Lampwork questions.

saucytool · #1 2010-10-13, 6:12pm

hey, im interested in lampworking and taking classes. but i have a few questions about it. i would like to make lampworking a career move. lets say i make a bunch of tobacco pipes,glass sex toys, earrings, etc. and i want to sell them. is it best to open my own store or go to certain head shops or glass stores and sell my stuff there so they can resell them in there stores. is there much money in this or is it more like a hobby? whats the best way to go about doing this? thanks. sorry if im in the wrong place to post this thread.

RSimmons · #2 2010-10-13, 6:50pm

First you take a vow of poverty. Then it's all smooth sailing.

R

saucytool · #3 2010-10-13, 6:52pm

so there is no way to make enough glass bongs or whatever to make a sustainable living? damn that sucks and is discouraging

Polgarra · #4 2010-10-13, 6:54pm

Glass sex toys sound scary based on how some of my beads have cracked.

Maybe from Boro, would that be safer

mnoelker · #5 2010-10-13, 7:05pm

The glass, tools, ventilation equipment, kiln, torch, protective eyewear, etc. are definitely not cheap. IMHO, you should take a class and first see if you even enjoy the torchwork. Then, if you love it, go from there. I unfortunately don't know of anyone making a lot of money from this. There are lots of very hardworking artists who do this full-time, but they have worked for a long time to establish their skills and to cultivate a customer base. It is also a particularly tough time to try to make a living at any art form in this economy. Take a class for fun!

Alex9 · #6 2010-10-13, 7:26pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by saucytool

so there is no way to make enough glass bongs or whatever to make a sustainable living? damn that sucks and is discouraging

Actually, I think it depends on where you live. We have pipe makers here that do very well, but we also have a university here as well as a very liberal atmosphere...(read: we have a lot of dope smokers in town and the cops look the other way).

saucytool · #7 2010-10-13, 7:42pm

i live in alaska and there is not a lot of alaskan made pipes or sex toys. what else sells? glass earrings and ?.

MelanieG · #8 2010-10-13, 7:51pm

Getting good at this art takes a really long time, a lot of dedicated effort and a lot of willingness to fail... a lot. It is also really expensive to get started with a proper setup.

Looking at glassworking as a business opportunity before you've even mastered basic skills is awfully premature. You should slow down, figure out whether or not you are going to want to put in a couple of years of almost constant failure and frustration just to learn what you're doing. Maybe it gets more fun after that, but I'm only two lampworking years old, so I don't really know.

In other words, I think it's a huge mistake to get into this 'for the money'. I love it, so I'm in for the long haul, but if I didn't I'd've bailed before I even made anything worth selling just to save my sanity.

Polgarra · #9 2010-10-13, 8:05pm

Wait, I still want to know about these glass sex toys. Do people make those with lampworking?

houptdavid · #10 2010-10-13, 8:12pm

Polgarra Yep all boro!

Kalera · #11 2010-10-13, 8:36pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by saucytool

so there is no way to make enough glass bongs or whatever to make a sustainable living? damn that sucks and is discouraging

Oh, it's definitely doable... I make a living at glass, as do several other people here. It just takes a lot of practice, and building your business can be slow. Be prepared to work very hard, much like starting any business.

Mitosis Glass · #12 2010-10-13, 9:58pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSimmons

First you take a vow of poverty. Then it's all smooth sailing.

R

Yup, I have spent more money on the equipment and tools and supplies for this craft, than I have spent in my entire life on everything put together, not including my home. Even my car cost less.

The scary thing is, I'm still buying stuff. Tools! Glass! Enamels! It never ends.

truegem · #13 2010-10-16, 12:35pm

Robert...perfect response!! lol!

truegem · #14 2010-10-16, 12:36pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polgarra

Wait, I still want to know about these glass sex toys. Do people make those with lampworking?

Yes!

alb6094 · #15 2010-10-16, 12:39pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSimmons

First you take a vow of poverty. Then it's all smooth sailing.

R

I think this says it all so perfectly.

thatbeadchickie · #16 2010-10-16, 12:48pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by FishBulb

Yup, I have spent more money on the equipment and tools and supplies for this craft, than I have spent in my entire life on everything put together, not including my home. Even my car cost less.

