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Land Rover Commercial



 
 
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  #11  
Old March 23rd 04, 09:44 AM
annemarie
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"Uncle John" wrote in message
...
(MIKandCOL) wrote in
:

Have you seen the land rover commercial where a couple guys are
walking along the road hitchiking? One of the guys says his goal in
life is to work with ceramics and pottery. A land rover picks them up



It may be surprising to some but the vast majority of our populations
couldn't care less about ceramics and pottery or any other craft object
or fine art. After all it is a very middle class occupation and market.

Apart from Otago Polytechnic, ceramics have disappeared from all other
tertiary institutions in New Zealand. At the end of last year ten tutors
were made redundent from the Otago Polytechnic School of Art. Two of
these were from the ceramics department leaving only one tutor to run the
show. I would be surprised if the ceramics department lasts another year.

I would estimate that in our total population of 4 million there would
only be less than ten people making a good full time living from making
pottery. There is a larger group who make a part time income from their
pottery, while they are working away at something else.

Interestingly enough I posted a an ealier message looking to contact any
potters out there who were grossing more than $50,000 a year to discuss
business plans etc.. $50,000 gross would be the minimum to make a full
time living. I have not had a reply.

We have all missed the boat and I feel that is because over the years we
have ceased to educate the younger people into the love of hand made
objects and craft.

Regards

John W




I agree that educating people is the key. I went to a weekend demonstration
by Jeff Ostriech (sp) recently. In his opinion in America pottery and hand
made "stuff" is popular again and selling well??
Do other Americans experience this? Hope it happens here in NZ.


Ads
  #12  
Old March 23rd 04, 12:41 PM
Sam
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"Fiona Jarvis" wrote :

Not a very effective ad in that it says the
car is too damned expensive for ordinary folk.


I think that's their point. They make a car that is not for "ordinary
folk". At $52K (base price), it costs more than my house.

Everybody sacrifices for what they want. Some people want $52k cars, and
make the sacrifice for them. I want to tend my family and we make sacrifices
for that. Making personal judgments based upon life choices is fair, but
blanket judgements are probably misleading.


  #13  
Old March 23rd 04, 07:23 PM
dkat
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I've been reading this thread and decided to add 2cents....

I see the commercial as showing the naive young man with noble thoughts of
living a life with no monetary rewards so that he can "live" his craft, who
is moved quickly into "adulthood" with the realization of what money can buy
when he "falls" for the beautiful vehicle. It is meant to be amusing for
the "older" types who can afford this vehicle and that can now look down on
that idealistic "youngster".

Now I personally think it is a load of crap and points to exactly what is
wrong with our overconsuming society but then I'm not their audience and
there really isn't anything they could show that would win me over. My
guess is it works quite well on those they intend it for.

DKat

"MIKandCOL" wrote in message
...
Have you seen the land rover commercial where a couple guys are walking

along
the road hitchiking? One of the guys says his goal in life is to work

with
ceramics and pottery. A land rover picks them up and suddenly the guy

changes
his mind, thinking he would like to have a luxurious and obviously

expensive
land rover someday.

When I first saw this I was offended that the land rover company would put

down
people with an interest in ceramics, but then I must admit that only a

minority
of people make their living this way. I used to joke in college that I

was
taking "underwater basketweaving" meaning some degrees are essentially

useless
in the real world. Is this the way society in america views ceramics?

Since I do ceramics only for enjoyment, perhaps I should not be so

critical

- Mike



  #14  
Old March 23rd 04, 08:15 PM
annemarie
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"Sam" wrote in message
om...

"Fiona Jarvis" wrote :

Not a very effective ad in that it says the
car is too damned expensive for ordinary folk.


I think that's their point. They make a car that is not for "ordinary
folk". At $52K (base price), it costs more than my house.

Everybody sacrifices for what they want. Some people want $52k cars,

and
make the sacrifice for them. I want to tend my family and we make

sacrifices
for that. Making personal judgments based upon life choices is fair, but
blanket judgements are probably misleading.


Very true, though there are so many much cheaper 4WD's around these days.
Having been in lots of Land Rovers and Range Rovers though, I'm not
impressed. It is basically a statis symbol, if thats whats important to you
I guess it is your choice.


