Which one sells the best?

[Vowle]

I’d like to get your opinion, which are the best sellers – textured or full fused bowls, plates etc.?

 

[katkramer]

I haven’t sold anything yet…but I find when I’m looking at other people’s work, the matte texture seems to be "higher quality."  I would probably pay more for a piece that has a matte finish…

I did a strip bowl at Helios, and when it was full fused and shiny, it was pretty.  But it was sandblasted and slumped, and now has a matte finish…it looks much better.

I think with the popularity of fused glass, I think taking that extra step makes your work stand out a little from the crowd.  Just my two cent’s worth…

[Vowle]

Thanks for your input,  that’s an interesting comment.  I agree with you taking the extra step is always worthwhilethough I hadn’t thought of a matte finish, I must try it.

[rgilbert]

I sell a mixture of bowls and plates– the plates sell better for me, but that might be a function of the area in which one lives. Maybe I should say they are more like shallow bowls? I try to have a variety of pieces available– different sizes and colors– that tempt the eyes and offer something to each pocketbook.

I’ve found that the more finishing I do with the piece– making sure round things are round, putting a sandblasted design on the lip, putting a design within the glass, etc.– the more interest I get and the more sales.

[Becki]

 Are you talking about smooth full fuse vs tack fused elements texture or shiny vs matte?  I haven’t found that one sells better than the others.  I’ve done smooth, shiny, matte and with tacked elements…color and design seems to be what sells the piece.

 

Becki

 

[rgilbert]

The items I generally do are at full fuse, although I did a plate with leaves that circle the rim and are tack fused. A customer wanted it and while I was a bit hesitant at first, I liked the effect and have done it a few times to good results. I also use frits and enamels and the like or put designs in the field of the plate– mostly geometric.  I’ve done some frit painting on the field– I think “Peggy Karr” does the same thing– and I’ve liked the effect. I haven’t sold any of those yet– I’m in the process of refining the technique so that I get more consistent results– but I imagine they would do well.

I agree that color and finish are probably the two most deciding factors in whether someone buys or doesn’t. I saw a $600 plate at a gift shop that had what I would consider a rather lurid color scheme. I didn’t care who signed the thing, I really didn’t much like it. I have made plates from slumped  stained glass and have had people oooh and aaah over them as if they were some sort of designer original.

I think the key is to make something that you would like to own or to make something that you could give to your fussy Aunt Mabel– who inspects it as if it were a diamond.

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