Reflecting on Scottish Gallery Show

[Deborrah Daher]

A year has passed since I was invited to show at The Scottish Gallery, a lovely space in New Town, Edinburgh - it was my first exhibition out of the country.  There were many things for me to learn about shipping and pricing for another currency, just the mechanics of it all.  The gallery staff were supportive and clear throughout the process.

The online catalog looked great, as did the show card.  The work was displayed simply giving the pieces space - I was extremely pleased with the experience, plus they sold enough pieces to make it a financially successful undertaking - an unanticipated outcome for a first exposure to a new group of collectors.

Would love to do it again!

[Deborrah Daher]

Anne I enjoyed meeting you too! You are bursting with excitement - a delight ;)

The gallery was clear on what they wanted to show - strictly my enamel work, and specifically brooches and necklaces.  They really didn't give me price guidelines and seemed more focused on showing the work.  They sold a couple necklaces and also some of the brooches, and they seemed pleased with the response - me too.  

[anne havel]

hi deborrah,  it was such a joy to meet you at the snag conf this year!  i have loved your work for so many years and it's always wonderful to put a face to the name and work.  i hope i'll see you in nola also!  and i'm so sorry to be this far behind on writing, but i always keep the posts in my inbox that are important to me!

a couple questions.  did you keep your work within certain price points to make it easier for selling?  did the gallery give you guidance as to what price points might sell best?

thanks in advance for your response!

[Deborrah Daher]

I agree, they are great - I took the opportunity to visit Edinburgh while my show was up, and couldn't have been more pleased with the gallery.  What a beautiful country!

[The Justified Sinner]

Excellent! The staff are delightful and so, so helpful. This is one of the places I will miss now I'm no longer in Scotland.

[Brigitte Martin]

I heard many times that Parcel Pro is the best way to ship hassle and headache-free. Glad to hear you had a good experience with the gallery too. Thanks for the update!

[Deborrah Daher]

Brigitte, I was fortunate in that the gallery explained to me they would be converting my US dollar prices into their currency plus adding the additional VAT fees (Value Added Tax) that they were required to pay at their end.  Depending on the value of the dollar, the work is more or less expensive to their clientele. I already use Parcel Pro to ship and insure my work here in the States, so was able to have them help me with all of the international shipping and custom's requirements involved.  There is additional time to factor into arrival, so I made sure I sent the work a month before the opening as the gallery requested.  It truly depends on how helpful (or not) the gallery you are working with is, The Scottish Gallery was great, whether this is a positive experience or  not.  I found it helpful that there was a common language, so that eliminated a possible barrier to clear communication.

[Deborrah Daher]

[Brigitte Martin]

Thank you for this, Deborrah. If you have some time, I am sure our readers would love to hear more about what you learned regarding shipping and pricing in a foreign currency. It would be a great learning experience for all of us. Also, would you happen to have additional images of your work and of that of others in the gallery? Many thanks!