Wholesale Matters

Learning Opportunities: Mark Your Calendar

The  2010  Summit  of  Awesome  

June  16-18,  2010      McMenamins  Kennedy  School,   Portland,  Oregon

Registration  is  open  now  for  the  second  Summit  of  Awesome,  a  three-day  series  of  workshops  plus  a  craft  sale,  organized  by  and  for  indie  artists  who  are  forming  and  expanding  their  arts businesses.  Organizers say: "Our  super  awesome  speaker  line-up  and  class  schedule  will  be  online  soon."  Seminar  topics  include  preparing  your  taxes, forming  LLC’s, sponsorship  for  craft fairs  and  developing  successful  product  lines . . . just  to  name  a  few.  The  first  Summit  was  held  last  year  in  Washington, D.C.  Now  through  April  20, a  three-day  early-bird  pass  to  the  summit  is  $150  (after  April  20, the  three-day  pass  will  go  up  to  its  regular  price  of  $180).

Business  Basics  for  Artists,  Sellers  and  Designers

April 17, 2010    10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen

Millersville University, Millersville, Pa.

Blogger  and  artist  Megan  Auman,  founder  of  Crafting  an  MBA, will  be  the  speaker. She  recently  has  produced  an  e-book: The Crafting an MBA Guide to Wholesale and Trade Shows.   Topics  will  include developing  your  products  and  brand,  pricing  your  work,  managing  your  finances,  copyright and  more.  Fee:  $40  non-members,  $36  guild  members.

 

The  Visiting  Artist  Program

Buyers  Market  of  American  Craft

Baltimore  Convention  Center,  Baltimore,  MD

Monday, August  23,  2010      8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

What  do  you  need  to  prepare  yourself  to  sell  your  products  wholesale  to  galleries,  museum  stores  and  retail  shops?  Start  with  some "insider  information."  The  Visiting  Artist  Program at the Buyers  Market  of  American Craft  wholesale tradeshow  takes  you  behind  the  scenes.  Meet  show organizers, veteran  makers  and  exhibitors  and  veteran  retailers.  Tour  the  tradeshow  floor.  Learn  basics  about  product  development,  marketing,  pricing  for  wholesale,  relationships  with  galleries,  and  more.  Bring  your  portfolio  and  products  for  critiques.  Sponsored  by  the  nonprofit  Arts  Business Institute.   Class  schedule,  faculty  and  fees  will  be  announced  in  late  April,  when  registration  opens  at  www.BuyersMarketofAmericanCraft.com.

42 Percent of Consumer Spending on Gifts in 2009 . . .

Dear  Grandma  and  Grandpa,  thank  you.  A  study  commissioned  by  Grandparents.com  details  the  spending  power  of  the  grandparent  economy  and  predicts  continued  strength.  The  average  grandparent  spent  $5000  on  games, toys  arts and crafts  in  2009,  it  says.  Grandparents  also  took  on  bigger  ticket  items,  filling  the  gaps  for  their  budget-pinched  adult  children  so  that  the  grandkids  would  not  go  without  nice  apparel,  trips, education  and   luxuries.  Have  you  marketed  successfully  to  the  important  grandparent economy?  What  has worked  for  you?

What's Your Favorite Made in America Product?

Don't  miss  this  opportunity  to  tell  MSNBC  about  the  fine  handmade  in  America  art products that  you  make,  sell  or  exhibit.  The  question  has  been  posed  as  part  of  MSNBC's  coverage  this week  about  the  confusion  of  rules  and  laws  governing  and defining  what is  made  in  America. 

You'll  find  the  stories  by  MSNBC  Senior  Producer  John  W.  Schoen  here,  and  the  comment  box  asking  for  your  opinion here.   Here  is  a  quick  excerpt  from  Schoen's  opening  article: 

"Today,  an  “American”  car  sold  in  Chicago  may  have  rolled  off  an  assembly  line  in  Tennessee  with  parts   made  in  a  dozen  different  countries.  Last  year, some  60  percent  of  the  value  of  goods  sold  in  the  U.S.  was  imported.  That's  up  from  14  percent  in  1980  and  8  percent  in  1960,  based  on  the  government's  gross  domestic  product  data. So  what  does  it  mean  to  be  Made  in America?"

 

Founding Director of Fuller Craft Museum to Retire

 

Gretchen  Keyworth  announced  the founding  of  the  Fuller  Craft  Museum  in  Brockton, Mass., in 2004. New  England  news  services  report  that she  plans  to  retire  as  director  and  chief  curator  on  March  26.  She  says  she  looks  forward  to  returning  to  the  pottery  studio  and   pursuing   consulting  opportunities.  She  will  remain  involved  with  the  museum  as  director  emeritus.  Read more here.

It's All in the Wrist

You noticed it, too?  At the Academy Awards, the celebs were baring their necks and shoulders but most of the great jewelry was on ears and the arms. The cuff is the thing. In lieu of a cuff, consider the stacked or layered look. If you're a retailer, it's a great fashion suggestion that helps sell multiples...If you're an art jeweler, think about the affordability factor: The pieces of a mix-and-match grouping can be collected by a younger consumer who isn't ready for a traditional or formal set that her grandmother might have called an "ensemble" or a "suite." In her Jewelry Business Guru blog, Cindy Edelstein offers the best roundup and commentary on "what they wore," so visit her to check out stars who influence fashion purchases ... and their red carpet gems.