A Big Bowl

The only thing I have made so far this year is this large bowl. It has primitive life forms, a snake, a lizard and a turtle circling the rim. It is all hand built as usual, and in profile has a wobble in the rim. I intended to enter it in a show, and it came out of the kiln in time to enter it, but I hesitated. Although I was happy with it at first, the wobble and some of the glazing began to look amateurish to me. So it stayed at home.

I was invited to be the featured artist at the Brigantine Farmer's Market last month, and the bowl was much admired there, but came home with me. All the bowls were praised, and that felt good. Some were sold, but not enough to justify the time and expense of the trip to Brigantine. There were just not enough people passing the tent they had set up for me. I realize I need a bigger venue to sell my wares.

The home goods store here in Princeton called me. The owner, Kristen, wants to sell my bowls again. The problem is, she wants a wholesale price from me, and to double it for retail. I went to look at what they have in the store now, and the mass produced ceramics they have are quite expensive. Shouldn't my one-of-a-kind pieces be comparable at least? I gave Kristen a price that I could live with and now she says, she's not sure she can sell them for that price if she doubles her cost.

So I looked up the very big annual holiday show in the next town. It cost $100 to enter, but I get to sell for the retail price and make more money. What is better? Selling cheap to Kristen and letting them do the customer work, or selling them myself? It's a question I am wrestling with now.