Читать книгу Start & Run a Craft Business - William G. Hynes - Страница 10

It is possible to deal with some stores on a consignment basis. In this arrangement, the store does not actually purchase your work but agrees to put it on display and sell it for you. If you deal with a shop on this basis, you should get a higher proportion of the final selling price, between 60 percent and 70 percent, because the risk is yours, not theirs. If you deal on a consignment basis, you should have a written agreement with the shop (see the section on contracts in chapter 10).

You may be obliged to sell to shops on consignment at the beginning of your career. If your work is unknown, store owners may be unwilling to run the risk of outright purchase. However, as soon as your work becomes accepted in the marketplace, you should insist on a straight sale in dealing with most shops.

You may be obliged to sell to shops on consignment at the beginning of your career.

Consignment is an unwieldy arrangement at best, as you never know exactly how much work you have sold until the retailer sends you your payment at the end of the month. Also, the retailer has less incentive to promote your work if he or she is looking at keeping only 30 percent or 40 percent of the price rather than the customary 50 percent retail markup, and is facing no loss if the piece doesn’t sell.

Moreover, consignment involves considerably more paperwork than a straight sale. In addition to a written agreement with the consignee, you need to keep detailed records of how much of your stock is in the hands of the consignee at the end of each month.