The scary thing is, I'm still buying stuff. Tools! Glass! Enamels! It never ends.

THIS ^

Karen Hardy · #17 2010-10-16, 1:31pm

If you are really serious about doing this, and have NO experience,
then the best thing you could do (at this time) would be to move
and locate some place where you could apprentice to another
person who is doing what you eventually want to be doing.

Most of the boro boys I know got into it that way. By accident, or
by a conscious decision to learn as much as they could from
someone willing to teach them. Glass is probably one of the few
crafts still left where the teacher/mentor relationship is still
practiced widely.

There are several lampworkers in Alaska. Contact them, and let them
know that you would be willing to be a studio slave to them.
You'll be emptying trash cans, mopping up, doing repetitive work
until your eyes fall out of your head (pulling points, prepping glass,
mixing and making frits, arranging workstations, setting up at shows,
manning booths, etc) all for probably less than minimum wage.
Perhaps even for free.

Many have done this, and worked a night job to keep them in
jeans and feed themselves. Those that I know have gone on to
become some of the most incredible glassmakers I have ever seen.

I am proud and privileged to call them my friends. However - to the
last one - they are mostly dirt poor. They are doing what they love,
and wouldn't change it for the world, but the money just isn't there.
Unless you're a marketing genius, or have a skill no one else has,
this is a very poor market for people who make these items.
You will always be fighting against an influx of cheap items from
China. If you can find your own niche and ride it out, there can be
money to be made - but first you need some mad skills - and the
only way possible to get that would be to either pay someone to
teach you, or do like I said and apprentice out for a few years.

Good luck!

theglasszone · #18 2010-10-16, 2:22pm

I agree with what everyone has said already...great advice, suggestions and encouragement all around!

Now not to be a bummer or sound arrogant or anything, I would recommend that you get your enthusiasm in check in two ways:

1. Let your excitement drive you! If you are beginner, there is much to learn. You will have successes and failures; don't let the failures stigmatize you too much - everyone has them. Learn from them. Persevere. Hone your skills and strive, strive, strive for excellence.

2. On the flip side, don't fool yourself into thinking this is an easy money maker and that with a short-term learning curve, YOU can do much of what you've probably seen shown here in Gallery, in glass-related magazines or at local craft fairs/galleries. THAT level of accomplishment takes years of practice and learning for most people! There are a very occasional few who take to this art magically in a "second nature" fashion, quickly learning how glass behaves, how to shape and mold "sculptural" designs, and how to "command" the glass at their will. The rest of us, well, have learned and attained our respective levels through blood, sweat, tears and much support and assistance from local as well as communal (such as here on LE) input, advice and guidance.

As I do with most new-comers to LE, I'd like to direct your attention to a really important thread and one that I've said countless times I think ALL NEW MEMBERS really should be obliged to read and accept BEFORE being able to post!

No offense...I just think you'll get an excellent all-around "feel" for how to approach asking questions, giving and getting advice, and generally get a sense for how the LE Family works best.

Check out this thread: http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=109283

Oh, and while I'm at it, this is also a thread I recommend highly; so much good advice in here too: http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=82265

All my best to you and welcome to your new addiction!

SilverRiverJewelry · #19 2010-10-17, 7:09pm

I firmly believe that the only way to make money at this is to love doing it even when you aren't making money at it. And have keep your day job until you can build your skill level and your customer base to replace any income you might lose when you quit said day job.

bshelle · #20 2010-10-18, 8:52am

I would recommend first finding out if you actually like flameworking.

Then frame it in your head as your hobby. When what you make meets your standards, look into selling.

gmkcpa · #21 2010-10-18, 12:16pm

Sure you can make a living at it (glass of water for breakfast, air sandwich for lunch and a bowl of pasta for dinner). OOOH - you mean eggs benedict for breakfast, New York corned beef sandwich for lunch (in NY they cost $15.00) and filet mignon with asparagus spears covered with hollandaise sauce for dinner? Huh! Now that's a horse of a different color. Maybe if you lived in the Emerald City (Oz)......

Kalera · #22 2010-10-18, 1:52pm

I think this kiddo was either trolling us or bailed when he didn't get the answer he wanted.

