Re: What do you do with your turned pieces?
Mike Stafford
This is a reprint of an editorial I did in More Woodturning.
On virtually every wood turning forum, eventually someone will ask how everyone else either sells or otherwise disposes of their excess wood turnings. It can be far easier to turn pieces of wood into useful and decorative objects than it is to get rid of those same turnings. Every wood turner has this problem sooner or later. I equate this problem to the problem a gardener has in getting rid of his excess zucchini.
Wood turnings are like zucchini. Most years we grow more zucchini than we care to eat. So we start giving the excess away to neighbors. Initially the neighbors are glad to receive the fresh vegetables. After a few trips up and down the street our neighbors start drawing their curtains, hiding and pretending not to be at home. They will not answer the door when they see us with the vegetable basket marching down the street. They don’t even want to receive any of my wife’s delicious zucchini bread.
Same thing happens when you try to give away your wood turnings. After a few years folks do not want any more bowls, boxes, etc. It is almost like you have to move to a new neighborhood to get rid of more turned stuff. I used to pass them out at the neighborhood Christmas party. Initially people were excited to receive a small candy bowl, a box for paper clips, some candle stands or an ornamental bird house. Now we don't get invited to that event.
We live in an established neighborhood. It has been a while since anyone new moved in. But it is always nice when someone new moves onto the street. Firstly this event provide opportunities for housewarming gifts. I can unload, I mean, give the newcomers a box full of turnings and if they have children you can’t believe how much stuff I can give them. And secondly, for the next few years I can add to their collection. Then like the rest of the neighbors they will draw the curtains and pretend not be at home. Sometimes they will not even acknowledge you when you see them at the grocery store where they are buying their own zucchini for fear that in accepting free zucchini they might be obligating themselves to more turnings.
Relatives can be a reliable venue through which you can give turnings. But even relatives have their limits. I gave many turnings to the family at Christmas and for birthdays. One year it was decided to have a big family reunion. I took a large box of turnings to the family reunion and made an announcement that anyone who wanted a turning could have whatever was in the box. At the end of the day, I had almost as many as I started with. I got the message….and the turnings went home with me.
My wife is good about collecting some of my turnings as her favorites. She displays them in a number of places around the house. I did a count and currently there are 47 pieces on display. She has a closet devoted to her collection which she rotates in and out of the displays. I don’t know how many turnings are in there but as she adds new favorite pieces to the collection she sometimes takes older pieces out and puts them in the giveaway boxes. Even she has her limit.
It is so quick and easy to turn dozens of pens and everyone needs a pen, right? Even pens can be difficult to get rid of after you’ve been turning them for a while. When I was selling lots of pens I had access to two colleges and sold many expensive pens to faculty members. But that market became saturated and my sales dried up. Nowadays, no one uses a pen and I haven’t turned any styluses (or is it styli?).
I usually give pieces to guests when they come to visit. Now no one wants to visit. Even the Jehovah Witnesses stopped coming when I handed them a turning in exchange for the religious tracts they were passing out. That was a great exchange because it was easy for me to dispose of a religious tract.
It has been years since I have seen any door-to-door encyclopedia or magazine salesmen, but if any drop by I have something for them. I never see the woman who delivers our paper because she does it in the very early morning. I suspect she is aware that contact with me might result in woodturning gifts.
I would love to exchange a few turnings for a check from the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol. I don’t see that happening any time soon. I don’t enter that contest.
I don’t have the heart to try and unload turnings on the Girl Scouts as their arms are usually full of boxes of delicious cookies. They will not barter for turnings either. I know, I have tried.
The Boy Scouts used to hang a big bag on the front door knob for their food drive. I started throwing in a couple of turnings along with the cans of peas and corn and dry pasta. I guess the hungry aren’t as hungry as they used to be as I don’t see those bags any more.
And whatever you do don’t drop any turnings in a child’s Halloween pumpkin. Almost certainly the police will pay you visit and want to know why you are giving kids wood instead of candy.
