ART OF STAINED GLASS
GIFT SHOPS



Consignment
You can sell your products in small quantities to local gift shop that may be willing to take it on consignment, assuming it is not part of a chain that can only sell the merchandise dictated by some head office. Unlike craft fair sales, where your lowest possible price is the actual price, the gift shop will need to mark up, usually around the vicinity of 30% - resulting in a loss of demand which may be offset by greater and more targeted in-store traffic. Generally you will be granted a tiny corner of the store where your wares will be grouped together. You will be expected to pick up unsold merchandise within 2-3 months, as shopkeepers do not like for their displays to become stale. If you were successful in producing enough interest and sales, you may be asked to bring more. If you consign to several stores, you will need to keep careful accounting of what you have consigned to whom, for how much, and require signatures.

Selling through consignment for pleasure is one thing; for profit, is another entirely. If a good return on your time investment is what you are looking for, you may decide that peddling and keeping track of merchandise across a number of stores is not the most efficient, or even pleasant way to go about it. Even if you sell nothing at a craft fair, at least, you'll have had fun. If you sell on consignment, you'll end up with a lot of paperwork for little reward.

Wholesalers/Distributors
If you have a good concept for a product that you can churn over quickly, yet look smashingly stylish, you can take it to wholesalers. Your price will have to be extremely low, as the wholesaler is an additional layer of profit-taking beyond yourself and the retailer. Nothing stops your from having your idea manufactured in Mexico, where a tremendous amount of inexpensive glass and metal work is done.