  #15  
Old March 24th 04, 01:56 AM
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I love potters. Fascinating thread to read - thanks everyone for throwing
in your thoughts on your priorities. Incidentally, I just went into debt
for the first time to buy a Prius hybrid so my midwife partner can safely
get to births in the middle of the night. I think environmentally-conscious
cars make a much sexier statement than Land Rovers.
Simon
"dkat" wrote in message
...
I've been reading this thread and decided to add 2cents....

I see the commercial as showing the naive young man with noble thoughts of
living a life with no monetary rewards so that he can "live" his craft,

who
is moved quickly into "adulthood" with the realization of what money can

buy
when he "falls" for the beautiful vehicle. It is meant to be amusing for
the "older" types who can afford this vehicle and that can now look down

on
that idealistic "youngster".

Now I personally think it is a load of crap and points to exactly what is
wrong with our overconsuming society but then I'm not their audience and
there really isn't anything they could show that would win me over. My
guess is it works quite well on those they intend it for.

DKat

"MIKandCOL" wrote in message
...
Have you seen the land rover commercial where a couple guys are walking

along
the road hitchiking? One of the guys says his goal in life is to work

with
ceramics and pottery. A land rover picks them up and suddenly the guy

changes
his mind, thinking he would like to have a luxurious and obviously

expensive
land rover someday.

When I first saw this I was offended that the land rover company would

put
down
people with an interest in ceramics, but then I must admit that only a

minority
of people make their living this way. I used to joke in college that I

was
taking "underwater basketweaving" meaning some degrees are essentially

useless
in the real world. Is this the way society in america views ceramics?

Since I do ceramics only for enjoyment, perhaps I should not be so

critical

- Mike





  #16  
Old March 24th 04, 10:11 AM
J M
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Default

I'm a female newbie to this forum, and quite dismayed that subjects can
deviate from what the site is intended for.
However I have a few things to add on this issue and perhaps will bring an
end to this irrelevant discussion.

OK - so Landrovers aren't sexy, cheap to buy and run, some Landrover drivers
may be inconsiderate, and perhaps some potters in can't afford one BUT....

I HAVE a Landrover Discovery.... and with all this negativity I thought I'd
add a few comments in favour of them.

My Disco wasn't THAT expensive (I bought mine second hand)
I don't drive mine like I 'own the road'. You'll be surprised how many
people try to squeeze through in front and cut you up.
It has been the 'safest car' I have ever driven (and I have driven quite a
few ranging from Ladas to LWB Vans).
All range vision is excellent!
They have a large amount of space inside to fit bulky pottery equipment and
supplies.
If another car is stuck in snow, or mud - who do they come to when they need
pulling out?..... Heck! I even saw one pull a lorry stuck in a muddy field
during one wet carnival day. Ours even pulled a large camper van which had
'dug-in' at the bottom of a steep slope on a campsite last year!

Another thing...
Don't damn a product just because of the advertiser - adverts will always
offend SOMEONE!
Regarding not making enough money out of pottery - well you get what you put
into it.. It's the same in any self-run business.

I'm going to get back to my wheel now and do some 'work' instead of being
stuck in front of the computer all day!


  #17  
Old March 24th 04, 03:10 PM
Brad Sondahl
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J M made some reasonable points.
As far as staying on the pottery topic, this one is pretty good--not too much
thread creep (meandering from original topic), mostly about both Land Rovers and
pottery... Although I'm going to creep it now. As any good discussion should be
allowed to...

Regarding not making enough money out of pottery - well you get what you put
into it.. It's the same in any self-run business.


Pottery is not the same as any self-run business. Granted that it could be, and
I've seen it run that way. The limits of the professional potter are first:
what one can produce, and second what one can sell. Being both producer and
seller makes a definite limit to what one is likely to earn. In other self-run
businesses, you can add employees to grow your business, or add machines to
increase your production. As soon as you add employees or machines to make the
pottery, the nature of the enterprise has changed. You then have a business
instead of a profession. Ceramics has always existed as a business, from
toilets to fine china, employing the industrial model (since the industrial
revolution). The industrial revolution nearly ended the craft potter's
existence, producing wares much more cheaply, and generally elegantly, than the
craft potter could afford to. That's still the case--99 percent of the world
eats off mass produced pottery. Craft pottery reemerged as a possibility first
in 18th C. England with the Crafts movement, then again with Bernard Leach and
Shoji Hamada championing it in the early 20th C. In the 1960's, there was
another craft movement as part of the anti-establishment back-to-the-earth
hippie thing, which most of the current professionals began with. Anyway, I'd
say there's a distinct difference between the solo craft potter and running a
pottery manufacturing business.

