- Joined
- Apr 28, 2004
- Messages
- 117
- Likes
- 1
- Location
- Southwest Missouri
- Website
- www.hiltonhandcraft.com
I've been demonstrating woodturning at a regional fair (Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, MO) for the past week or so and ran across a lady yesterday that asked me a question and thought it was interesting.
She asked .... "How should I take care of a bowl to keep it from cracking?" After talking with her a bit to try to get to the root of the question, I found that she had turned down buying an "art bowl" a few weeks back from someone and somewhere else because she was afraid it would crack on her. She wanted to know if just rubbing oil on it every once in awhile would keep that from happening.
She had enough insight that she was aware that it was still wood and it had the potential for problems. I thought it quite interesting and a bit disheartening that a sale to some woodturner went bad simply because of that concern with this particular customer. How many other potential customers have we lost because of this? How do you combat this .... or can you if you're not standing there next to your pieces to explain these things? How would you have explained it to her? Are we, collectively, suffering sales because of this perception ... which may be quite valid given some of the poor pieces being sold out there? There's only so much information that you can put on a sticker, tag, or even placard next to your pieces in a gallery or shop!
I tried to get as much information from her about that particular piece as I could and surmised that it was a heavily lacquered and buffed art or display (rather than a utilitarian or salad type of bowl) piece. I explained many aspects of cracking wood; the differences between art/show pieces and utilitarian ones; and how to protect these wooden turned items and she finally said that she hoped that next year when she was at that place with the bowl again, that it was still there so she could finally buy it .... and a few more of his work. She really liked it but, especially for the price of it, she was originally concerned about it cracking later. She now has some knowledge about what to look for and some ways to help protect her purchase.
I hate to think that a customer standing in front of one of my pieces somewhere was thinking the same thing and not buying it just for the same reason.
She asked .... "How should I take care of a bowl to keep it from cracking?" After talking with her a bit to try to get to the root of the question, I found that she had turned down buying an "art bowl" a few weeks back from someone and somewhere else because she was afraid it would crack on her. She wanted to know if just rubbing oil on it every once in awhile would keep that from happening.
She had enough insight that she was aware that it was still wood and it had the potential for problems. I thought it quite interesting and a bit disheartening that a sale to some woodturner went bad simply because of that concern with this particular customer. How many other potential customers have we lost because of this? How do you combat this .... or can you if you're not standing there next to your pieces to explain these things? How would you have explained it to her? Are we, collectively, suffering sales because of this perception ... which may be quite valid given some of the poor pieces being sold out there? There's only so much information that you can put on a sticker, tag, or even placard next to your pieces in a gallery or shop!
I tried to get as much information from her about that particular piece as I could and surmised that it was a heavily lacquered and buffed art or display (rather than a utilitarian or salad type of bowl) piece. I explained many aspects of cracking wood; the differences between art/show pieces and utilitarian ones; and how to protect these wooden turned items and she finally said that she hoped that next year when she was at that place with the bowl again, that it was still there so she could finally buy it .... and a few more of his work. She really liked it but, especially for the price of it, she was originally concerned about it cracking later. She now has some knowledge about what to look for and some ways to help protect her purchase.
I hate to think that a customer standing in front of one of my pieces somewhere was thinking the same thing and not buying it just for the same reason.