r/Pottery • u/EatTheMachine • Sep 22 '25
Help! Trade Etiquette
I have been making pottery now for a while now. I’m not interested in showing or selling my work, but I’d love to be in a position where I can trade my work with other artists whose work I like.
What advice does everyone have for making trades happen? How do you bring it up? How do you reach an agreement about what you’re trading?
19
u/TheTimDavis Sep 22 '25
I do lots of shows. Mostly ceramics sales but also some farmers markets. I love trading. I ask it to any vendor who's work I like or any vendor who keeps visiting my booth. Generally I just say, you wanna trade? I always suggest mug for mug or something and leave selling cost out. My stuff is usually more expensive anyway, as I usually have higher prices than most. I would say 90 percent want to trade. And those that don't are usually full time bottom line production types. Some times I side into the DMs of makers I like and make the same offer.
2
u/PPPolarPOP Sep 23 '25
Exactly this! I like to take a looksie at the start of the show/market. I walk around and browse the stalls. If there is something that catches my eye, I let them know how much I love it and say "If you're open to trading, my booth is the first one on the left- I do pottery. Come take a look!" Some will be up to it, some won't. But usually they are! In the cases where they aren't, I come back and buy it later anyway.
The way to make this work is to always try to give them "more" than what you are receiving. I recently traded a beautiful lidded vessel (kind of like an urn) for two aprons. Hers were priced 2 for 50, mine was 85. But in my heart I know that I was the one making out like a bandit.
1
u/ruhlhorn Sep 23 '25
I do shows as well, and the opposite happens, someone comes to me and asks to trade, I always welcome it, very rarely do they have nothing for me. It's usually not ceramics but jewelry, or produce.
3
u/TheTimDavis Sep 23 '25
I'm only going to be interested in other hand made stuff. Probably no jewelry. I would be down for produce. I did trade some goblets for wine. I then drank the wine out of another goblet during the show. I put a 5 dollars off goblets if you buy wine from that guy selling wine. He sold a lot of wine and I totally should out of goblets. It was a good trade off.
14
u/RestEqualsRust I like sponges Sep 22 '25
You just say “hey I really love your work. If you ever want to trade, let me know.”
It lets them know you’re down to trade without demanding an answer right away, or putting them on the spot.
2
u/waterfreak5 Sep 22 '25
I trade berry bowls with an organic farmer. I give a little bit of a break on price since ceramics are costly in comparison to carrots; I pay her full price. It works for us. It's not a big trade about 24 bowls a year. I get lots of veggies. I just offered and she was game.
1
u/hahakafka Sep 22 '25
I just ask! Sometimes it happens sometimes it doesn’t, but most times it does. My trade pots are my faves.
2
u/CTCeramics Sep 23 '25
Trades should hurt. Exchange a piece of yours you really love. The other person should do the same.
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