Thread: Some Have Difficulty Understanding

That is a very nice piece, the contrast between the 2 timbers and the rim piece and lid are very good and I like it .

This is something that I believe would sell readily.

Great looking cookie jar

Some time ago a lady friend was admiring one of my bowls and was interested in having...gratis of course.
We spoke for awhile about how long it took me to make etc. Casually I asked if she would pay $50 for something like this, answer 'no way'

It was just a pretty trinket of no real value to her and of course very little appreciation on her part of the as to work and design etc.

Perception is truth

William ..... Perhaps the reason for low volumes of sales or low prices being obtained is just a general swing in changing styles.

As a woodworker I can clearly see the skill, the time and the effort that has gone into your examples shown ..... Would I purchase one? Unfortunately not.

The items shown have a degree of function but they are decorative items for display. The changing styles of decoration have seen a swing away from ornamentation to more of a clean line. Gone are the decorative plates, the masses of photo frames, the general clutter. Kitchens are now clean bench tops with non essential items hidden out of view.

From what I have seen at markets once stable items such as the turned paper towel holder are only being purchased by the older generation, as they do not really have a place in the modern kitchen or home.

This is obviously not the case for everybody but I think it is the slowly emerging trend and we will unfortunately continue to see a slide in the interest of woodwork items, despite the fact that we all enjoy making them.

It is similar to those lace doilies .... If I went to my grandmothers house they would be everywhere, under lamps, under photo frames, everywhere. I think you would struggle to find one in most homes now.

I might be completely wrong however for my lifestyle I can appreciate much of the work being produced in the woodwork community, but cannot see a place for it in my home. For me I think the key is new approaches to woodworking, new forms, new materials. It's easier said than done but to engage with a new audience, and to open up the market, we need a refreshed woodworking language.

Don't get too stressed, I have similar issues with the things I make and have very few pieces around the house.

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

William ..... Perhaps the reason for low volumes of sales or low prices being obtained is just a general swing in changing styles.

As a woodworker I can clearly see the skill, the time and the effort that has gone into your examples shown ..... Would I purchase one? Unfortunately not.

The items shown have a degree of function but they are decorative items for display. The changing styles of decoration have seen a swing away from ornamentation to more of a clean line. Gone are the decorative plates, the masses of photo frames, the general clutter. Kitchens are now clean bench tops with non essential items hidden out of view.

From what I have seen at markets once stable items such as the turned paper towel holder are only being purchased by the older generation, as they do not really have a place in the modern kitchen or home.

This is obviously not the case for everybody but I think it is the slowly emerging trend and we will unfortunately continue to see a slide in the interest of woodwork items, despite the fact that we all enjoy making them.

It is similar to those lace doilies .... If I went to my grandmothers house they would be everywhere, under lamps, under photo frames, everywhere. I think you would struggle to find one in most homes now.

I might be completely wrong however for my lifestyle I can appreciate much of the work being produced in the woodwork community, but cannot see a place for it in my home. For me I think the key is new approaches to woodworking, new forms, new materials. It's easier said than done but to engage with a new audience, and to open up the market, we need a refreshed woodworking language.

Don't get too stressed, I have similar issues with the things I make and have very few pieces around the house.

You have some good points there.

Don't get too stressed, I have similar issues with the things I make and have very few pieces around the house.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Not stressed at all. My lungs are thanking me for not being a slave to my shop and just go out there whenever I feel like it.

You are right about trends changing. I used to sell a LOT of scroll sawed fretwork items . Now it must be a trend from days gone by because I can hardly give a piece of it away anyore and therefore only make a piece if seriously requested.

To save some typing I am posting a message that I posted on the same topic in my own Woodworking Friends site. .
It seems that nowadays for so many people there is too much month at the end of the money.

I was real lucky back about ten to fifteen years ago . There was a large restaurant just outside of town that had a big room off to one side with arts and crafts. I had a big floor to ceiling display in there of smaller fretwork clocks and stuff . The walls of the main restaurant always had a least a dozen of my large wall hanging clocks . Back then I made literally hundreds of fretwork clocks by stack sawing 1/4" red oak . They only wanted 10% commission . Back then our dollar was around 80 cents against the US dollar so we had a lot of touists south of the border come north on holidays and they bought most of my stuff. Today we are lucky to see a USA vehicle in these parts half a dozen times a year.
That hay day is long gone. The restaurant is not even there anymore but I was actually making enough back then to pay for most of the power tools that I still have. I wore out one DeWalt scroll saw doing it but still made enough to replace it with an industrial quality saw which I still have.

