Jo O'Brien

Hello to Ears Wide Open!

After reading a lot of discussion in the forums I would like to present my proposal to you. I am based in Melbourne and am very seriously committed to renting a stall at a couple of markets to sell RedBubble Artists’ work and promote the site. I currently manage an art gallery that sells prints and originals on commission and have a strong understanding of what is involved to make this idea work.

Rather than just throwing it up as a suggestion, I have included a suggested plan so that you have something tangible to discuss.

I think the market stall idea has a lot of merit and could potentially grow into quite a lucrative endevour as well as being a huge promotional tool. It is a way of tapping into Melbourne’s art culture which is heavily concentrated in street stalls, markets, garage sales and small independent galleries.

The benefits include increased membership on the site through being visible to Melbourne artists at their predominant place of work and increased sales through order taking on site at the stalls and through increased online patronage.

Anyway, on to the plan!

BubbleMarket Plan

Interested artists will complete a form through the RedBubble website to register their interest in participating and agree to the consignment and payment terms.

I will agree to sell their work on consignment only. All care (in fact heaps of care) but no responsibility will be taken for artists work at the stall or in transit.

In the interests of keeping it simple and reasonable for a 1-2 person stall, I’d suggest a standard mark up that all submitted work will be sold at. We would have to keep prices competitive with “market” prices.

I would add a small surcharge to all sales to cover my time and labor to be negotiated.

Artists’ biographies, catalogues or portfolios are more than welcome if artists will post them to me. I would like to promote the individuals along with their art.

If you can give me a catalogue with order codes/numbers and a cordless EFTPOS machine (even an old Click Clack one) I will take orders on behalf of RedBubble.com.

If taking orders to be posted I will need all relevant info regarding postage costs to add to the order price.

If I am using a Click Clack machine I will not use it for ‘on the day’ sales where the artwork is taken. Stolen cards will be declined long after the customer has gone and you are trying to deposit into the RedBubble bank account.

Artists would order their own work at the base price. It would be really awesome if we could arrange to have it all end up at RedBubble Fitzroy and I’d pick it up in one go.

On the day I’ll keep a meticulous list of sales and stock so I can track who is owed what money and generally account for the whereabouts of all stock. I do a fair bit of bookkeeping for our three galleries and am competent in tracking dollars and cents!

At the end of the day or on the next business day I would return all unsold stock to RedBubble along with the cash. It would be great if you could pay people via the usual method.

Unsold stock could be posted back to artists or kept for future markets.

Expenses Summary :
-Renting the stall and perhaps a display table
-Posting unsold artworks back to artists ( I will make neat piles for you)
-Appropriate display equipment such as clear, hard backed, display files/slips to prevent damage
-Carbon Invoice book for recording sales and providing receipts
-Promotional material –lots please
-Labor to organise artwork prior to market day
-Labor to organise payments and postage after market day
-Labor associated with creating and printing a catalogue

I’d be asking RedBubble Admin to help out with:
-Letting me collect artwork from Fitzroy in one go instead of 50 people posting stuff to me
-Pay artists and deposit cash (I will provide sales lists)
-Supply a click-clack or other portable Credit Card/EFT machine for catalogue orders
-Provide postage price information for catalogue orders.

Contingency Planning:
-Select a market with under cover areas because artwork and rain do not mix and bad or windy weather would equal cancelling
-Have 1-2 other people available on the day in case I get hit by a bus, my car is stolen etc.
-Ensuring all artwork available for sale complies with copyright laws

I have tried to cover all the main bases here but have probably missed a few things that will be blaringly obvious to others. Perhaps lets discuss it properly because I am really prepared to back this idea and make it happen with a bit of your support.

BubbleMarket could become a regular event and a HUGE promotional tool for RedBubble and all the great artists we are so lucky to have on here.

Do not hesitate to give me a call in or outside of business hours to discuss this idea further.

Jo O’Brien
jo.obrien@hotmail.com