More on 9/20 entry and comment.

Hey Neill, thanks for your kind words. Rather than place this as a response in the comments section of the previous 9/20/07 I’m going to offer it as its own entry.  That comment was:

Art, this is a great post. I’m one of those guys who see the fabulous pieces here – and their SOLD status – and wish mightily that they were mine. Clearly, some of your custom work would sell over and over and over again. I’ve come to the conclusion that I just have to tell you what I want and then just wait for it to be made.I especially love that white material that resembles ivory with gold or brass. It is just gorgeous….Great post here, Art. A nice set of insights!!

I really do struggle with this issue as I’m sure many artisans do.  I’m very fortunate to have incredible collectors and established customers who have supported my work for years and continue to do so.  I feel compelled to reciprocate and respond in a like manner offering them my attention and consideration.  To me this only seems right and proper on several levels.

On the other hand, one must also be working hard to encourage new collectors and customers as this endeavor is an ongoing one.  Neill, you may note that this issue mirrors a discussion that we had some time back on Smoker’s Forum which dealt somewhat with putting all of one’s eggs in one basket. And while I’m fortunate to have numerous customers and collectors who greatly support my efforts, that still does little to promote new customers down the road.  I think that there are numerous ways to promote one’s work with potential new customers.  To date my efforts have met with mixed success.

The real problem is that most people new to the pipe smoking pursuit, or hobby, are fairly unlikely to be spending $100 on a pipe, and certainly not $100 on a tamper.  Even $40 on a tamper is a bit of a stretch.  So, efforts to create lines of lesser priced tampers have been a resounding failure and have been, except for TidBits, abandoned.  Another promotional route that I see some new artisans take, and one that I really had to take when I developed this niche, is to give pieces away.  The problem with that is that no one is going to say “no” to a freebie, and the chances of further interest is vastly diminished when there is a price tag attached.  And, no matter how much of an immediate splash that flashy giveaways make on newsgroups, once the prices are back and firmly affixed zero interest (beyond window-shopping) resumes.

So, how does one attract interest to new customers?  I suppose that all goes back to offering your best work and making it available on a regular basis to as many folks as possible while balancing that with supplying your established customer/collectors with that which they require to continue the journey with you as an artisan.  I guess there should be no surprise that the answer lies in striking a balance!