What to do with sub-par pieces

[crsaz]

Ok so I am not at the point in glass blowing where everything goes perfect every time:D and I have a box of what I consider sub-par, fume missing in a spot, not melted in completely, stretched a little too far, head too small and so on. well Ive been just putting them in a box till I can find something to do with the well the box is full and its time to get rid of them. what would you do with them? I was thinking of bringing them into the little hole in the wall smoke shops/gas stations and trying to atleast get my $$$ in materials back.

[full_kiln]

concerts and festivals are great for that

[crsaz]

hmm, good idea. I have yet to display at a concert or festival. maybe its time.

[menty666]

fix 'em.

[Kaizen]

Hand them out on Halloween.


.....Kidding......

[HumanLathe]

The fact is to an untrained eye the glass you call "sub-par" looks no different sitting next to the pipe with no imperfections ..unless you point out your own imperfections. Only glass blowers are gonna see the small bit of fume missing or a little ruff spot on the inside .. so unless it looks Like a import POS try just selling it for the same price. Try a concert or some kind of event were selling pipes is legal for you and won't cause you trouble. One of the hardest things to learn over the last 13 years is to stop thinking like glass blower and start thinking like the customer. I have just learned to listen to the little voice in my head that says if a certain piece wont sell cause it looks funky to me or I didn't like the shape or color...there is a piece out there for anyone and when that lucky customer buys that new piece of glass its generally cause they need a new piece or they like what they see. If the piece sits on your table for to long " not selling" then you mark it down 5% at first and you point it out to customers trying to push the sale and get it off your table :) so you don't have to look at it anymore hehe. As far as I am concerned if its small stuff or prodo little imperfections only the trained glass blower's eye or a genuine collector will see the difference. Every company has there odd bucket these are sold sometimes for discount prices or sold as a completely different product all together. Just don't send off piece to regular customers that feed your family and the O2 for your torch ..keep them happy with your finest of product, this will also show your regulars that you do consistent quality work. If you don't feel like hassling with events try approaching you regulars with a 10-20% discount on odd's % of course pending on how badly odd they are. Well good luck with you odd's they always seem to be the best sellers at live events its the odd color blob or shape that sometimes grabs the customer and they can't help but to buy it. Don't sell yourself short or the incredible talent and years of training it has taken to make what you make.. that alone has to be worth something in every piece odd to you or not :) .

[Icarus]

^^^^

That is some good advice right there.

[Eric S]

throw them in a box and then when it fills up take it out somewhere and shoot them. its great to see a piece that you put 10+ hours into that came out cracked just dissapear in an instant.

[Forche]

sell em cheaper...

[dnug42]

I always liked to give em 2 friends...then they can help ya sell stuff as well...always good to hear a post from...he da mun.
Goldy

[FredLight]

I have a box like that, and I hook them up on blowtubes at the carb hole, rip off the bowl head from the stem, puff out the bowl, close it up and blow them into 32 standard.

Great for practicing blow-ins and general maneuvering and manipulation of worked sections.

Also try stacking enough "bowl head sections" to make a funky spoon. Its fun, seriously.

[dOprah Winfrey]

I either give them to friends, or bring them to the bar. You can usually sell them to people there, or trade them for drinks. A few "crappy" pieces and you've got yourself a decent night out on the town.

[smolder holder]

If it functions and isn't dangerous(really thin, ect) sell that mofo! Priced accordingly.

[Sketchball]

They're seconds, sell them as such.

Have a bottom line price per item and also for the whole box of em'.... Bring them along in the car if you ever go to new smaller/cheaper/sketchier shops - if they don't like the prices on your regular glass, tell them you might have something they would be interested in.

A lot of the smaller shops aren't even worth your breath. They'll try and talk you down from whatever price you ask, no matter how low you price the seconds... Just don't be afraid to walk away from the shady deals like that

[Kato]

Stuff for the jihad shops. They're going to lowball you anyway.

[drew1492]

give em to friends or people who supply you with saftey break materials kindness goes a long way when you need a favor or gets you invited out on ur buds boat more assuming they are cheap pieces.

[Master Yoda]

Go walk around the parking lot of the next cypress hill concert that comes near you

[ITIS]

the ugly duckings i hate always sell first. so i would say sell them and get what you can for them.

[Bruce Dille]

Smoke out of them then shoot em

[Waffles]

Sell them or gift them, don't point out the flaws or that you hated the way it turned out. Maybe give them to a friend to sell for you. it's easier to talk up a friend's shitty piece than your own

[yinzer]

it took me a super long time to get past trashing the sub-par stuff. i used to pretty much junk 70% of what i made. it got to the point where if i jacked it up i wouldnt finish it and then i ended up with a bunch of unfinished crap. thing is, people always came over and rooted through the junk drawer or asked if they could buy whatever piece of shit was laying on the bench. just recently, hard times hit and i had to come to terms with the fact that wasted product is wasted material, which isnt cheap. i realized i have to push myself to finish everything, whether its going to turn out the way i want it to or not. ive gotten to the point where my mistakes are not nearly as bad as they used to be, but i also have had to realize that when i would sell something cheaper because it was a, mistake i would have to then point out the mistake. my point, if you look at some prodo in shops or wherever, you see all kinds of effed up shit. Chill marks, uneven pushes, color not melted in, spots in desperate need of fire polish. if you believe in quality then you are already weeding out anything you would deem unsafe. other than that, sell that shit for whatever you can get for it.

[menmabassguitar]

I have a $5 bin in my studio: when friends come by with other friends they usually disappear with ease :) most of people who come by my shop, drop jaws when i point out any imperfections i see... almost like I'm being way too picky or critical haha. But HEY! I want my best work on the shelves!

Lots of good ideas here too! Concerts: check.. Bars: hell yes.. (bartenders = free drinks) Friends and oxy/suppliers even better cause you get free representation.

Cheers