensive process - there are no short cuts.
Unfortunately, that means I can not offer sales or discounts like bigger brands can. Each piece of my work has been made with love and care and will last a lot longer than mass produced pottery (offered at cheaper prices) and it's much better for the environment than factory manufactured items.
I am forever grateful for all the sales and support I receive - it means I can continue to do what I love.
Kara x’

There seems to be an expectation to negotiate with artists and craftspeople on the price of their work. Maybe this comes from sales being associated with market stall sellers keen to shift their wares offering a cheeky discount. There is an imbalance of power. The buyer appears to have the upper-hand, the artist seemingly desperate to survive and therefore grateful for every sale even if it comes at a loss. This is true to some extent, the buyer does hold power but, I believe - so does the maker. The maker has produced an object, painting or drawing that is covetable, unique, birthed from a concept, forged into being by hours of work, skill and - dare I say it for risk of sounding syrupy - ‘love’ of their craft - not to mention years of trial and error to get to the point of crafting something they feel is beautiful enough to show the world. You can’t get this thing anywhere else - I’d say that was pretty powerful.

The reason why high street and online big brands can ‘afford’ to discount for new customers and have regular seasonal sales is because they have bought in the products en-masse, which allows them to buy cheaply, mark them up to include a huge buffer in order to offer reductions at a later date - ‘sale margins’ have been in their pricing strategy all along. They want to move stock quickly so they can buy more and therefore sell more to you!

Hand made crafts and ceramics do not have this luxury, nor would we really want it. Our work is made slowly with care. If priced correctly it’s priced honestly, more often than not without the fat of sale discounts included. It would be lovely to be able to move stock quickly but this is often not our reality or main motivation. Far from it, we want our work to be found by someone who will covet it, love it, tresure it, and keep it for forever! Potter’s especially loose so much work in the making process that much of what margins we have are often extremely tight. Makers have to produce a heck of a lot of work just to stay afloat (but not nearly as much as manufacturers) and so to offer discounts off our perfectly good work is almost impossible.

The relationship between buyer and seller is just that. A relationship. All relationships should be equal. A mutually nourishing exchange. The artist is providing a beautiful thing which deserves every last penny they ask for it (often more).

If you are a buyer (let’s face it we are all buyers) and you’re reading this, please don’t be offended if a maker cannot offer you a discount, even better don’t ask for one. Asking for a discount undermines their work, their value and often their self esteem - something which artists battle with every single day.

If you really can’t afford their work but would love to own a piece of it, wait until they are holding seconds sales. Most artists, especially potters - hold seconds sales at some point, often the work is only slightly less than perfect. These are a great way to get a bargain.

If you are a maker and you are reading this remember, as an artist/maker/craftsperson it’s not our job to be ‘affordable for everyone’. It’s our job to produce excellent work. It’s important to stand our ground when it comes to pricing our work. It’s so easy to be pressured into competing with mass produce and it’s tempting to agree to a discount, if you’ve had a slow month just to make that sale but in my experience this often leads to a feeling of emptiness. Mild bleak futility - which all artists feel from time to time - creeps in and settles. This can really start to bear upon one’s self worth.

Hold your nerve - you’ve got this.

Feel free to copy my wording in reply if anyone ever asks you to discount your work.

If you enjoy my blog, found it helpful or inspiring - take a moment to consider supporting me via my Pottery Club. My Pottery Club is a place where I share even more insights into my pottery world - monthly real time video pottery tutorials, lessons and learnings from my 15 Years of potting, PLUS limited edition work and seconds sales and in return you will be supporting my work - I’d love to see you there!

K x

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