Should I Ever Barter Away My Stained Glass Art Or Should I Hold Out For Cash?

In the past, we've, of course, had manyabout to get something, but to lose interest once
occasions to make cash deals on our stained glassyou've gotten your side of the deal. The donkey
art and occasionally we've had a chance to barterwho follows the carrot on a stick is a good
our stained glass art for goods and services. Overexample. As long as that carrot hangs out there
the course of years, we've had some barters andnearly within reach, the donkey will keep moving,
trades that worked out well, but many tradesbut as soon as the carrot is gone, the donkey
seemed to go sour.Most started out with eachstops. We even lose some of our enthusiasm for
party having the best of intentions to do right bycompleting a project when we've been paid, but
the other, but our experience's were that eachwe usually have plans and patterns that have
time the trade or barter was made, our stainedbeen set in advance, so our part of a trade or a
glass went right out at the start of the trade andbusiness transaction continues on whether there is
then we usually got our part of the trade aftera promise or a reward.This isn't the case with
the fact. As a result, the folks we traded withfolks we've traded with. So we're fighting two
were always sure of what they were getting, butnegatives if we don't get our part of the trade up
we never seemed to know exactly what wefront. First we're dealing with something (an item
would get, so we ended up getting disappointedor service) which is sight unseen and we're
most times.As we've entered into these non-cashfighting the other persons natural loss of
deals, we've developed three simple rules orenthusiasm for the trade because they've already
guidelines to help us avoid the bad deals, whilegotten what they wanted.A good example of a
leaving the door open for the good ones.Rule 1 :positive barter was when we traded for some
What To Trade ForWe've learned that if we'reessential oil diffusers for Christmas presents with
not careful, we could end up trading away all thea client. We got about $400 worth of product in
work we could possibly do and leave ourselvestrade for some work we did for them. Over the
with no more materials to make more glasscourse of the year, we were able to complete
pieces. So this first rule helps us to avoid tradingtheir design and get their windows installed for
away more than we can afford. As stained glassthem. Then at Christmas time the next year we
artists, we know that 10 to 20% of the retailtraded for some essential oils for the balance of
price of a window is the cost of the materialswhat they owed us. This was a good trade
that go into the window and the rest of the pricebecause it allowed us to save on the costs of
reflects the cost of our labor and some profit forChristmas presents for two years and it got
the company. So we've adopted the policy thatthem a beautiful entryway which will give them
we never trade away the cost of the window.years of enjoyment.A trade which didn't go so
We will make a trade, but not at our ownwell involved a custom rocking chair built by a
expense. So when we make a deal, we agreefriends brother. The trade went fairly smoothly
that at least 10 or 20% of the trade be in cash,except, we didn't like the custom rocking chair
to cover the cost of materials. And we put theonce it was completed. It was too high, and didn't
cash back into the business for the purpose ofrock right. It was beautiful and we gave it to my
purchasing replacement goods. This keeps ussister and her husband. They loved it, he was
from losing on the deal, in the event that whattaller and the rock of the chair was just right for
we trade for ends up with little or no value tohim. In this case, the deal went just as it should
us.Back when we first started doing windows, wehave, but we were just trading for something
had a friend who wanted a specific design. Shesight unseen.Rule 3: Give More Than Expected,
drew a sketch of a very nice pattern which wasLower Your Own ExpectationsTo really get a deal
an amalgam of three different designs she hadto work in the favor of both parties, you've got
seen. We agreed that the panel would be about ato give more than the other guy expects, always
thousand dollars (which was low for the amounttrying to make the deal better for them. And
of work) and we started building the panel. Now,you'll be less disappointed when you lower your
up to this point, the window was going to be aown expectations. When I dealt with the husband
cash deal, very straight forward, very clean. Butwho traded construction parts to me, I learned
once I had half the window cut out, her husbandthat many times, the other guy doesn't care if
decided to get into the act and turned the dealyou get a good deal. This man was only
into a trade. He was very aggressive in hisinterested in getting a good deal for himself, and
