im 31 years old and i build furniture in hoboken nj.ive been working under a great furnituremaker for 4 years and on my spare time creating some of my own work..some of my designs... some stuff just ripped off of pieces i cant afford so i made them with a touch of my own design in them.i recently meet with a person who owns a store in williamsburg about displaying my furniture in there store and what a let down.basically told me i was creating a piece that noone can afford and i felt like i was practically giving the thing away.and while in the store(which i had no prior knowledge the about other vendors)i checked out some of the other work and what a bunch of shit.the skill of furnituremaking has really diminshed.and the owner talked to me about making a $200 chair that would be more in there price range(i almost ran out the door).i left feeling like i probally should look into making a cool butcher block design or im wasting my time.but anyway maybe someone here is friends with ralph pucci and could but a word in for me lollollol.thanks if this makes any sense to anyone.
My heart goes out to you,...
My heart goes out to you, its incredibly difficult sometimes. I am having some success but only after a long time and a lot of struggle, I would advise you to carry on and stay true to yourself and your ideas, you're in the fortunate position of being able, potentially at least, to love your job. A rare thing these days.
There are cheaper materials and under-utilised techniques that can be exploited to make profit without compromising quality. My skills aren't a quarter of what I would like them to be, but when I meet someone who claims to be a cabinet maker and who slaps together chipboard fitted kitchens I have this urge to punch anything, anywhere somewhere in the face.
Absolute best wishes to you.
PS there are customers out there who won't balk at $800.00 for a dining chair, if its worth it. And they might not be who you expect or behave or look like what people imagine.
I would suggest building a...
I would suggest building a name for yourself. Buyers often want to feel reassured they're really getting what they're paying for...esp in this climate. Perhaps making a professional display describing yourself, your design principals and vision. It helps personalize relationships.
Venue is also important. Nakashima, Evans and Phillip Powell were fortunate to be located in New Hope, Pa...a renowned art enclave.
As you stated yourself..your pieces are derivative. Some of the difficulty may reside there
Yes indeed, take pictures of...
Yes indeed, take pictures of your furniture then join and upload them to photobucket (link below), once you've done that copy the 'direct link' code (it will start with http and end with .jpg) and paste it into 'associated web images' box.
Please resize the images, no larger than 800 x 600 px.
http://register.photobucket.com/
well i relized really...
well i relized really quick(after maybe 2 sentences)i was in the wrong store,but there website kinda looked legit.also found out that they have only been in business for 7 months and the people that were running it werent much older then me and probally really unexperienced at there job.but you live and learn like the other guy said in this thread a website(if i had the cash)alittle name branding etc would probally really help.
Hmm. I'm not sure if I can offer any useful advice.
The pieces are handsome, appear to be beautifully-made, but one could argue that they're derivative of other designs.
Perhaps you need to "find your own unique voice", to attain a following at a necessarily-higher price point. (I imagine that those who buy handcrafted furniture want to feel as if they're also acting as art patrons, to some degree?)
In any case, I'm impressed--
One Off, your post is like a breath of fresh air to this forum.
New and amazing work, that slat top coffee table is my favorite.
Yes, after reading your first entry, I would say you went to the wrong place. Keep knocking on doors. Your own site featuring your work and a little bio, that would be a great start.
There is a market that will gladly pay for handcrafted modern goods.
a breath of fresh air indeed,...
a breath of fresh air indeed, thankyou. I don't think you should concern yourself about the work being 'derivative' . It difficult to tell but the quality seems to be there, no need to strive for novelty just for the sake of it.
PLease stay on the forum, I'm sure you'd be most welcome.
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