| end of the Dove? |
[Dec. 30th, 2008|10:56 pm] |
Just had a sobering chat with one of my fellow artisans at Sign of the Dove. She's wondering if the holiday store will be around next year-and I'm wondering if she's not right. Sales were down this year, dramatically. Yes, I'm well aware that the economy's melted down back to the stone age and everyone's feeling the pinch-well, plenty of stores are also filing chapter 11, too. Not that we're bankrupt, that's pretty difficult to do, but we may not have enough members to run the store next year-and I can't say that I blame them. My sales haven't matched my first year and they're now down below last year. Fortunately, this isn't my livelihood. I can suck it up. Since sales are down, the percentage that we'll have to fork over will most likely be higher. Last year it was 30%. I'm wondering how many other of the members will be willing to tough it out, especially the new ones. It just keeps getting harder and harder. I know some out there welcome the collapse of capitalism, but it is not so much fun being the collateral damage from this collapse.
I know of a few members who definitely have had enough. I wish they'd tough it out, but I can't say that I blame them. It's a huge investment, the holiday co-op. There's the 55 hours of work in 2 months. There's the sluggish sales. There's been more shoplifting. There's the having to crank out a lot of inventory, which may not even sell. There's the possibility of a big bite taken from ones profits. So many of our members can move much more merchandise in other venues-like craft fairs.
When the Dove started 37 years ago, there was very little like them around, now in Harvard Square, there is one other co-operative, the craft fair at the Unitarian church, and a few craft galleries. We're going to have to be cunning to survive, and I am not sure we have what it takes, or are willing to make the hard choices required. Perhaps the answer is to leave Cambridge? Rents are getting worse, but the foot traffic's amazing in Harvard Square.
I'm willing to stick it out. First of all, I'm still very new to the world of retail. This has been my only sales outlet for the past two years. I don't have the infrastructure or time or energy to traipse around the Boston area doing shows. Quite frankly, the idea of setting up a table doesn't appeal to me. Also, I rather like the camaraderie, the bonhomie. Until I find studio space with other artists, this is my main link to the art world. I genuinely enjoy many of the other Doves.
I guess my project this year, get more aggressive about sales and marketing. I really need my own website. I need much better photographs of my work. I need to start trying to get my work into more stores. I need to do more R&D on new ideas, new works, new materials. I need to consider etsy.com, even if I'm coming late to the game there. I need to believe in myself more.
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