Posted by Dave Bull at 12:08 PM, February 25, 2010
The Subscription page for the new Mystique series has been open for five days, and we reached a small milestone this afternoon - with 51 names on the list, the series is now 1/4 subscribed.
The reason I say milestone is because that's somewhere around the 'raw' break-even point: I will be making 200 sets of this series, and the revenue from 50 collectors covers the costs of getting the 200 from 'zero' to the point where the post office truck pulls into the driveway to take them all away: the wood, washi, mat boards, mounting, the shipping cartons, printing of the story sheets, part-timer for packing/wrapping, etc. and etc.
The next 'milestone' comes at around the 100 mark, where we cover, not the 'series' costs, but the 'David' costs. That's a bit more vague, because this next level of expenses is not so clearly defined, as some of them vary over time: mortgage, health insurance, taxes, etc. etc., but it's somewhere around the 100 region ...
Will I get to that 100 mark? I think so; I haven't even started to build the Japanese side of the website yet, and the 'mass' mailing that I will be doing to all previous collectors here in Japan won't be going out until early next week (I'll be stuffing envelopes, etc. all weekend). I'm pretty sure a number of those people will like to get this set too; I'll find out a week from now, whether that's true or not ...
So it's looking good so far - thanks very much to those of you who have decided to join this one!
**
In other series news, today I received the first 'dummy' case from the small workshop that is going to be making this one for me. I don't want to show a photo of it just yet, because you would perhaps be disappointed at the appearance - this is just a mock-up to confirm that the design actually 'works', and it is roughly put together from 'any old wood' that they had lying around the shop, and is unvarnished to boot. But I can confirm that it 'feels' great, and definitely 'works' as intended. I'm very happy with my design for this one, and even happier that I've found a place here in Japan to make it for me. After receiving it, I spent nearly an hour on the phone with the guy this afternoon, discussing various design points and construction and materials options, and they seem very responsive and eager for the work.
But when we talked about the cost and the payment schedule, it reminded me that I had better get my bookkeeping system prepared for this new series, so that I can get the invoices sent out for the first print and case, because until I get that part moving, these guys can't get started!
25% subscribed in 5 days! Congratulations! That is certainly VERY ENCOURAGING. Looks like you found the "sweet spot".
I'm curious... What will you do if there are more wannabe subscribers than your 200 target?
Repeat after me: "I will not think about this; I will not think about this; I will not think about this ..."
But actually, it's simple - just put up a note with something like, "I'm sorry, but this series is fully subscribed. I still have sets of the previous Hanga Treasure Chest available, so please consider that set instead ..."
Although this (and all my other series) are not 'limited editions' in the sense of having numbers, etc., there is no way that I can see myself going back to issue more copies, as I'm always occupied with the 'next' project ...
The long-term thinking is that I will 'move' the blocks over to my Mokuhankan venture. If I felt that there were enough interest in such a thing, I would re-issue these sets under that 'brand' - printed by other printers, without my signature, and stamped with the Mokuhankan embossment, instead of my 'Seseragi Studio' baren mark. (I've already started to do this with the prints from the first Surimono Album; a half-dozen of them are now in the Mokuhankan catalogue.)
The 'funny' thing is though, that if I do do that with this series, the prints will almost certainly have to be more expensive. Professional printers do not come cheap, and it would be a squeeze to be able to issue them at this current price. So we would have the paradoxical situation of the 'original' versions with my signature selling at $35 each, but the later 'reprints' without my signature being more expensive. Just no way around it ...
Dave said: "The 'funny' thing is though, that if I do do that, the prints will almost certainly have to be more expensive. Professional printers do not come cheap, and it would be a squeeze to be able to issue them at this current price. So we would have the paradoxical situation of the 'original' versions with my signature selling at $35 each, but the later 'reprints' without my signature being more expensive. Just no way around it ..."
Hmmm. More reason for people jump on board now, while they can! ;-)
Congratulations, Dave. It all looks good for a sell-out series. I felt you'd come up with a strong concept for this, and it looks like others think so too. I hope your regular Japanese collectors don't miss out by the staggered release of the sites.
I'm doing a woodblock print demo at an Arts Festival in mid May. I'd be happy to publicise the series there if you have a PDF version of the English leaflet I can print out. I'd be able to display the box and first print I'll receive from my subscription. (If the series hasn't sold out by then!)
I don't know about all this talk of 'sell out the series' ... Of course, I'd be very happy if we got that far; although some of my past series' are now sold out, they were never 'sold out' while they were up and running.
And even though this 25% in five days seems pretty good, I have to remember that this is kind of 'cherry picking'. (Look at that - referring to these subscribers that way!) If I do as well next week with the Japanese subscribers, it still leaves 100 to go ... and that 100 will be nowhere near as 'easy' as the first 100 ...
So anyway, we'll see how it goes.
As for the .pdf file Mark, I'll prepare one and send it over for you. Thanks for the offer to help! (Is there a Kinko's kind of place over there, where you could get some of them printed out cheaply?)
