The topic of the day for Flaming Hot! Naming Finished Work.
I have “always” named my beads that I am selling. I am not sure if it was from the many I bought on eBay and figured it was protocol, that you had to name your beads. I know I used to see some seller’s who numbered their sets and I thought “hmmm how generic and ordinary…not special and unique”.
From the very start of selling, from set one I have named my beads. Most of the time I name the photo files the name. Its easier to find them on the computer that way. I mean, I look at the beads and its the first thing I thought of, so why not use that as a name? It’s a lot easier when picking them up out of the storage box to post on eBay to remember the name to find the pictures. Somewhere in my files of my brain…the colors, the style…the feel or gist or whatever you call it of the beads reminded me of “the name” and that is how most of the time mine are named. The very first “feeling or thought” when looking at them.
Sometimes its really hard to come up with a name, and the beads sit until something come’s to me. Many times the name comes to me as I make the beads. The worse part of the whole naming thing is…I have to name Dan’s to. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes its very very hard. I mean, I didn’t make them…they aren’t from my “thought process of creation” they are from his, but I manage. It’s a standing joke with one friend, yeah you Deanna! LOL…that I use tropical more than any other descriptive word in names for beads. Yeah, it’s true…why do you think that’s so? well…I have this figured out, its because I love sunshine, warm places, sand and the water…the ocean…Oh yeah!…I live in the “Tropic’s” in my brain…my vacation daydream on a given day is to go somewhere “tropical”.
I do think its very important to name the beads you sell, it makes them more unique and artsy, or maybe the word is handcrafted. I also believe that a name can make a set sell higher or possibly not sell at all. I remember a set of Dan’s from the beginning when he was very first learning to make beads. Before he even encased beads, Dan used to do abstract color combo’s and just make small sets of 5, playing with colors. Well one day a set is sitting on my desk and I sat and pondered them. They reminded me of a memory…of something as a child. So I went with that name. When I looked at these beads they reminded me of laying under the apple tree in the lush green grass, looking up through the branches to the blue skies, seeing the growing red apples, leaves and branches and blue blue skies coming through…do you remember crossing your eyes as a kid to make all the colors blur? yeah well, kinda like that. The beads were named “Apple Tree Abstracts” I wrote a little story kinda like what I just said above in the description and they sold for $12 to $13 a bead! Dan was amazed, I mean he was a beginner and only had been making beads for about a month. I was patting myself on the back, thinking “great name Kaye, great name”. I told him…ya know, it was the name honey. He said “what? no way it was the beads” well hmmph…I knew it was the name…someone else had great memories of doing what I did as a child and that sold those beads!
Well I am long winded and this subject is true to my heart…as I have been an avid namer of my sets. Trying to find the perfect names so that people know “that name” and know they are another offering of the beads they need or missed….you know, it’s those beads again! even though the shape might be different the subject matter is the same. Like my “Primitive Stone Raku” set up on eBay now. No matter the shape, that color combo of raku and opal yellow stringer detail are always called “Primitive Stone Raku” for years now, I have made this style in focals, buttons, pillows and rounds. My customers know that, maybe even do a search on eBay for that name, looking for this style. So business wise…its a good thing to do. To have set’s that might be very popular that you name…and keep that name. Sometimes a year will go by and you will bring it back. Like a soon to be made focal I will make called my “Pyroglyph’s” I do cave type drawings of kokopelli’s and such on raku frit based focal beads…and have called them that name “Pyroglyph’s” for years now…a blend of the word pyro “fire” and glyphs like cave drawing petroglyph’s. I make them each fall/winter, and only so many. When someone see’s that name on the eBay listings they might just might remember me and think “Oh! it’s one of those beads, I want one of those!”
Marketing for beads…naming your sets…being known by a “name” you name your beads…its a smart thing I believe…as Martha would say “It’s a good thing” LOL…ok, we won’t go there. That’s a whole other discussion.
Kaye – very inspiring words. I am name challenged and tend to name my beads after the technique. I like the idea of keeping a name going with a style! The picture oon your banner is super! I do miss the Oregon coast. Reminds me of “keggers” during my college days – went to OSU and spent party time on the coast.
I think naming one’s work is important too. It shows that you value the piece enough to give it a name, elevates it’s value in the mind of the buyer too, I think. I used to enlist the help of my mom and friends when naming beads and sets. They loved to be involved that way, and it made it easier for some of those really hard to name sets.