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I was going to post this on the 'finishing touches' thread but thought it might be distracting from the original thought. So I am just wondering about additional accessories.
I love to add things to the bear to create a kind of staging for the bear. This time I put a sleepy eyed bear with a little old crib I found which I did up and made some pretty bedding. I was iffy about it as I am aware that while people might love the bear they might not want the crib too. I put a price on the bear to include the crib...but of course that then pushes the price up if the person only wants the bear. Fortunately the lady who bought the bear did want the crib but I think that in future I might offer a bear with and without the accessory if it is a big piece such as a crib or a chair.
So I am just wondering how other artists feel...or collectors...is it good or not good to do these vignette style pieces which cost more because of accessories...or should they be sold separately?
desertmountainbearI think that this is a wonderful idea as long as you can then go ahead and reuse the items that were not sold. In your case I am sure that you can. If you sold on your website or any other place other than ebay for that matter, you could set up whole scenes that go with the bear to tell a story, and let the collector decide how much of the story they want. There are many pieces that could be collected and reused.
I often wonder about any of the finishing I add to the bears, they all take time and cost money. My husband always tells me he likes the bears with no adornment, and I wonder really how many of them go to new homes and are left to just be naked bears.
Bears by EdieI think this could go either way - some of my bears done in scenes I would not want to separate but wait for the right buyer who wants the whole thing. Others, it might not matter - really depends on what the scene is. If it is something you wouldn't mind separating then I think that is a great idea to offer it both ways. I think it is nice to do bears both ways and then you have more to offer to collectors - some like just the plain bears and some appreciate all the extra work that goes into a vignette.
Boechout, AntwerpJenny,
I saw Lu-La Baby Bear on your website and in all honesty, my first reaction was : "that is pricey" :/
Then I noticed that the adoption fee included the crib and although they make a lovely scene together, it's still the bear that I am really interested in (she is awfully cute :love:).
So in my opinion, it's a good idea to offer them both for sale, but let the collector decide whether he wants the accessory or not.
Moreover, when you are selling bears on the internet, you have to take into consideration that large accessories will greatly augment the shipping costs.
If you send them within the UK, that might not be so bad; but when you have to send your bears overseas this can be a serious extra charge (not to mention extra custom duties, etc... if you are shipping to the USA).
I do love accessories for my bears -after all they have better furniture than I have :D-, but that is something I generally prefer to buy at fairs.
I agree with all you have said..and Peter I thought that when I worked out the price...but bearing in mind I had bought the crib...my husband had taken it apart ( it was rickety) cleaned it up , painted it and waxed it, it was over a day and half of work...plus I made bedding...pillows etc...so that makes it add up price wise. Yet I can see why people might think that the crib was an unnecessary addition that they might not really want to pay for..but given she's a sleepy bear I thought it was a suitable pairing. Ironically I put a little bunny on eBay in a similar box and got £200 more that I was asking for this piece.
I think in future I might offer a with and without option...I can then re-use the items in the future should the customer not want them...I like the idea of a vignette but sometimes I think it's more about me wanting to do it rather than as a result of market demands..so maybe I need to think about whether they make sense in future.
Clothes are a similar dilemma...I love to make clothes..and given more time I would dress all my bears but to be honest unless I rush..and I don't want to do that...outfits can take as long as the bear. So I stand back from dressing bears as I don't think a day on a fancy outfit bears the financial fruits I need to make my business work.
To clothe or not to clothe, that is a vignette?!
Each bear, to my mind at least (!), has it's own thoughts, own personality and to choose whether or not to clothe or have them in a vignette is an awkward question to answer. Your bears are GORGEOUS and always seem to be adopted, which tells me that whatever you are doing is right! Sometimes it's instinct that leads the best way, other times logic - head vs heart I guess, or practical vs artistic. Being cost effective is important to all of us - if you can make a living doing this - but whatever is in your heart will, I feel, override everything else.
Staging is all part of the sell / adoption, and if someone loves the 'scene' created, then they may well wish to maintain that in their own home, whereas others may want to create something different. I guess if you make the scenery or travel about to source it, then that will increase the price. Having a split price, with or without the accessories, might be the way to go and give you options for pricing and some flexibility. The style of your bears and the staging that goes with them gets me every time I sneak a peek - it all works so well together and has a unique style, something which is really important. They are great!
(Dictated by me, typed by my husband - HELLO, HUSBAND HERE! - as I have dyslexia and it all runs across the page when I do it!)
Helen x
HUSBAND CLEARLY NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO GET SIGN OFF...;-)
Helen you are quite right..some people like to do their own staging at home...and others like to buy what is in front of them. I do think it's probably in this economic climate more practical to give people a choice. I think it's a good idea to give people a choice on big pieces like this. If its a small accessory like a small toy or a bag then that is a different thing...then I believe that the bear is designed to go with that piece so should be priced accordingly. But perhaps big extras like chairs, beds, baskets etc might be sold as an optional extra...
Like Joanne says it could be interesting to develop a few things which could be sold as extras so that customers could collect them if they wish.
desertmountainbearIn the doll world there are people who make a living selling pieces for collectors to set up vignettes to display their dolls. I guess that has been going on really forever because of doll houses, but it has gone past that now. Some dolls are rather large up to 60cms and their displays are set up in corners of rooms. They are used in photography and then posted on places like Flickr. If you ever looked on Flickr at dolls you would see all the beautiful items people collect.
I have not really seen that kind of selling and collecting in the bear world, but if pictures of beautiful displays and vignettes were presented with the bears I could see it catching on.
Sounds like a plan Joanne!
