Can you sell in both markets?

Re: Can you sell in both markets?

Raymond Overman

>I am pursuing this avenue of branding my product for a certain market but I'm not doing it directly. I'm basically wholesaling some pieces to a guy who is developing a brand. My product isn't going to be the only pieces he sells and he's basically going to put his logo on my pieces.

I don't mind this because the market he is going after doesn't really cross the market I'm advertising to and in the end, I get the revenue without his marketing costs.

If his demand out paces my production, I can go up on my pricing to him and he can go up on his pricing to his customer. I just hope that happens quickly. I want a new lathe by next year this time.

Raymond Overman

http://www.overmanshop.com

Re: Can you sell in both markets?

Russ

>The easier way is to separate the two markets by product, quality, fit, and finish. There can always be some cross-over of products from the other market on display; but their differences must always be obvious, and always avoid the extremes. Otherwise, you will have the same problem as Bill describes for the shirt.

Avoid the signature trap because nobody will fall for it. When you reach that point where your name adds a value to the product, your work will also be recognized as being yours, with or without a signature. There are enough folks who will visit both venues to see what you are doing, and your reputation will suffer for it. When your name adds value, you will have to drop the low-end market. There is no other choice.

Re: Can you sell in both markets?

Ron in Drums PA

>I think there may be, but will involve having a different person representing you at craft fairs while you can represent yourself in galleries. Just as Bill mentioned, the shirt with a designer's name IS SELLING at a HIGHER PRICE while Walmart is selling the same shirt at a lower price. The fact is THEY ARE BOTH SELLING.

Yes there will be a crossover of people from each market and here is where marketing comes into play. At Walmart you need a perceived low price. In a gallery, to quote a clich�, you need to "sell the sizzle, not the steak". When it is perceived that a "Work Of Art" will increase in value over time because of the signature, there are those who will be thrilled to open their wallets.

And yes, product quality can be different when selling in two areas, sometimes they need to be, but not always. This is a viable route that many industries take and should be taken advantage of. What many industries do is first sell in a higher market, what doesn't sell or is left over is either renamed or discounted in different market at a lower price. These companies look to make a profit after combining sales from both marketing strategies.

Turners can do the same, create with galleries in mind, what doesn't sell can be resigned and marked down and sold at craft fairs.

BTW Samuel Clemens did this with his stories, and even when one of his names started to sell well, he still used different pseudonyms for different types of writing.

As in the shirt example, different names/signatures do work.

Re: Can you sell in both markets?

Raymond Overman

>Interesting points but in my case, I'm not interested in the craft fair circuit. My marketing consist of word of mouth, web presence, consignment, and one local craft fair a year.

The secondary market that I'm looking at will be to wholesale my items to another person. They will brand them and sell them to their market which is in a different geographical location and a different demographic. In my case, I'm the manufacturer, he's the brand. I'm selling him widgets (which happen to be pens in this case) and it's increasing my bottom line. He's not selling widgets per se, but the brand. Hence higher pricing.

Hey, it looks good on paper and I'm not losing anything for him buying pens. Now if he'll just order 1000 between now and Christmas.

Raymond Overman

http://www.overmanshop.com

Re: Can you sell in both markets?

walta100

>When I took a class from Ray Key, several times he mentioned a line of utilitarian line of kitchenware, cutting boards, etc. Sold in department stores near his home in England, I got the feeling that they are unsigned. He also said that the there is little market for turned wood art in Europe.