Lampwork sales

**caroleallen** · 18-11-2009, 05:37 PM

I know we all love lampies but does the general public see the difference between beautiful handmade beads and mass-produced ones?

I have a friend who makes them but finds they don't sell that well compared to her silver stuff. I also had an interesting chat with a stallholder at the NEC who said sales were disappoining. I often find that the more cutting edge stuff doesn't sell as well as the run of the silver stuff. Other artists and crafts people appreciate them but generally people go for the safe option.

I'd be happy to be contradicted if I'm wrong.

**Di Sandland** · 18-11-2009, 05:41 PM

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?

**caroleallen** · 18-11-2009, 07:05 PM

It appears we may be right Di.

**kymbi** · 18-11-2009, 07:28 PM

I use handmade lampwork beads quite a lot in my jewellery, mixing it with sterling silver and gemstone beads. As part of the selling process I have small signs to indicate the jewellery is made with handmade beads and I explain to the customers that the designs are either one-off pieces or limited editions and where I have the details, attribute the maker on the info card that comes with the piece.

I've found mixed responses to the lampwork - some people really appreciate the work that goes into the beads, others appreciate that they are getting unique jewellery and then there are those that think it could be cheaper like the stall along the way that is flogging snide-pandora-alikes from China that will smash at the first impact. I've learnt to turn a blind eye to the latter category of passer-by - they wouldn't be customers of mine and would not buy any of my designs as they look for cheap and cheerful jewellery, not made with sterling silver.

The mix of my stock for sale is about 20% with lampies, about 20% with silver pendants/earrings and the remainder are semi-precious stones mixed with sterling silver. The pieces with semi-precious beads sell the best but on an average weekend I will usually sell a few pieces made with lampwork - I find that bracelets and earrings sell better than necklaces but I think this is down to price.

Sorry to waffle ... I'll go and put the soap box away now

**caroleallen** · 18-11-2009, 07:51 PM

That's interesting Kym. Is the return on what you pay for them good?

**mizgeorge** · 18-11-2009, 07:59 PM

I find my more 'upmarket' customers are very keen on artisan lampwork, but even they particularly like it mixed with gemstones (which I do a lot anyway). Simple pendants also seem to sell pretty well too - often to be used as gifts.

I make a lot of my own smaller lampwork beads, especially in single colours for earrings and spacers, but still buy far too many for my own good. Most of them are simply for my own collection though!

**kymbi** · 18-11-2009, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by caroleallen

That's interesting Kym. Is the return on what you pay for them good?

Sometimes....it depends on what the beads are and how they are used. If I have spent £25-£30 on a few beads, then I will just use one of them as a focal in a bracelet or as a pendant as I've found I could not get the return back on a pair of earrings or a necklace. I now lean towards buying cheaper sets so I can get the returns - and save the nicer beads and focals for me...perks n'all that

**Solunar Silver Studio** · 18-11-2009, 08:18 PM

I don't think many people give lampwork beads a second glance unless they have personally tried to keep a gob of molten glass on a mandrel - let alone tried to decorate it! I did have a go at college - the knobbly and wobbly evidence of this is in my profile album! - but decided it wasn't really for me. The bloke I went to college with was really smitten though and has been buying all the gear in the last 2 years. Since he got his oxycon he's been flying! Unfortunately, he has been really ill for the past 6 months - but I go to see him each week and we discuss all things beady and he shows me what he has made and sometimes how he has made them. Watching him add 50 or more dots of glass one on top of another, over and over, all round the bead, creating amazing concentric ring patterns and taking ages just for one bead makes you very respectful of what lampworkers create.

I am lucky enough to be able to pick up his waifs and strays...and his 'sh*t beads' as he calls them for peanuts! He might not be happy with them but I can see posibilities!!

Amazing as they are - I wouldn't be able to afford to buy sets - and I can understand how people who don't know the process behind making them just view them as bits of glass - with no real intrinsic value! But isn't that the same with all crafts? You hear people say - "You don't have to pay that for it - I could make you one!" - when looking at a piece you know has taken hours and hours to make using skills honed over a period of many years! People think all this stuff is easy - until they have a go.....!!

**Lindyloo** · 18-11-2009, 08:29 PM

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.

**caroleallen** · 18-11-2009, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Solunar Silver Studio

I don't think many people give lampwork beads a second glance unless they have personally tried to keep a gob of molten glass on a mandrel - let alone tried to decorate it! I did have a go at college - the knobbly and wobbly evidence of this is in my profile album! - but decided it wasn't really for me. The bloke I went to college with was really smitten though and has been buying all the gear in the last 2 years. Since he got his oxycon he's been flying! Unfortunately, he has been really ill for the past 6 months - but I go to see him each week and we discuss all things beady and he shows me what he has made and sometimes how he has made them. Watching him add 50 or more dots of glass one on top of another, over and over, all round the bead, creating amazing concentric ring patterns and taking ages just for one bead makes you very respectful of what lampworkers create.

I am lucky enough to be able to pick up his waifs and strays...and his 'sh*t beads' as he calls them for peanuts! He might not be happy with them but I can see posibilities!!

Amazing as they are - I wouldn't be able to afford to buy sets - and I can understand how people who don't know the process behind making them just view them as bits of glass - with no real intrinsic value! But isn't that the same with all crafts? You hear people say - "You don't have to pay that for it - I could make you one!" - when looking at a piece you know has taken hours and hours to make using skills honed over a period of many years! People think all this stuff is easy - until they have a go.....!!

That's very true. People just don't appreciate art by and large. I couldn't believe the cr*p that people were actually buying at NEC. One stallholder said "I wouldn't have this stuff in my house but the public love it" That's why I'm going to try to do mainly shows where everything is handmade from now on.