Getting back to the limits of income, some potters do hire workers, or mass
produce by jiggering or slipcasting. While I have no objection to their running
their business, I do object to them selling their wares as hand made at
hand-craft art fairs (which happens too frequently).
Getting somewhat back to the original point, I'm currently working on an order
for 800 little cups. As a solo hand artist, there is no advantage to larger
orders--each one has to be made with the same amount of work. I only do this
one large order a year--the rest of my production is in dozens. It consumes a
good share of a month to make it (although I'm also making a few other pots to
efficiently load the kiln).
I think for most of us the real sticking point is sales. I have no objection to
hiring someone to help with sales--the integrity of the work is not compromised.
It's just that I can't afford it. It would meand producing a lot more pots and
more art fairs/advertising to pay for the extra help. Selling pots is
hard--selling $20,000 or more of pots per year is consistently hard,
competitive, and boring. So we are a fairly rare group who are willing to
attempt survival under such conditions.
Brad Sondahl

--
For original art, music, pottery, and literature, visit my homepage
http://sondahl.com

To reply to me directly, don't forget to take out the "garbage" from my address.



  #18  
Old March 24th 04, 03:12 PM
Brad Sondahl
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Posts: n/a
Default

It depends on your location (part of the country) and what you're doing
to sell--promote your work. My sales were up last year, but I took on a
couple extra art fairs. Most of the sellers at the fairs I talked to
felt that sales were down. The art fairs still draw large crowds,
primarily though as entertainment...
Brad Sondahl

--
For original art, music, pottery, and literature, visit my homepage
http://sondahl.com

To reply to me directly, don't forget to take out the "garbage" from my
address.


  #19  
Old March 24th 04, 03:14 PM
Brad Sondahl
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Default

oops, the previous post was posted to the wrong thread.

Brad

  #20  
Old March 24th 04, 08:19 PM
dkat
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This really isn't the way to kill a thread.... Maybe set it on fire...
Potters are one of the few groups out there in suburbia that actually needs
some type of truck (for hauling kilns, ware, etc) and might justify having a
SUV as they now stand. The lawyer driving to the commuter station,
briefcase in tow, on the other hand really doesn't. In fact 90% of SUV
owners do not need and should not have a SUV until the SUVs meet pollution
standards the same as other personal vehicles. There are plenty of vehicles
that will carry a bunch of kids (which is the excuse most suburbanites use)
that also follow the requirements to keep pollution low and that don't put
other people in danger. It isn't the 10% that actually need a SUV which
people in general have a gripe with, it is the 90% that don't. Of that 90%
who do I would say at least 50% of them put other people at risk by the way
they drive (at least on Long Island... you know that place with ALL those
off road terrains that you need SUVs for?). The commercials you see aren't
geared for people that need a truck. They are for people that want to be
"Cool". That is what I think this tread started on. The feeling that we as
a country do not value potters and that is relevant to the group. Or at
least I think it is.

DKat

"J M" wrote in message
newsgc8c.37$%Z.32@newsfe1-win...
I'm a female newbie to this forum, and quite dismayed that subjects can
deviate from what the site is intended for.
However I have a few things to add on this issue and perhaps will bring an
end to this irrelevant discussion.

OK - so Landrovers aren't sexy, cheap to buy and run, some Landrover

drivers
may be inconsiderate, and perhaps some potters in can't afford one BUT....

I HAVE a Landrover Discovery.... and with all this negativity I thought

I'd
add a few comments in favour of them.

My Disco wasn't THAT expensive (I bought mine second hand)
I don't drive mine like I 'own the road'. You'll be surprised how many
people try to squeeze through in front and cut you up.
It has been the 'safest car' I have ever driven (and I have driven quite a
few ranging from Ladas to LWB Vans).
All range vision is excellent!
They have a large amount of space inside to fit bulky pottery equipment

and
supplies.
If another car is stuck in snow, or mud - who do they come to when they

need
pulling out?..... Heck! I even saw one pull a lorry stuck in a muddy field
during one wet carnival day. Ours even pulled a large camper van which

had
'dug-in' at the bottom of a steep slope on a campsite last year!

Another thing...
Don't damn a product just because of the advertiser - adverts will always
offend SOMEONE!
Regarding not making enough money out of pottery - well you get what you

put
into it.. It's the same in any self-run business.

I'm going to get back to my wheel now and do some 'work' instead of being
stuck in front of the computer all day!




 




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