Custom Orders...do you?

deirdreschaneman · #1 2009-12-09, 3:43pm

Another thread on LE got me thinking -- what is your policy on special orders?

I recently had a woman come into my studio off the street who said my work should be on the catwalks in New York. As she ooh-ed and ah-ed, she pulled out of her purse a couple of lampwork beads that she had gotten from a bead store -- you know, the un-annealed, still with the bead release variety that you can buy for a few cents. She was very fond of these beads and asked me how much I would charge to make her more. I don't replicate others' work -- especially shoddy work -- but I quoted her $30 per hour plus materials to make my own version of what she had in her hands. Taken aback by the price (even after I explained to her that I use high quality materials, anneal and clean my beads) she left. Funny that she thought work good enough for the catwalks in New York wasn't worth 30 bucks an hour...but that's precisely why I hate special orders.

I rarely do custom orders for people unless they are very, very loyal customers who "get" what I do and allow me creative license within the boundaries of their requests. But I find that even under the best of circumstances, it's tedious to do so.

What about you? Does anyone care to share their policies on custom orders?

BoulderGlassMonkey · #2 2009-12-09, 4:19pm

I am very up front about my process and why my price is so high. I require 1/2 of the payment up front and the rest before shipping or pick up. The people that don't like it aren't worth my time and energy to work with.

I have to say that some of my best clients were custom requesters at first!

2kids&atorch · #3 2009-12-09, 6:03pm

After reading the responses in my other thread (about "garnet" glass), it seems most people won't do it. In my case, I am trying to build a customer base, so I am willing to do it. The girl requesting it seemed to understand that she would not be designing the work itself, just requesting a certain color for a gift she was giving to a friend who works for FSU (their colors are garnet and gold). She agreed to leave the design up to me. But the replies I got in the other thread made it seem like custom orders usually end up with more headaches than anything else....HMMMMM...

glassymom · #4 2009-12-09, 6:12pm

I do lots of custom orders. Since I'm so new (2006) I will usually do the work and if they like it then I will invoice them. UNLESS it is something that only THEY would want, then I want 1/2 up front. I am always willing to try anything new to me and sometimes do work from pictures of things like fish! LOL
I like custom orders and find myself looking in etsys alchemy alot. I've done several custom orders from there too.
My prices arent really high so I've never had anyone change their minds..........
I enjoy the challenge but will tell them up front if its something I dont' think I can do.
sue

squid · #5 2009-12-09, 6:16pm

$30 an hour is low - I use $60

Elizabeth Beads · #6 2009-12-09, 7:53pm

I love custom orders. I make it clear that handmade artisan beads are one of a kind and not assembly line perfect, and I don't take on anything that isn't in my skill set. I've had people contact me who bought my beads at shows and want something in a certain color. I make it and send them a photo, no obligation. So far everyone has been pleased and paid up. But if not, it would just go into my inventory and hopefully someone else would buy it.

deirdreschaneman · #7 2009-12-11, 10:05am

I was talking to a painter in my arts community last night about custom orders. Most of her work by the nature of what she does is custom, and she for the most part enjoys it. But it peeves her to no end when people try to make her do something different than her own style. She uses a very wide range of color and recently had a woman ask her to do something in black and white and red only. She took the check but refused to sign the painting. I guess that's why I'm not fond of custom -- I want my work to reflect my own aesthetic and not someone else's.

Cabanlet · #8 2009-12-11, 2:05pm

I totally agree deirdreschaneman! It irritates me so badly when I hear and can you make it like this instead of that. And I know it isn't going to look good and I tell them so very gently. Then low and behold they don't like it when they see it. But they still got to buy it! I quit doing this, because I did not want my name associated with ugly stuff the customer designed.
I will do custom requests when they let me design it though. But not in December!!

Mermaid Glass · #9 2009-12-11, 3:20pm

I do custom work because I like the challenge of it. It actually spurs my creativity to take someone's idea and turn it into my own creation. But it can be nervewracking. I know that, no matter how perfect it is to me, it's never going to be 'exactly what they had in mind'.

I charge a price that's fair to them and fair to me, I do high quality work with premium materials, and I always require 50% payment in advance. The people who understand what they're asking for and can appreciate what they're getting never seem to quibble with the price.

~Laurie

Puddy Tat Glass · #10 2009-12-11, 3:44pm

I take custom orders and it is stressful, trying to make a critter that will do someones beloved pet justice. But everyone knows up front that if I decide to make their bead that there's no obligation if it turns out that it's not what they really wanted. I always send them a price up front and photos when I'm done. If they don't buy the item it just goes into my Etsy shop or website. I have had this happen a couple of times, but I've never had a custom bead that didn't sell within a short period of time.

Fran · #11 2009-12-11, 5:52pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by deirdreschaneman

I was talking to a painter in my arts community last night about custom orders. Most of her work by the nature of what she does is custom, and she for the most part enjoys it. But it peeves her to no end when people try to make her do something different than her own style. She uses a very wide range of color and recently had a woman ask her to do something in black and white and red only. She took the check but refused to sign the painting. I guess that's why I'm not fond of custom -- I want my work to reflect my own aesthetic and not someone else's.

