Birds for Folk School

[bluestone]

I've donated my next fifty bird carvings to Blue Stone Folk School in Noblesville, IN. The school has decided to sell them through a series of eBay and live auctions. I've put together a catalog/blog with the first 9 or 10. I've 5 or 6 more on my bench and they will be added as completed. The blog also includes information about my technique and philosphy.

Please take a look. I'd lik to hear your thoughts.

Geoff

[Nancy-G]

Re: Birds for Folk School

Please, Geoff, when these WONDERFUL birds are listed on eBay (be still my heart ) tell us the item number or some easy way we can find them.
Thanks.

Bless your generous heart for donating carvings to the school.

[bluestone]

Re: Birds for Folk School

Thank you for your kind kind words.

Two birds are currently listed. Numbers are:

Scarlet Tanager
330339141976

Redwing Blackbird
330339142680

[Nancy-G]

Re: Birds for Folk School

Yikes!! Those two birds are closing TONIGHT.
Thanks for giving me the numbers so I could find them.

[bluestone]

Re: Birds for Folk School

Another Penguin Shelf
330340791818

Goldfinch
330340792786

[Benjamin]

Re: Birds for Folk School

very nice birds way to go

[bluestone]

Re: Birds for Folk School

Two more here:



Nearly $250 raised!

[bluestone]

Re: Birds for Folk School

This project is still going strong. I've carved all fifty birds and am focusing on sales. The birds have raised over $1500 so far.

The Folk School has had a change in (positive) circumstances and the money is now earmarked for building new studio, gallery and shop in a great and unique space.

As always, read about it here.

[Bill V]

Re: Birds for Folk School

Nice to hear the project is doing well.

Bill

[gene-messer]

Re: Birds for Folk School

Geoff .. what great looking birds .. and the e bay idea is the right way to do it .. I know your not going to have any problem selling those

Gene

[Nancy-G]

Re: Birds for Folk School

Well, PHOOEY ... .. looks like they are all gone. I was hoping to learn when you had more listed on ebay. I love the red wing blackbird I already have and I'd sure like to have more.

[bluestone]

Re: Birds for Folk School

Thanks for the continued response...

A couple of thoughts...

The birds did well on eBay initially and sold in the $35-$40 price range. I spaced out sales but the bottom fell out. My last bird on eBay sold for $8. the good news re: that sale was that the buyer attended one of my classes and is now carving on his own.

I've become affiliated with a craft/art show that caters to the "young hip crowd". I'm the stodgy old man, but it seems to work. The average sale is now in the neighborhood of $80 and commissions are not uncommon.

This group has a holiday sale the first weekend of December and then nothing scheduled until June. I'm looking for other shows and will be listing individual birds on etsy.

Unlike eBay etsy sellers really have to do a great deal of their own marketing. I now have a bit of a following for this project and plan to build upon that.

The other piece important to successful etsy sales is solid and clear photographs. The most important feature of my work (besides form) is the complex painted finish. It took a bit of experimenting to develop a consistent photographic technique that really shows the textures of my techniques. You can see my first photos here and here.

The photographic technique is simple and would benefit nyone who builds and carves small pieces.



There are still 25-30 birds for sale that directly 100% benefit the Folk School. 10% of sales for birds numbered higher than #50 (I'm working on #53) will benefit the school.

This has been a positive experience of building experience and a customer base while benefiting an important program. The Folk School, in turn, will teach and train future carvers (and musicians and printers and papermakers and weavers, etc.)

[bluestone]

Re: Birds for Folk School

I've set up an Etsy store and have begin to list birds.

50 Little Birds for Blue Stone Folk School by 50littlebirds

[bluestone]

Re: Birds for Folk School