Get your minds out of the gutter.

I was wandering this morning, do small bowls sell better than large bowls?
On my Rikon, the largest I can turn is around 11-11 1/2 inches. I've sold
several that size, but many people walk through and comment on how pretty
the bowls are and then continue on their way. I wander if I had smaller
bowls, more or less trinket type bowls, would they purchase one of these.
I've not ventured into pen turning, doesn't look like something that would
interest me (actually haven't done it because wife said I can't spend any
more money for a while). I've turned very few small bowls, 4-6 inches, but
when looking through what I've got sitting here at the house, I've no small
bowls sitting around. Apparently, I sold them. I've lots of wood sitting
around that small bowls could be turned from, just haven't done so. Big
stuff is so much fun to turn.
Just wandering about other's experiences. Besides bowls, what do the rest of
you do with the collection of 4-8 inch sticks of wood you have lying around?
I've got a pile of apple that is just begging to be turned. I've looked
through several web sites trying to get ideas, but nothing really peaked my
interest. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
JD

--
He that will make a good use of any part
of his life must allow a large portion of it
to recreation.
- John Locke

The main reason I got a bigger lathe (PM 3520A) was to turn bigger
bowls. I had a 12 inch lathe, and people kept asking me if I could
make bigger bowls. I probably don't sell as many big bowls as I do
smaller ones, but make more money on them. Every thing sells, and it
depends on the show. Small trinket bowls, individual eating bowls/
plates, family bowls, and party bowls. They account for maybe 80% of
my turning sales. I also do boxes, solid hard maple rolling pins,
spurtles, basting brushes, hollow forms, natural edge bowls, spheres,
and even a few beads. Any excuse to turn, and everything sells
eventually. Having some of everything helps, or at least as much
variety as you can find time to do. Bowls are my main source of bread,
and the others are butter for the bread.
robo hippy

On Mar 30, 8:26*am, "JD" wrote:
Get your minds out of the gutter.

I was wandering this morning, do small bowls sell better than large bowls?
On my Rikon, the largest I can turn is around 11-11 1/2 inches. I've sold
several that size, but many people walk through and comment on how pretty
the bowls are and then continue on their way. I wander if I had smaller
bowls, more or less trinket type bowls, would they purchase one of these.
I've not ventured into pen turning, doesn't look like something that would
interest me (actually haven't done it because wife said I can't spend any
more money for a while). I've turned very few small bowls, 4-6 inches, but
when looking through what I've got sitting here at the house, I've no small
bowls sitting around. Apparently, I sold them. I've lots of wood sitting
around that small bowls could be turned from, just haven't done so. Big
stuff is so much fun to turn.
Just wandering about other's experiences. Besides bowls, what do the rest of
you do with the collection of 4-8 inch sticks of wood you have lying around?
I've got a pile of apple that is just begging to be turned. I've looked
through several web sites trying to get ideas, but nothing really peaked my
interest. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
JD

--
He that will make a good use of any part
of his life must allow a large portion of it
to recreation.
* * * - John Locke

On Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:26:55 -0500, "JD" wrote:

Get your minds out of the gutter.

I was wandering this morning, do small bowls sell better than large bowls?
On my Rikon, the largest I can turn is around 11-11 1/2 inches. I've sold
several that size, but many people walk through and comment on how pretty
the bowls are and then continue on their way. I wander if I had smaller
bowls, more or less trinket type bowls, would they purchase one of these.
I've not ventured into pen turning, doesn't look like something that would
interest me (actually haven't done it because wife said I can't spend any
more money for a while). I've turned very few small bowls, 4-6 inches, but
when looking through what I've got sitting here at the house, I've no small
bowls sitting around. Apparently, I sold them. I've lots of wood sitting
around that small bowls could be turned from, just haven't done so. Big
stuff is so much fun to turn.
Just wandering about other's experiences. Besides bowls, what do the rest of
you do with the collection of 4-8 inch sticks of wood you have lying around?
I've got a pile of apple that is just begging to be turned. I've looked
through several web sites trying to get ideas, but nothing really peaked my
interest. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
JD

In my experience, small, fancy bowls are "art" or "pieces", and larger bowls are
to eat or serve salad and things out of... and of course, art demands a higher
price than utility..

My best selling items are small boxes, irregular or natural edge change dishes,
but vases, etc...