negotiating skills and I was a wimp. He beat mehe did. But I never traded stained glass with him
down on price from $1000 to $300. Why I everagain!A good barter arrangement is one where
agreed to that change still confuses me, but thenboth parties are concerned with the others
he took the cash away from the deal and madefeelings. When we made a trade with an artist
it a trade for construction parts that he had lyingfriend, some large windows for a painting, the deal
around. The deal went from bad to worse! I waschanged several times. They agreed to pay for
already committed to the window since the glassthe materials and we would get two paintings,
was cut, so I allowed the deal to go downhill. Ibased on the amount of time that it would take
ended up spending $300 on solder for the windowto build both of the art projects. She later decided
(solder had temporarily jumped in price) and I gotthat two paintings was too much so we agreed
what the husband valued as $300 worth ofto get one and some design time on glass
construction parts. They really were pretty muchprojects. When it turned out that the completed
worthless. But the deal taught me several valuablepainting couldn't be published in the magazine we
lessons. The most important was rule one: Knowhad thought it would be placed in, we felt that the
What To Trade For. I had learned to spell outultimate value of the painting was greatly
what the trade was to be, how much cash woulddiminished. So the deal did continue to go downhill,
be involved, and to get a deposit or the entireto become less valuable to us, through no one's
balance of the cash part of the deal beforefault, just circumstances. But we had already
cutting any glass.Another instance vividly illustrateslowered our expectations and our friend had
what NOT to trade for. We've learned thatbecome a greater friend and we have enjoyed
whenever someone comes to us for classes ormany hours doing art projects together.We have
to get a stained glass window built and they startanother friend, whom we build pieces for on a
whining about cost, or acting "poor mouth" andfairly regular basis. The trades never go well for
then they advance the idea of a trade, weus, she forgets that we have credit with her and
ALWAYS lose on the deal.April was a goodshe wants more glass, we will never get "even"
example of this type of bad deal. She came andbut we've lowered our expectations. We know
started to take classes. But she immediatelyher, know she "needs" the pieces we trade with
began wondering if she could make paymentsher and figure that the work we do for her is
instead of paying for class up-front. We agreedmore a gift than a trade.If you can get to this
and then the next week, she advanced the ideapoint, where you expect little in a trade, where it's
that maybe she could trade for half of the costmore about opportunity, art and building beauty,
of tuition. We asked what she had in mind andbartering might work out for you. If you find
she told us about these beautiful candles sheyourself feeling ripped off, you should probably
made. So we decided to allow the trade. Sheavoid trading your art and stick to cash deals.
traded us two candles which she felt were worthEven they will occasionally go south on
the $40 of class she was trading for. I wouldyou.Trading stained glass for products and
have valued them at $10 total, but we'd alreadyservices has very often been a way for others
entered into the trade and felt committed. So weto obtain the glass that they want, when they
allowed to let the trade stand. The candles, whilereally wouldn't have been able to afford it for
overvalued on her part, also had another problem.cash. It has seldom been a good way for us to fill
They stunk! We couldn't be in the same roomour bank account, but it has often been a way
with them and we gave them away to someonefor us to develop relationships with others that
who didn't find them offensive. That deal startedhave become dear to us and has become a way
out badly and we allowed it to continue, notfor our art to be seen by others. It very often
putting an end to it when we began to feel takenleads to other deals we would never have
advantage of. We've since found that all thoseimagined, providing us with sales in the most
type of deals have been bad for us, both in theunlikely places. It's like that scripture about casting
trade itself and also in the bad feelings itthy bread upon the waters and it will return to
generates in us. It damages our faith and trust inyou ten fold. A good trade is like that. It returns
others when we get ripped off. A footnote toto us rewards we never would have
this instance, when April quit coming to class, sheimagined.David Gomm started building stained glass
left owing us almost as much money as she hadwindows professionally back in 1983 and has
paid for her classes.Rule 2: Get Your End FirstIt'sbecome an expert at many aspects of stained
human nature to be quite excited while you'reglass building, design and repair.