Lampwork sales

[caroleallen]

I know a lot of people on this forum don't buy jewellery, they just wear their own. So as a buyer of jewellery, I thought I might add my two cents worth (that's perhaps all it is worth, and I don't know if it will help or not).

I just wanted to point out that I didn't really know about lampworking until I joined this forum. Most of my own jewellery that I have made has been with gemstones.

I did know about pandora beads, which I have never liked because they don't do anything for me. But when I first heard about the lampwork beads, I was hooked. Do you think that there might just be that element of the public who just don't know about them, and so don't appreciate the skill involved in making them? You don't see them on the high street afterall. So perhaps the public need a little more time and education to appreciate them.

Personally, I always buy jewellery for how it looks. It's not about the cost, or necessarily the maker. So if a gemstone, or a bead takes my fancy, then that's why I buy it.

Maybe that's it Linda. The public need educating. They've seen far too many Pandora type beads to appreciate handmade ones.

[minnie]

Hi

I absolutely love the lampwork. BUT galleries are aware of imported rubbish etc and see the customer looking for silver or silver with gemstone combination.
As with making an awareness between imported manufacured silver jewellery etc the profile of home artisan glass work needs to be appreciated.

Those of us that go to the gem/bead shows see lots of bad glass.

There needs to be a campaign of raising awareness of this skill!

[Carl Martin]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, Carole, because on my to do list is to learn lampworking. Not to sell the beads but to use for myself.

I strongly suspect that the appeal of lampies is greatest in communities 'in the know,' if that makes sense?

I think you are right on what you have said. I did not appreciate the amount of work that goes into lampworking or the skills involved. My interest came about because of the silver cored beads, infact the one that really started it off was a platinum and 18ct core on a bead. Anyhow since then I have to say I have become well and truly hooked. I had a go at making them for the first time last weekend, (I organised a lampworking day and 16 turned up) . How skilled are some of those lampworkers I was truly amazed, but I think you are right in as much "appeal of lampies is greatest in communities 'in the know,' if that makes sense?" Bog standard Joe Public has no much idea how any of it is made or just how much skill , time and effort it takes to produce any handmade item.

Anyway I'm going back to my lampworking torch for another play ..

[geti-titanium]

Now that jewellery manufacture on any great scale is virtually extinct in the UK with vast amounts of tat coming in from the Far East, the public is slowly beginning to appreciate the quality and different choices available with handcrafted or bespoke items of jewellery and are prepared to pay for items that are well made and not being worn by every Tom, Dick and Harriet.

I'd never heard of lampwork before joining this forum either, but like Titaniums increase in popularity when it became more noticable in the high street shops, so will hand crafted beads become more the 'in thing' with the popularity of 'Pandora' style bracelets.

GETi has spoken!

[Carl Martin]

Now that jewellery manufacture on any great scale is virtually extinct in the UK with vast amounts of tat coming in from the Far East, the public is slowly beginning to appreciate the quality and different choices available with handcrafted or bespoke items of jewellery and are prepared to pay for items that are well made and not being worn by every Tom, Dick and Harriet.

I'd never heard of lampwork before joining this forum either, but like Titaniums increase in popularity when it became more noticable in the high street shops, so will hand crafted beads become more the 'in thing' with the popularity of 'Pandora' style bracelets.

GETi has spoken!

Totally agrees with Geti.

[caroleallen]

But will people be prepared to pay more for something that doesn't look very much different and how can they tell that it's hand made?

[geti-titanium]

But will people be prepared to pay more for something that doesn't look very much different and how can they tell that it's hand made?

Yes and because you will tell them and sell the fact. You will always have the majority buying the Pandora style bracelets but then at the other end of the scale are the buyers who wouldn't touch it with a bargepole so what do they buy? Handcrafted quality one offs - that is the market you should aim for.

[minnie]

But will people be prepared to pay more for something that doesn't look very much different and how can they tell that it's hand made?

I am afraid unless it is different then no they won't especially in this want something for nothing attitude time.

As I have mentioned before the only way is to raise the profile of the work or be different.

[geti-titanium]

The internet has spawned the explosion of niche markets and there is a lot of money to be made from these.

[geti-titanium]

As I have mentioned before the only way is to raise the profile of the work or be different.

definitely