The Mad Beader · #23 2010-10-18, 2:33pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmkcpa

Sure you can make a living at it (glass of water for breakfast, air sandwich for lunch and a bowl of pasta for dinner). OOOH - you mean eggs benedict for breakfast, New York corned beef sandwich for lunch (in NY they cost $15.00) and filet mignon with asparagus spears covered with hollandaise sauce for dinner? Huh! Now that's a horse of a different color. Maybe if you lived in the Emerald City (Oz)......

LOVE THIS! lol

Lisi · #24 2010-10-18, 10:50pm

I gave some private lessons to someone locally and all they talked about was how quickly they wanted to learn stuff and make money off of beadmaking. I just wanted to put everything down and run away. I just remember how I felt in my beginning beadmaking days. I was so excited and it was NOT about money. That was never important to me until I went to full time lampworking, and I only did that because I had no choice.

Now this is the funniest thing - I was fretting about a set of really difficult beads a customer wanted me to make, from memory. I was complaining about how busy I was with other orders, and these weren't even beads that were listed in my shop. (a good reason, they were PITA beads!!) So, my "student" with only a week's worth of torch time offered to make them for my customer. She was barely making plain spacers evenly round, she was so new at this. I just looked at her, kept a straight face and said, "It's okay, I got it".

I thought about her suggestion later and I thought - uhhh...slap me again?! Did she really say that??!

Oh hell it takes a long time or at least a few months of torching 6-8 hours a day 6-7 days a week to make something that is "sellable". In my case, that's how long it took me. So, hundreds of wonkies later and then I had something ebay-worthy. Beads are my life and they feed me, but on the other hand, my biggest triumph ever in my lampworking life will be the day I can say that I'm doing this purely for pleasure. Then the money is just a little reward.

Kalera · #25 2010-10-19, 11:43am

The harsh reality for people who get into this because they think it's a fast buck is that they will fail. Plain and simple. It's not easy, fast, cheap, or even all that financially rewarding.

JesterGlass · #26 2010-10-19, 6:22pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalera

The harsh reality for people who get into this because they think it's a fast buck is that they will fail. Plain and simple. It's not easy, fast, cheap, or even all that financially rewarding.

But it generally makes for good deals on lightly-used equipment, so it's not all bad.

Kalera · #27 2010-10-19, 7:23pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesterGlass

But it generally makes for good deals on lightly-used equipment, so it's not all bad.

that is an upside!

Cosmo · #28 2010-10-20, 1:03pm

There are plenty of people who make a living making and selling pipes. You have to be willing to work a few years selling your work for much less than you think it's worth. Then a few more years for selling it for less than you think it's worth. Then maybe in 8-10 years you can get what you think it's worth. You have to be willing to crank out $5 spoons all day and find someone who will buy them 40-50 at a time. That in itself is an art.

As for the sex toy industry... well, don't bother. If you want to learn to make them, go ahead. But the import industry has pretty much killed the market for any American made toys. I mean, you can get some really nice stuff for $20 from importers. I can't compete with that.

As for really making a living... well, you have to work at it. It's like any other job. In glass, you have to make a name for yourself. There are a handful of the "big names" out there that can sell anything they make for any price they want. They've earned the right to be there as well. Me personally, I've been working for years to make a name for myself in glass. To this day I'm still pretty much an "unknown" in the world of glass. I think I'm starting to gradually get my name out there, but I'm still many decades away from being a "big name", if I ever get to that point.

You asked what sells... One saying I've heard many times that rings true is "do what you love. the money will follow". If you are getting into glass to make money, you are probably going to fail. If you get into glass because you love doing it, you may very well succeed.

Polgarra · #29 2010-10-20, 1:07pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cosmo

In glass, you have to make a name for yourself. There are a handful of the "big names" out there that can sell anything they make for any price they want. They've earned the right to be there as well.

I am new to all this, who are the Big Names?

ArtcoInc · #30 2010-10-20, 5:31pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polgarra

I am new to all this, who are the Big Names?

Each 'niche' in the glass world has it's own 'Big Names' ... the furnace workers, the bead makers, the pipe makers, the marble makers, the paperweight makers, the sculptors, etc.

And just because you're a Big Name in one niche does not mean that you're known in another.

Which niche do you want to join?

Malcolm