ebay: Beachin says: HELP ME get rid of da bums outa my studio! Pirate Mugs!

I don't know if I can control the humping, but I'll try.

[ Edited by: TikiPug on 2005-03-31 22:07 ]

On 2005-03-31 21:23, Mike the Headhunter wrote:
I am working on becoming a potter also and all these posts have been watched closely, you might remember the trademark one last year I posted on and learned a great deal from. How do we get a pirate mug from you?

That trademark thread was another one of those stay-up-all-night and learn-as-much-as-you-can discussions that had me wandering all over the internet for answers. I actually printed out some of the info to keep in my business binder.

These life lessons are cheap here but I'll bet there's thousands of small-business-owners out there who wished they had someone to point the way. They probably had to learn the hard way and it costs a higher price than they could pay.

Good luck on being a potter. The minute my hands touched clay for the first time, I was stuck (really...it was too wet and I couldn't get it off of me...I digress). I love being a potter. I love hand-building, carving, and painting on the glazes. I love the process. I love the weight and feel of the mugs I create. I love that I can turn dirt-basically into something beautiful. I will encourage you in every step of the way to go for it. So will others on TC, apparently. Trust me on this.

"I love that I can turn dirt-basically into something beautiful."

Yeah, that's what I like.

edit: deleted bad pun...(off-topic and off-color)

[ Edited by: beachin on 2005-04-01 17:10 ]

[ Edited by: McDougall on 2005-04-01 17:27 ]

Beachin, I suggest you read The Fountainhead by Ann Rand.

Ayn Rand, sorry...

whoa, great read! I love seeing so much honesty and a great lesson learned! Beachin, you're right about those artists/small bus. owners going around with no clue. I see these artist selling their stuff down by the beach where I go surfing a lot, and no one buys there stuff, but they keep coming back. Most artists are clueless about marketing themselves, me included. But I've learned that anything can sell if its in the right place and presented effectivelly. A sensitivity to the market combined with your own style will be the best combo. Tiki Central is mostly a group of people (me included) who are trying to re-create those classic Tiki Bars/Restaurants in their own homes, or backyards. When ever I'm deciding weather to make an idea come to life, I always decide whether its "Classic" or not. Classic can feal somewhat limited overall, but there are literally infinant solutions that are waiting to be made. As for Oasis, it has the Best of the Best in the Tiki scene so everything is priced very competivelly. Thanks for such a civilized, informative and positive post everyone!

I've been thinking about y'all a lot this weekend.

I went into the studio and took a good long look at what I have in there. This is what I'm thinking and it will probably appeal to most of you.

What I've noticed is a trend toward solid colors and lack of detailed painting. Another trend I've seen is that you collect molded mugs vs handbuilt/thrown mugs. Is that correct? Lastly, as BigBro pointed out, the smoother lines are more likely to be marketable.

The reason I am pointing this out is this: without sacrificing my artistic integrity, I am considering creating a special line that will cater specifically to TikiCentral members. They will be available to you first and marked to suit your budgets (even you DawnTiki). This will be a separate line from what I already have, but will cater to your preferences.

There will be one thing different, though. I don't work with molds. It's not the kind of ceramics I make. They'll be heavier and thicker than the vintage mugs you collect, but I promise you'll love them. I will have limited numbers of special styles.

I will design others and post the prototypes for y'all and see what you think. If you like them, I'll make more. This will help me learn more about you, as you seem to be willing to voice your opinions and make such an enormous investment into me and my art.

How does that sound? I'll bring some with me to Oasis and you can pick them up and feel them and see what you think. This will keep me busy in between now and May (you know...in my spare time), and give me something to ponder.

I think this would be the happy medium that so many of you propose. It would allow me to do what I love to do and still support myself. I don't see it as selling out, as I would still have the creative license, but would be catering to a market. So? What do you think? Is that something any of you would be interested in?

???? Feedback ?????

http://www.kimberlypcoburn.com

[ Edited by: beachin on 2005-04-04 14:18 ]

[ Edited by: beachin on 2005-04-04 14:29 ]

It's not selling out at all. Sometimes working within self imposed boundaries forces creative solutions that you may not have otherwise considered. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

It's kind of like when the instructor gives an assignment and tells you a huge part of your grade is coming from this. The class is in session. Only I have ---like---3000 instructors and no pressure whatsoever!

Good thing I have a sense of humor!

Thanks Raffertiki. Your art raises the bar for me.

Like your mugs...and always interested in
what members are doing...and...as our friend
Benzart would suggest...PICTURES PICTURES
AND MORE PICTURES...we love pictures.
sorry Ben

Since you are taking requests can I get me a Wilson or simular? What a cool looking charector!

I just read the last four pages and I wanted to reply to it all. Man, Beachin, can you type a lot. I got the game plan. Your new and your stuff and name isn't out there yet. You got to go through a lot of crap before you come out of the other side clean-(can anyone name this movie's ending?) Tiki is the first collection that I have had. I don't know if this is a good thing or an addiction. Probably good. There is a "thing" about collections. You can't have just one. Can't!! So, sell your stuff long enough and at a selling price and when you get a name for yourself you can triple the price and it will still be a must have. I will need to buy that new piece to go with the pirate mug I got. HINT-If you did want to mass produce your stuff down the street you are already set. If you massed out the pirate mug as just a marketing tool and then all the people that have originals will feel the love.

Your website.. I can't get past that walnut tooth head. It is something about it that get under my skin. A cartoon of your logo would help. I personal want my mugs to have different color but maybe not all on one mug. I don't want to have a line of brown mugs :( I do cermanics too and have a good handle on it (in my mind a least and that is #1) Man do I have killer ideas and no shop to do them. One day again.. You want to do TC marketed mug, let us vote on a color or flower, no flower. We will be more interested if we feel our ideas are involed.

More pics less nut Teakey

On 2005-04-04 21:48, McDougall wrote:
Since you are taking requests can I get me a Wilson or simular? What a cool looking charector!

I'm in the studio today. I'll work on something like Wilson for you, McDougall. You're getting a good deal on Bling Bling! That red glaze is made with 24k gold. I probably won't be making copies of that one.

The Bum showed up at my door today. The Pirate mug is even cooler in person. Real nice, well made mug and unique. I love the glaze inside the mug. Hope I win Bling Bling and can't wait to see the next "Wilson". Mahalo!

Wow! It's hard to believe that it's only been a few weeks since all of the discussion got started about my tiki mugs.

I've narrowed down what I'm doing for now. I'm building Pirate Mugs fast and furious. I'm bringing some with me to Oasis.

But here's the deal. When I'm done building them, I'm done. I'm not going to handbuild any more of these suckers. Those that bought them when I get fed up are lucky bastards cuz when I quit, I quit! I've been kicking around the idea of making a mold for them for peeps who want them later, since they seem to be so very popular, but the handbuilt ones will stop coming.

Right now I've sold 11. My plan was to make 100. Bleh! I don't want to handbuild a 100 of these guys. I'll probably stop between 25 and 50. There are two on ebay till tonight.

Want one? Let me know. I know a lot of you were planning on getting one at Oasis, but the numbers aren't looking good.

After the Pirate Mugs, look for something else coming out in the summer. I've been working on some ideas, but really no pics to show right now.