retail shops????

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I loaded up my Display box yesterday and went to the local jeweler with the thought of maybe getting a couple of orders.
I opened up my"spiel" with,
"you sell pens don't you?" she replied,"yes"
I asked if I could see her corn cob pens,She said I don't believe I've ever seen a corn cob pen,but I have a feeling I am about to.
I pulled a pen out of my pocket that resembles snakeskin or fish-scales due to the attempt of dyeing it with magic marker.
(long story)It was a modified slimline/eurostyle.
This particular pen was one that I figured I would eventually dismantle and rebuild due to the way the coloring came out.
She ordered 2.
The next three she ordered were made out of 9 ply oak veneer plywood glue-up cut on a bias. The end-grains show off the light beautifully but like the corn cobs they like to blow out at the very end.
The total order consisted of 8 single pens and a pen/pencil set made of antler.
Here's the question, or observation on my part.
I mentally had a price of what the pens should go for and used that to formulate that a jeweler would work on a 100% mark up.
Realizing that she has the reputation, store front, and was willing to order the pens (payment on delivery) I surmised that was a fair deal.
How many of you sell through retail establishments?
One more thing, I live in a small town and the topic was broached if I would set up a "little stand" and under cut her price. I assured her that wouldn't happen.
Right now she is the sole outlet for my work in this area.
How do y'all handle situations like this and how many sell through retail shops?
One more thing I also made the pen boxes.I told her that I had since found a supplier of walnut boxes(her request) and that I could not make the boxes as inexpensively as I could buy them.
She countered with the idea that she liked the fact that I made the whole product and was willing to pay for the boxes at whatever rate I thought I should charge.
I told her that I would fill the orders with my boxes but we'd have to at least look into a purchased box from another source.
 

timdaleiden

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Mar 17, 2004
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Location
Wausau, WI, USA.
You have a lot of questions there.

100% mark up is typical of course. I have sold wholesale, and I don't like it much. I got between 15 to 30 bucks for slimlines that way, but had to include the gift box. I used cheap boxes. I got 30 for very artistic designs.

If you sell things retail, you may need a sales tax licence, you will have to deal with sometimes rude people, and there are other issues.

The best thing I have come up with is selling at a local art association gift shop. They use a 33% mark up, and the profit benefits the association.

This is a complicated issue.

Good luck to you; luck helps a lot.
 
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