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Been doing some thinking...
So I have asked a few crafty friends who are completely supportive, but I would also like some outside, non-biased, opinions as well. For several years now, I have participated in crafts of all types- you name it; scrapbooking and paper crafts, jewelry, accessories, upcycling clothes and furniture, fine art, photography, the list goes on. Though some projects I have been more successful with than others, I have almost always been able to sell my items at crafts fairs/shows, farmers markets, and other small venues.
My newest idea both scares me and excites me more than I can say. I have been entertaining the idea of opening a brick-and-mortar store. The idea closely resembles the concept of ETSY and a juried art show combined, but in a boutique-like setting that allows a type of organization that shows customers how these decor items, clothing/accessory items and other elements of design for the home and wardrobe can be utilized effectively within their own home. Websites like Pinterest have opened up the creative minds of the world and shown people how to incorporate things they like into their own homes at a fraction of the cost it may take to have someone else to do it, but many people still prefer the convenience of having things ready-made. When is the last time you thought, "that looks easy enough to make!" but that thought was followed by "I dont have the time/space/materials/skill to do that!" As a person who has spent money (LOTS!) on things like silhouette cutters, a jigsaw, projectors, an embossing heat gun and MUCH more, I can say I would have saved a lot of money just in the tools realm of production costs. For these reasons, I think this type of store would be an interesting concept to integrate into an upscale shopping area.
The idea is to approach artists and crafters of all types and invite them to submit items for display in the boutique for sale. The items would be integrated in a display that changes every month (or season?) to incorporate many different styles. The store would display the items in a way that resembles a home- to show how the different pieces could practically be used within their own home after purchase. In addition to display within the store, the boutique would also have a place that distributes business cards of artists, crafters, and designers to help promote their work- like an artisans collective or guild.
The things I am wondering now are:
*Would everyday people be interested in a place where they could find ready-made "Pinterest-like" products to purchase for their homes?
*Is it more fair to charge a monthly membership fee, a per-item (listing) fee, or to collect a sales percentage of items sold? What is a fair rate for the one you selected?
*What kinds of Pinterest or Etsy items appeal to you most? Why?
*Much of the draw of Etsy is that crafters and artisans can provide customizable pieces. If you saw something in-store, but it wasn't EXACTLY as you wanted, would you consider taking the producer's card to seek them out for something unique for you?
Thanks for reading this, I know it was lengthy!!! In advance, I would like to mention that I also appreciate all feedback and would love to hear some insight on the above mentioned questions!
Re: Been doing some thinking...
(Lurker)
I think it's a good idea! You might ask an antique mall what their rates are. I've seen it done several ways (booth space rent, percentage of the sales, etc.). You might also ask around and see how many people would be interested in selling. Does your area have arts and crafts shows? If so, are there a lot of vendors? How would you advertise?
Another idea to add on the store would be to host craft parties (like the BYOB painting places, but maybe with "Pinterest Parties" where the host picks the project). I think that could bring in some more money and help with word-of-mouth advertising.
To me, this is a great idea.
As an artist myself, most galleries charge at LEAST 50% commission on a piece of artwork that is sold through them, granted that is for fine art. I don't think a flat listing fee would make as much sense in this case, since some items are going to bring small profit and others would bring large profit. What if you had one person whose items were all priced for $15, and another whose items were $150? It doesn't make sense to charge them both a $5 listing fee, unless you used a percentage, of course. The only positive I can see to using a listing fee would be if the item sits for awhile and doesn't sell, it is taking up space and you're not making anything on it, but you'd still have collected the fee.
I would definitely be willing to take a card intending to call, although I'm not sure if I would actually end up calling the artist. It's hard for me to answer this, because I'm kind of like you in the sense that I do a little of everything, and would do pretty much any of these things myself. However, I know people who are arts and crafts challenged would be very likely to love a place like this, especially if the items were changing often.
A few ideas for you, and I'm strictly brainstorming here - you mentioned a sort of "juried" show setting... what if you had a different theme or "show" that changed occasionally... you could incorporate some silent auctions over a period of time, maybe 1 or 2 weeks? I would try to talk to some artists in your area and see what they think, I'm sure they'd have some great ideas, as we're always trying to find ways to get our art out into the world for anyone to see. Also, I personally would be more likely to visit if the items were constantly changing little by little/as they sold, not all at once like a gallery. There are times where I miss shows I want to go to because they are only up for so long, I forget, don't have the time, etc. I think people would be more likely to make multiple visits in a shorter amount of time if the items were constantly being re-arranged/changed/cycled.
And what about artist lectures or demos? Maybe I'm thinking more too fire artsy here, but I really loved going to artist lectures and workshops when I was in college. There may be people who want to learn a few basic skills or try their hand at doing a specific class. If you have a sign up and charge a fee an artist or crafter can come in and do a demo and talk about what they do.
I love the idea, and hope some of my input helps you out! Keep us updated!