The way the economy is nowadays with all the gloom and doom on the news every day about all the countries that are on the verge of bankruptcy , as well as the fact that every time we turn around every day prices of almost everything we need is forever going up, it is little wonder that the average person out there is getting tight with their money. There is no way I can make enough on my hobby anymore that would pay for all those tools the way it used to but it does cover enough expenses when considering all aspects of overhead to at least break even most of the time but not allowing anything at all for my actual time. I just do it for the love of doing it.
China and some of the other overseas countries are the rich ones now because North America and a few other countries have sold out to them at the manufacturing level and they are glutting the market with cheap knock offs of what used to be high quality items.

This has been an interesting topic and puts light on the fact that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. <!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

W





From what I have seen at markets once stable items such as the turned paper towel holder are only being purchased by the older generation, as they do not really have a place in the modern kitchen or home.

This is obviously not the case for everybody but I think it is the slowly emerging trend and we will unfortunately continue to see a slide in the interest of woodwork items, despite the fact that we all enjoy making them.

It is similar to those lace doilies .... If I went to my grandmothers house they would be everywhere, under lamps, under photo frames, everywhere. I think you would struggle to find one in most homes now.

I might be completely wrong however for my lifestyle I can appreciate much of the work being produced in the woodwork community, but cannot see a place for it in my home. For me I think the key is new approaches to woodworking, new forms, new materials. It's easier said than done but to engage with a new audience, and to open up the market, we need a refreshed woodworking language.

Don't get too stressed, I have similar issues with the things I make and have very few pieces around the house.

There are doilies. Just in different forms.





And I have also read that because houses are moving to a more pared down modern look, Natural materials are coming to the for as a contrast. But the wood work is of a different style. It is NOT SHINY. If it uses old fashioned forms and styling it plays with scale or detail, or pushes things to the extreme!




I'm sorry, but most wood workers need to read design magazines occasionally and get out and look in shops and galleries, and even look at things that aren't wood, so that their style can evolve and develop. and not remain in the 70's craft market era!

The segmented cookie jar has some beautiful detail and skill, but it doesn't keep up with the times in its finish and design.

Originally Posted by tea lady

I'm sorry, but most wood workers need to read design magazines occasionally and get out and look in shops and galleries,

......... and even look at things that aren't wood, ..........

so that their style can evolve and develop. and not remain in the 70's craft market era!

Nailed it TL....The woodies that I know who are making a living from their work are all well aware of what is happening in the BIG wide world of contemporary design...
I'm not suggesting that everyone need do this...just those that want to sell in that market

I still wouldn't have that doilie in my house ..... but I like the candle sticks!

The table I could leave but I like the concept.

There are plenty of good websites out there with fresh ideas that get updated regularly. I often look for work and end up saving images that inspire me .... although I don't often get to use them.

I have always liked this one: Furniture and they often contain links to similar "friends" sites which have similar design ideas.

How about bringing scrolling back?
Enchanted, Magical Furniture by Laskowscy Design | Freshome

New spin of cheval mirror?
Stylish Elliptical Mirror with a Strong Feminine Appeal | Freshome

Even something for the turning shavings:
Using Wood the Creative Way: Alma Table by Roberta Rampazzo | Freshome

I couldn't agree more that woodworkers need to evolve. One way to raise prices and open up to a wider buying public is to offer something new and follow trends.

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

I still wouldn't have that doilie in my house ..... but I like the candle sticks!

The table I could leave but I like the concept.

There are plenty of good websites out there with fresh ideas that get updated regularly. I often look for work and end up saving images that inspire me .... although I don't often get to use them.

I have always liked this one: Furniture and they often contain links to similar "friends" sites which have similar design ideas.

How about bringing scrolling back?
Enchanted, Magical Furniture by Laskowscy Design | Freshome

: finally, some scroll saw work that I like !

Will also keep you links in my bookmarks too. Always lookin gfor interestin gthings.

Originally Posted by underfoot

The woodies that I know who are making a living from their work are all well aware of what is happening in the BIG wide world of contemporary design...

