I'm in Winter Park, Colorado taking a day off with extended family before set up on Friday. Sleeping in late, lounging around and writing replies on my iPad. I thought would share an experience of off season sales that happened this spring. I had orders for two trick saddles (very specialized saddles for guys and gals that do gymnastics on horseback while tearing across an arena at 30 mph). I decided to post pictures of their saddles' construction progress on Facebook. I also decided to build one for stock and finish a very fancy one that was started year's ago and was just being worked on now and then. Before it was finished the fancy one sold to a new client in Australia. She has subsequently ordered specialized straps for friends. The fourth one sold about a month after I finished the other two. As a result of the Facebook experiment, I have two more trick saddles on order and an appointment with a third client after this show. One of the two on order go to a client in Calgary who I first built a saddle for her as a young teenager. This year she is performing at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas (FYI that is a really big deal in the western world).
I will be posting pictures of this next group of saddles on Facebook starting in August if you want to follow along. My page is Richard L. Sherer.
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I have my FB page linked to fineartamerica.com so that people can shop directly. It HAS generated sales - the last one went to Jersey, UK. I am reluctant to post WIP's any more, due to the local copy "artist", but now only post a small section of what I'm working on.
Good job on your sales, Richard! I'll look you up on FB :)
Great marketing, Richard! Thanks for this story and congratulations.
Where would we be without the Internet? There are so many tricks and smart ways to market art inexpensively using websites and FB stories -- too many people are just too busy to stop and pay attention to all these ways they can utilize the web to make their lives easier.
So you're THAT Dick Sherer? I showed quarter horses for many years and coveted one of your saddles. Toward the end of my show career, I was finally able to buy one used from someone who was going out of business. I then passed it on to my brother....Absolutely beautiful craftsmanship...
Curious,what is the serial number under the seat jockey. I can send your brother sone history on it and the original spec. sheet. Contact me at sherersaddles@solucian.com.
Kathy Oda > Richard L. ShererJuly 20, 2012 at 8:02am
Will do. After he wrapped up his show career, I think he kept it in the hopes that one of his daughters might want to get involved with horses.
Well done Richard :) I make a the occasional sale on facebook but mostly its just keeping people interested. We have a great thread where many AFI'ers shared their facebook pages so we could "like" each other.
I really enjoy hearing about the people who use your saddles and that you treat them as works of art.
We were in Vegas last year during the rodeo but I couldn't get anyone to go over there with me to check everything out. Having gone to the Houston Rodeo for years, it is really fun to go to them.
Replies
I have my FB page linked to fineartamerica.com so that people can shop directly. It HAS generated sales - the last one went to Jersey, UK. I am reluctant to post WIP's any more, due to the local copy "artist", but now only post a small section of what I'm working on.
Good job on your sales, Richard! I'll look you up on FB :)
Great marketing, Richard! Thanks for this story and congratulations.
Where would we be without the Internet? There are so many tricks and smart ways to market art inexpensively using websites and FB stories -- too many people are just too busy to stop and pay attention to all these ways they can utilize the web to make their lives easier.
So you're THAT Dick Sherer? I showed quarter horses for many years and coveted one of your saddles. Toward the end of my show career, I was finally able to buy one used from someone who was going out of business. I then passed it on to my brother....Absolutely beautiful craftsmanship...
Will do. After he wrapped up his show career, I think he kept it in the hopes that one of his daughters might want to get involved with horses.
Well done Richard :) I make a the occasional sale on facebook but mostly its just keeping people interested. We have a great thread where many AFI'ers shared their facebook pages so we could "like" each other.
http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/facebook-business-page-...
Do add your facebook link there!
I really enjoy hearing about the people who use your saddles and that you treat them as works of art.
We were in Vegas last year during the rodeo but I couldn't get anyone to go over there with me to check everything out. Having gone to the Houston Rodeo for years, it is really fun to go to them.