I feel the same way about custom orders. I really don't enjoy them particularly. I guess the rebel in me doesn't like being "told" what to do

I don't mind so much if the customer gives me a really free rein with the design and just gives me some colour suggestions though.

rubytwoshoes · #12 2010-01-01, 3:30pm

I have been doing custom work for a few years and I actually like it a lot. Especially when I can copy something I've already made, which is usually the case.
What I charge is loosely based on the dollar a minute rule. If a bead takes 10 minutes to make then I charge $10 for the bead. When it comes to more complicated beads like watercolor florals or highly detailed beads like my "Chicken Dance" bead, one bead can take half the day to create with all the hand pulled and hand mixed canes and so forth, so I have to charge what I think the market will bear.
I have never had a problem asking for 100% payment up front. I dont' start an order until it's paid for and I have lots of happy repeat customers. I think it's too easy for a customer to get really picky if you only charge 50% up front. It should be a non refundable 50%.
What I won't do is production work. Meaning I will only make up to 4 or 5 of one bead at a time. I once had someone request that I make 30 of my little purse pendants. Even at full price I turned her down. That would have been agony.

Lisi · #13 2010-01-01, 3:42pm

I re-make almost all of my work over and over again. I charge price per bead, they pick out how many they want, and it works for me. Occasionally I get people asking me to make something off the wall totally different from what I already offer, and I don't like those too much. I have to play guessing games on what it is they are asking for, and I'll ask them to send me a picture if they can. If it's someone else's work, I tell them that they should ask that person if they could do the work.

If it's a slight deviation of a bead type I already make, that can be do-able.

BoulderGlassMonkey · #14 2010-01-01, 4:26pm

These pomegranate seed beads were a custom order and one that turned out quite happily for both parties. I just had to make sure to have clear communication. It also helped that I made a few test beads and sent pictures before making a million of them.

--Joy

2kids&atorch · #15 2010-01-01, 4:37pm

My most recent custom order was done because a customer liked some earrings I had made, but wanted to buy something for a friend who worked at FSU, and wanted to know if I could make something similar in Garnet and Gold (the FSU colors). I don't use a lot of reds, so I viewed it as a challenge, but I made sure the customer knew that I could not replicate the originals, I would just be making a similar style earring and the beads were mine to design. I was very clear that this is an artistic process and that I would be limited only by the color scheme and not by design. In the end I found it to be somewhat limiting because as a jewelry designer, I like making the beads and then letting the creative process take over from there. But, in the end, the customer absolutely loved the product and I'm sure she will be a return customer because she knows I went out of my way to make something she wanted. It was also a learning process for me, because I learned exactly what I am taking on if I receive a request for a custom order.

Elizabeth Beads · #16 2010-01-01, 5:04pm

Just send all your custom orders to me.

I love a challenge and the money doesn't hurt either.

I draw the line though, I had a customer send me a photo of another artist's beads and ask if I could make them. Well, yes, I could, but I wouldn't.

Lisi · #17 2010-01-01, 8:09pm

Joy, those are really yummy-looking beads! Look good enough to eat!

lunamoonshadow · #18 2010-01-02, 10:48am

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoulderGlassMonkey

These pomegranate seed beads were a custom order and one that turned out quite happily for both parties. I just had to make sure to have clear communication. It also helped that I made a few test beads and sent pictures before making a million of them.

--Joy

Can I lick those?

Liastnir · #19 2010-01-02, 8:57pm

Holy cow, I didn't realize they were beads until I read the post three times. Awesome!

CJ

Lisi · #20 2010-01-03, 12:58pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liastnir

Holy cow, I didn't realize they were beads until I read the post three times. Awesome!

CJ

Me too! I really thought they were some kind of exotic seeds! The colors are amazing.

killerbeedz1 · #21 2010-01-03, 6:57pm

I really don't like custom orders, but will do them because business is not so good right now. It's really boring to me.

Patsy

BoulderGlassMonkey · #22 2010-01-03, 8:05pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

Me too! I really thought they were some kind of exotic seeds! The colors are amazing.

(Blush) Thanks guys! See what happens when someone pushes you out of your comfort zone.

SadiesJewels · #23 2010-01-04, 1:53pm

I recently accepted a commission for an 18" length of spacers in a certain color I had 5 of. Thinking I knew which color it was I gaily agreed ... only to discover that I can't replicate even the spacers!

I'll have to ask for a color identification ... ack!

ewdb · #24 2010-01-04, 7:58pm

after shows, the majority of my sales are custom orders - i love doing them however i have a minimum order and clear guidelines about how i work on my site - that really cut down on misunderstandings and my level of stress. i don't ask for any cash upfront as my work is all one of a kind - i found the expectations with pre-paid orders constraining as sometimes it takes me a while to develop the design.

so far anything left after the buyer makes their choice (i usually provide 2-3 options at difference price points based on their budget and idea) generally easily sells to someone else at a show or online as the beads tend to be quite unusual. plus, the new ideas requested really push me to learn new skills, enable me to develop new designs and help me become a better beadmaker... i've designed things that it would never have occurred to me to make for custom orders.