People look at and touch the big stuff, but if it's a large bowl, it won't sell
for much in my market..

I pretty much quit turning "bowls" shortly after moving to Mexico and getting
serious about selling my stuff... What sells well here is the things that people
display in the coffee table or whatever....

Goblets and wine glasses sold well for a while but now seldom sell..

Small (6 or 8") wing bowls have been selling well at outdoor shows, for some
reason..

Some folks sell a lot of garden dibbers or whatever, or honey dippers.. neither
sell well for me..

Surprisingly, I've sold qui tea few mushrooms in sets of 2 or 3 in different
sizes, for table decorations... never expected that and turned my first one
after about 20 years of turning..lol

Market and locale make a huge difference... are you in an art or utility market?

BTW: I sold a piece last week for $150.. I think that was a high for me, and it
was about 8" tall and maybe 9 or 10" diameter..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"JD " james.smithremove wrote in message
...
I was wandering this morning, do small bowls sell better than large bowls?

If people want them, certainly. The key is whether the piece is to be used
or viewed. Pieces for uses like salad or popcorn are marginal at ~11",
while something to look at depends on viewing distance, and can be as huge
as a wall hanging or as petite as will sit on a knick-knack shelf.

If you go to a venue where people already own the necessities, like the
colony in Baja, you'll sell more pretties than useful types.


Besides bowls, what do the rest of
you do with the collection of 4-8 inch sticks of wood you have lying
around? I've got a pile of apple that is just begging to be turned. I've
looked through several web sites trying to get ideas, but nothing really
peaked my interest. Any suggestions?


Turn/carve some salad sets, or make some boxes, centerpieces, candle
holders, ornaments or goblets. Lots of good things to test your skill
against.

On Mar 30, 7:26 am, "JD" wrote:
Get your minds out of the gutter.

I was wandering this morning, do small bowls sell better than large bowls?
On my Rikon, the largest I can turn is around 11-11 1/2 inches. I've sold
several that size, but many people walk through and comment on how pretty
the bowls are and then continue on their way. I wander if I had smaller
bowls, more or less trinket type bowls, would they purchase one of these.
I've not ventured into pen turning, doesn't look like something that would
interest me (actually haven't done it because wife said I can't spend any
more money for a while). I've turned very few small bowls, 4-6 inches, but
when looking through what I've got sitting here at the house, I've no small
bowls sitting around. Apparently, I sold them. I've lots of wood sitting
around that small bowls could be turned from, just haven't done so. Big
stuff is so much fun to turn.
Just wandering about other's experiences. Besides bowls, what do the rest of
you do with the collection of 4-8 inch sticks of wood you have lying around?
I've got a pile of apple that is just begging to be turned. I've looked
through several web sites trying to get ideas, but nothing really peaked my
interest. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
JD

--
He that will make a good use of any part
of his life must allow a large portion of it
to recreation.
- John Locke


Hello JD,

I think that it will most likely depend on the type of shows that you
attend. I spent three years selling and local craft shows and found
that hardly anything priced above $25.00 would sell. As a result, I
sold lots of smaller bowls. I finally came up with a size that nearly
always sold that took only a few minutes to turn that I called "pill
bowls" they measured 2 inches in diameter and about 1 inch to 1-1/2
inches high. At one time, I had a six foot piece of white pine 2" x 6"
and turned it into little bowls. There were priced under $10.00 and
the whole lot sold at the next show. If I were going to sell at craft
shows again, I would make all of the stuff small and inexpensive.
Today, I sell maybe a dozen items a year ranging in price from $50.00
to $500.00, but not at craft fairs or galleries. I sell items when
people ask me to show them some my turnings that they want to purchase
for gifts.

Fred Holder
http://www.morewoodturning.net

I just turned my first really large bowl on Friday. The half log was
24x26x10 inches thick. Had to have help getting it into the truck.
After rounding with a chain saw it was about 22.5 inches in diameter.
I used a hoist to get the piece of hard maple to the lathe.

The finished bowl is 21 inches in diameter. What a rush. It is the
reason I bought a larger lathe. Can't wait to do more that large.

By the way...I don't know if I will get a chance to sell this one. My
wife already has a place for it as the center piece on the dining room
table.

Ted,
Please tell me that you cored that Maple, and got 4 or 5 bowls out of
it. I will shed a tear or two if you didn't.