I always give a turning to my mailman for Christmas because he is kind enough to deliver my mailed wood purchases directly to my shop. But I fear that eventually he will want to move to a different route to avoid being given any more dust collectors, er, wood turnings. The UPS and FedEx folks deliver packages to the front stoop, ring the door bell and run back to their trucks before I can give them something.
I used to sell in two galleries but I don't want to get into that rut again. Both galleries are at the beach and cater to tourists. The best part about tourists is that they represent a shifting population that changes somewhat each summer so you have a completely new market for your work. As long as the stuff you offer is small and easily packed with the dirty laundry in their suitcase they seem to be interested. Larger items that have to be shipped don’t seem to sell as readily. But I feel bad when items don’t sell and the gallery owners have to dust them (not that bad really). At this point I am unable to produce enough work and deal with getting it to the galleries to make it worthwhile for any of us. I still believe this to be a good outlet but I just can't deal with it anymore.
I have an ETSY store where I sell turnings tailored to needlewomen such as ort (waste) bowls, needle cases, laying tools, etc. I even manage to sell a few boxes, bowls and birdhouses on this site. This has been very successful because of my wife's connections and standing within the needlewoman community. But even that seems to be reaching its saturation point. I don't know how much longer I will be able to sell in that venue. Besides, another vendor on the site copied my designs and sells them cheaper.
I send pieces to my online woodturning friends as Christmas gifts. So far I have not had any pieces returned. I did have some close calls this past Christmas when the mailman delivered some packages that were the same boxes in which I sent my gifts. Before opening one of those packages I wrote to the person whose return address was on the box and told him that I did not accept returns of gifted items or offer cash refunds and that he was going to have to keep what I sent him. He informed me that he was re-using the box to send some of his excess turnings. I sent him one piece of work and he sent me two so that was a net gain of one to my turning inventory. The same thing happened with a couple of other turners this year so even the long distance gifting ploy has failed. I may have to move so they can’t send me any more turnings. I cannot afford to double the number of wood turnings in my home. But at least I have some nice wood turned art to add to our collection.
While I was sick and being treated I gave all of my doctors, radiology technicians, nurses, receptionists and therapists pens, boxes, bowls, birdhouse ornaments etc. etc. I was able to get rid of a lot of stuff although I cannot recommend that particular avenue of distribution to anyone. I've noticed that they no longer want to see me as frequently as they did. At least two of my doctors left town. I hope it was because they are seeking better opportunities and are not just trying to avoid seeing me. I guess it could be because I am getting better but I suspect it might have something to do with all the turnings I passed out. I am not eager to acquire a new disease to open up additional medical practices where I might distribute my turnings.
One of my woodturning friends came to visit me while I was in the hospital and brought several boxes and bags full of wood turning blanks and a number of wood turnings. So I gained in the number of turnings I have and wasn’t even going to the shop. He was kind to visit...If he ever gets sick I will repay the favor.
I donate a couple of pieces each year to the local art center fundraiser. So far they haven't rejected any of my donations but they will not share their member list with me so I can gift those people with turnings and perhaps find a few new patrons.
These are my experiences with trying to get rid of my turning production. You will note that I did not say "production turning". I have never been a production turner. Because of my experiences with getting rid of what I do turn, I have trouble relating to those production turners who turn and sell thousands of items each year. I have never come close to turning that much stuff in one year. Even with my limited production, I have accumulated so much stuff that we no longer have closet space in which to store it. I am not going to build another wing on the house. The U-Store-It places are too expensive.
In the winter my shop stands idle as I don’t turn during cold weather but as soon as it warms up I head out to the shop and turn something else. Perhaps some Mormon youth wanting to raise money for a mission trip by washing windows will come by and I can gift them with a few turnings. I really need my windows washed. If they do show up it would even be better if they come during zucchini season.
And we have a new sunroom-the painters finished this morning.