Underfoot I think you are clearly in this camp with your work. Your examples are always pushing the boundaries and using new forms and materials and I was thinking about your work when I was writing my first post.

Possibly the trick is how to test the limits of the lathe, particularly when there seems to be an unwritten rulebook that most turners follow.

Looks like the phase of this year, maybe forever is "Lip service" Look at the wine industry, it's all about marketing and how you feel about yourself. You drink the wine, it tastes like cat's but the company your with is convivial, if you know what I mean.
I do rustic furniture, but so does my Doctor, my Butcher, my Baker, the list goes on!
I can do a tracheotomy, take out your appendix but you will have to be patient because I'm only practicing and have no anesthetic ouch.

You must give lip service and appear to be above the rest, it's just marketing mate!

Cheers Oddjob1 Wood is good but it's everywhere

Originally Posted by Oddjob1

Looks like the phase of this year, maybe forever is "Lip service" Look at the wine industry, it's all about marketing and how you feel about yourself. You drink the wine, it tastes like cat's but the company your with is convivial, if you know what I mean.
I do rustic furniture, but so does my Doctor, my Butcher, my Baker, the list goes on!
I can do a tracheotomy, take out your appendix but you will have to be patient because I'm only practicing and have no anesthetic ouch.

You must give lip service and appear to be above the rest, it's just marketing mate!

Cheers Oddjob1 Wood is good but it's everywhere

No its not! To have legs you really do have to have so substance behind the hype!

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

Possibly the trick is how to test the limits of the lathe, .

Much of the "trail blazing" turning work I'm seeing seems to include a great deal of "off the lathe" work...using the turned object as a canvas for further adventuring...
There is so much ..'same old, same old'.. turning out there that it is such a delight to occasionally discover skilled, creative and innovative turning

Originally Posted by Oddjob1

You must give lip service and appear to be above the rest, it's just marketing mate!

..Yes there is marketing involved.. (a buyer needs to see your work)
but I can't agree with the "ego and hype" tag....you can't fake good design

Sorry I prolly came across as a bit critical. It just really gets my wick when people start complaining that no one will buy their work at the price it needs to be. Its just not true. You just have to find your market, not just stick int in the local deli with a price tag on it. Its got to be in the right venue. Its got to have a story.

I have discovered that if you give the customer a price structure they will pay what something is worth. And usually a lot more that you think. I have Little bowls 3 inches across that sell for nearly $40 each. Then when the customer looks at the big ones they are not horrified. They have gone up in steps. I also sell necklaces with little bits of wood or ceramic on them. Its amazing what someone will pay when its called jewelry. Then when they look at the big ones they add up "ok there must be 100 bits as big as this necklace in there" so its worth the price! Laminated wood I think would really lend itself to jewelry.

I really like the lamination work in the cookie jar. I like the vertically broken up stripes. And the undulating profile of the form. Just a little underwhelmed by the knob plonked in top. And you know my thoughts on shiny.

Sorry again if I was a little full on!

Originally Posted by tea lady

Sorry I prolly came across as a bit critical. It just really gets my wick when people start complaining that no one will buy their work at the price it needs to be. Its just not true. You just have to find your market, not just stick int in the local deli with a price tag on it. Its got to be in the right venue. Its got to have a story.

I have discovered that if you give the customer a price structure they will pay what something is worth. And usually a lot more that you think. I have Little bowls 3 inches across that sell for nearly $40 each. Then when the customer looks at the big ones they are not horrified. They have gone up in steps. I also sell necklaces with little bits of wood or ceramic on them. Its amazing what someone will pay when its called jewelry. Then when they look at the big ones they add up "ok there must be 100 bits as big as this necklace in there" so its worth the price! Laminated wood I think would really lend itself to jewelry.

I really like the lamination work in the cookie jar. I like the vertically broken up stripes. And the undulating profile of the form. Just a little underwhelmed by the knob plonked in top. And you know my thoughts on shiny.

Sorry again if I was a little full on!

No problem with your critical remarks because the name of the topic was Some Have Difficulty Understanding<!-- google_ad_section_end --> and will now add a little to that . . . . . . some that have never been in anothers shoes don't and will probably will never have a clue.

Responses like yours are why I seldom post messages here so I will go back to lurking mode .
Always something to be learned by reading and always easy to skip over messages by a few clueless ones without getting involved with them.

Have a wonderful day. .