Pricing Pottery - What price a good pot?

It's the end of another Year at Barrington Pottery

and I'm sat at the kitchen table as I do every year 

looking back over the last years figures.

Number of pots produced, pots sold, which is

 pretty much the same figure, average selling price,

that sort of thing.

If you just look at the bottom line figures 2013

 was a good year for us with sales up 9% 

on last Year.

But our average selling price is far to low.

I know being a potter is supposed to be a way of life

and not about the money, and I still think that the pots

are the main thing of course they are.

That's why I made some harsh decisions this year about

having people making pots for me, I tried it

but I just could not cope with the fact the pots didn't look

like I had made them, they weren't up to the standard

I have set myself over the past 5 Years, and I'm not having it

I'm not prepared to sell sub standard pots under my name.

Finding the balance between Potter & Business man is very difficult

I'd liken it to that of a tightrope walker, with pots on one end

of the pole and money on the other end.

I speak to my friends that have their own businesses

and they say that I should be chuffed to bits about being 9% up

and in many ways I am.

But at the end of the year we have no spare money to invest in the business

and this a concern.

I've been reading my copy of 

Pioneer Pottery by Michael Cardew

a potters bible if ever there was one.

In this he talks about the

  Just Price

"The doctrine of the just price says that a thing's price should represent the just

reward for faithful and diligent work, sufficient to maintain the maker and his family

 in what is described as "frugal comfort".

The alternative Natural price on the other hand is determined by the market and is ethically impartial: it's prices governed by the mechanism of supply and demand. these can be

disastrously lower or absurdly higher than the Just Price.

A potters output is limited in quantity and there comes a point where if he tried to force himself to increase his output the quality would suffer. It is true that good pots are made quickly.

and it should be the potters aim to make pots that are quick and not dead."

 I read on and it say's

An artist has to find and create his own public. If he follows his own

convictions his public will sooner or later come to him, and he can work for them

while at the same time satisfying himself, making pots in the way they should

 be made, to meet a practical need in an original way. 

 I feel I am doing this

 ( making what I want to make in the way I want to make it)

and I'm going to stick to this as this aspect of my life

allows me to sleep well at night.

it's the finances that keep me awake!

We have big challenges ahead  in 2014 and no doubt

 some prices will have to change, if only to cover the rent increase

the raw material increases and the electricity.

So to do this I'm going to be making some one-off pots

that are sitting inside my head and need to jump out

onto the potters wheel to make room for more,

2014 will see some bigger pots

but made the way I want to make them.

what started out as a difficult blog to write

has ended up with me being all excited about the next Year

and the pots ahead.

Thank you to everyone for supporting us this far on our journey.

Best wishes to you all 2014.

Where did 2013 Go ? and did we do anything....

First of all we would just like to thank

all of our friends & customers that have helped

 us in this past Year of 2013.

We have met a lot of new people this year & made 

some new friends along the way.

 I've tried to select some pictures that reflect the Year we have had

But it just can't be done!

What an incredible Year.

 So here are just a few you may not have seen.

 The New workshop has been blessed with some stunning

sun sets in the past few months.

 I have tried to make more jugs this year

but I need to make even more in 2014.

Bigger pots will be a major factor also in 2014. 

 Not only did we move into the new Barn

but we finally got the log burner going to keep us warm

this winter.

 New stock also will be a feature in 2014.

 I've also decided to make more pots with lids.

 This is a shot in our cottage, but it's given me an idea

for the showroom, so look out for a new idea.

 The High point of 2013

was my balloon ride, which I loved.

 I love the fact that I have made some very nice pots

over the past year.

 Shallow pancheons are still one of my favorites.

 Marion's wall of inspiration has been just that!

 Mick Aston's jug sits waiting for him.

 Once again Marion has proved to be the back bone

that has kept me going in what has proved to be our 

busiest year ever.

We have had 71 glaze firings this year and produced

over 2800 pots.

Lots of new Ideas for 2014

so Bring it on!

Living The Dream - Well almost!

It's a funny thing Living the Dream!

On a good day life couldn't be sweeter.

On a bad day it's easy to loose sight of what we have.

We have had a few of those days recently, so we have been

making a conscious effort to explore the world we live in. 

This is our workshop on a sunny Saturday morning.

this is the back view. 

Early morning starts with the barn doors open

let the light flood in to the workshop

actually blinding me at some points. 

We have had some great Frosty mornings and we have taken to 

starting the day with a few long walks with Cadbury. 

The countryside around us is so beautiful you tend to take it 

for granted when you see it every day and your life is so busy.

It's nice sometimes to stop and give yourself time to look

and appreciate what we have. 

 Caddy was barking at the stone on the left I think he thought

it was a dog sat down?

 Taking time to watch the leaves falling off the trees

was a special moment.

and then coming across the swing hanging from a tree

was a real treat.

We have been making some pots for the showroom

as well. 

This 15" dish thrown by Me but decorated by Marion

makes a change from my usual plain slip decoration.

Spending time walking  is giving us space to think about next Year

and the changes we will be making,

more on that at a later stage when our Ideas are

more formed. 

But there is light at the end of the tunnel 

and at the end of a busy day 

We can sit back and relax in our Tiny cottage

which is 

Our Castle.