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View Full Version : The Frustrating Days of a Glassblower



Fiorino Glass Art
12-14-2009, 09:03 PM
Well, just like any other week or two weeks, I went out today to make some headshop trips. I had gotten in contact with a new shop owner, that actually owns three shops. After try to get a hold of him numerous times, I finally got him to give me the go to come up and have him check out my stuff. I also told him that I was coming from Madison, which is 45 minutes away from his shop. He said "yeah yeah! come on up!". So I get there, and after waiting 10 minutes for him to come in the back, he just glanced at my pieces, and said that he just got a bunch in and told me to come back when I have a bunch more....I had a whole rifle case filled, like 30-35 pieces.

I then decided to go to the next shop down, tye dye sky. I've sold to them on and off, just whenever they have the cash at the store. The lady really doesn't look at my pieces at all, just picks out the ones she likes and takes em in the back. The one shop that always buys off me, papa smokes, looks for cracks but other than that, not to critical. I guess now, the lady can't buy the glass anymore. Only her old man, the owner, can. She also said he just bought a bunch of pieces, more than likely chinese, and told me to come back up in about 3 weeks.

Still, no money made! Next up, I remember my buddy telling me about this cigarette outlet that sold glass. Turns out, they gotta pretty decent selection. This owner was fucking ridiculous!! Talk about a critic! He looked at my case of glass.."you need brighter colors!"(in an middle eastern accent). So pretty much it was me explaining to him, this is my first year blowing, these a my prodo pieces, yada yada yada..So he continued to tell me what sells and what doesn't, and he pretty much just had iso bowls, bubs, but nothin crazy, all had bad yellow fume, and not too thick. I explained to him the essence of hand crafted pieces, and the exploitation of that would sell the pieces even better, people like that stuff. So, after some more discussion about him being ignorant in glass, and the concepts of retail and wholesale(which I already know), I was getting ready to close the case..then he said.."no no, i want to help you, you come up here once a week, i promise i buy off you every time you come up here, but I want brighter colors!!". That was a fucking surprise!! So i'll work on the brighter colors!!! Which I already had, if you look on my thread, it's all pretty much surface work, mostly crayon colors, and I have some iso. But that's what I was explaining to him, they get more vibrant with the magnification. But surface colors still look bright too!

The whole day just was very frustrating:bangHead: I knew this coming into it, so thanks to all who have said not to quit when the times are rough. My new plan:better prodo for the cig shop, nicer more elaborate work for the first shop, like I said, he owns three stores, gots sum cash. And I may scratch tye dye sky. I'll give em one last chance. But I had a new opportunity to come my way to start up my own shop..hehe....so we'll see here, but I def keep on it!!!

boxfan willy
12-16-2009, 02:24 AM
Keep your head up. I remember going to Big D, 8 appointments, $180 and new baby needin diapers. You are just paying into the glass gods 401 k.

Keep torchin,
boxfan

HOSS
12-16-2009, 04:54 AM
Yeah just hang in there the best you can, I think everybody's been feeling the crunch lately. Customers just aren't spending as much these days, they come in wanting the cheapest thing they can find that's "cool", so a lot of shops have been avoiding the middle-range stuff.

The more shops you can have on your roster, the better. Even if they're dicks, only buy small amounts, waste your time or frequently snub you... just keep trying, one day you might really need that account. In times like these, pride can be a very expensive luxury.

Good luck!

Sparkey
12-16-2009, 09:07 AM
Even if they're dicks, only buy small amounts, waste your time or frequently snub you... just keep trying, one day you might really need that account. In times like these, pride can be a very expensive luxury.

Good luck!


Great advice

kage
12-16-2009, 09:29 AM
Keep your head up. I remember going to Big D, 8 appointments, $180 and new baby needin diapers. You are just paying into the glass gods 401 k.

Keep torchin,
boxfan

Big D is such a waste of land. too many fuckers are either dirt poor or uber rich penny pinchers. customers have no taste in glass either, not one shred.
people just want the cheapest thing that looks "cool" wherever you go. buy some lined GA tube and just pull spoons off it, then your mid earstern friend will be happy.
hang in there

3ripmin
12-16-2009, 09:59 AM
my tip for selling, be as nice as you can without being an ass kisser. make sure that you say hi and hows it going or whatever but be nice. no one wants to give money to some asshole just because he sells glass.

ralph
12-16-2009, 10:58 AM
"Tye dye sky" Now there's your problem... I know there must be more/different shops in the area. Keep pluggin away. Try to make your product better every time, and you will be getting paid for on the job training.

Fiorino Glass Art
12-16-2009, 11:41 AM
Thanks for all the support guys! And hoss, i will def take your advice and keep going to shops even if they piss me off. As far as being nice, I am pretty nice but not too nice, just like 3ripmin said. I think I need to take a lil prodo break and start to apply my skills to something different, like bubs, and just more artistic stuff. Once again, thanks to everyone!!!