I sell mostly at a local Saturday Market. I have bowls from $5 to $300
or so. I will usually sell one or 2 bowls in the $100 range, and some
for $30 or so. At Christmas, or for weddings, I can sell some of the
$150 and up bowls. You never know, but people do remember, and will
come looking for you.

Mac, do you sell to tourists, or locals. I read once that the only
time people spend as much, or more money that they do at Christmas is
when they are on vacation. My best sales at the Market are during the
summer vacation months. Some are looking for trinkets, some for bowls,
which are cheap here compared to the east coast. This summer, we have
the Olympic Track and Field Trials. That should bring the tourists in.

robo hippy

On Mar 30, 6:46*pm, Ted wrote:
I just turned my first really large bowl on Friday. *The half log was
24x26x10 inches thick. *Had to have help getting it into the truck.
After rounding with a chain saw it was about 22.5 inches in diameter.
I used a hoist to get the piece of hard maple to the lathe.

The finished bowl is 21 inches in diameter. *What a rush. *It is the
reason I bought a larger lathe. *Can't wait to do more that large.

By the way...I don't know if I will get a chance to sell this one. *My
wife already has a place for it as the center piece on the dining room
table.

On Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:25:48 -0700 (PDT), robo hippy
wrote:

Mac, do you sell to tourists, or locals. I read once that the only
time people spend as much, or more money that they do at Christmas is
when they are on vacation. My best sales at the Market are during the
summer vacation months. Some are looking for trinkets, some for bowls,
which are cheap here compared to the east coast. This summer, we have
the Olympic Track and Field Trials. That should bring the tourists in.

robo hippy

Most of my stuff is at art shows, and when I'm lucky, local (gringos) who are
decorating personal residences or rentals buy the nicer stuff for decorations..

Mushrooms, which it took me over 20 years to try, sell surprisingly well here..
Sort of a local joke here in the desert.. Buy 3 or 4 in assorted sizes and put
them in your cactus garden.. lol

I have some stuff in the $15 to $25 range, but I stay away from the trinket
thing, especially anything that the real locals sell...
Imitating their stuff or competing with the locals is a good way to get turned
into the tax folks..
I'm technically on a "retirement or tourist" visa for another 3 or 4 years, when
we can apply for the next level of visa..

Some tourists buy small bowls and stuff like that, but a complication that you
don't have that is a major factor here is an international border to cross after
buying stuff and the chance of paying duty on it..

Summer sucks here.. most folks go to your neighborhood in May or June and come
back in October... The last few months have been "snow bird" season, and I've
been doing pretty well, especially on the ironwood stuff..

The nice thing is that when they come back, a few of them bring me WOOD..
Some folks from Lake Tahoe came by yesterday with about 10 or 12 nice oak
branches, great for mushrooms and small boxes..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

reading all the above made me wonder how you establish which bowl is
worth
stepping over to the three digit price. Does it have to be an exotic
wood meaning
the material itself cost a few tenners, or a relatively long time
spent completing the
piece? Or perhaps, none of the above - simply looking at the finished
piece
and thinking "wow! This one came out better than most. More artsy. It
shoul
command a higher price. hmmmmm...

On Wed, 2 Apr 2008 00:07:58 -0700 (PDT), Max63 wrote:

reading all the above made me wonder how you establish which bowl is
worth
stepping over to the three digit price. Does it have to be an exotic
wood meaning
the material itself cost a few tenners, or a relatively long time
spent completing the
piece? Or perhaps, none of the above - simply looking at the finished
piece
and thinking "wow! This one came out better than most. More artsy. It
shoul
command a higher price. hmmmmm...

I have trouble setting my prices, so my wife and neighbor do most of the
pricing..

To me, it's a chunk of wood that I put on the lathe and had fun with, so I sort
of gasp at the prices some of my stuff sells for..

I just finished a sort of "artsy" ironwood vase about 11" tall and maybe 6"
diameter with one very rough side and the rest smooth and polished..
I was thinking of pricing it in the $75 - $100 range and my wife said "$300 and
the neighbor said "maybe $250"...

They say the combination of style, size, weight and material all increase the
buyer's decide?????
Also, ironwood is very popular here (Baja California, MX)

I've never sold a "conventional;" bowl, no matter how big or what wood, for
$50..

I've sold some really bugly (to me) pieces that were in the small range for much
more, I guess because they were "art".


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing