Elusive Cochoy Pots

Deacon Jim

Dale,
Since you have come up several times in posts lately....I'm really curious about something.

First off:
1. I'm guilty of being an internet buyer. I'm so guilty that my "guard" dog, whom usually doesn't let people out of their car, jumps into the UPS truck for her cookie, which Mr. Brown wisely has ready for her.
2. I'm guilty of being a pot collector. I save money and buy what I consider pieces of art.
3. I once tracked you down and gladly paid art price for one of your early pots that was not for sale (I wanted an early Dale for the collection).
4. I went to the St. Louis show.....no Dale....Came home with a few Sarah pots.
5. I went to the recent Columbus show with $300 cash earmarked for Dale.....Dale only brought, in Dale's words "seconds" to the show. I spent $20 for a really great 2nd.
6. I hopefully will have two more Dale's by Spring '06. I have made a list from all the pictures you have posted and I'm narrowing it down. Maybe you still have them, maybe not.

Wouldn't it be worth it to contract someone to categorize, photo, size, and price your inventory, get a professionally done web site, etc. so that I can just click and have Mr. Brown show up, and my guard dog can get her cookie?

I know I would have already clicked a few times. I'm wondering how many others would have let their clicker do their buying.

Sincerely,
Deacon

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pootsie

I second the motion, Dale.

pootsie,
proud owner of a "Cochoy second"

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ripssurf

i missed my only chance to see dale at the BSF convention. if i had known you were there, i would have picked up a pot or two. something tells me though that i did look at your pots (the most expensive at the show but also the pots with the best quality) and would have bought them because of the "name".

i think an expert site would do your "art" and your business wonders.

jeff

Attila

I would click as well.

Dave, let the internet and the post office do the job. Instead of you having to haul those pots around the nation all the time. All you have to do is to post a good picture with dimensions and the price tag. In the meantime, I will just continue to buy from Sarah, it's very convenient.

Dale Cochoy

wow...I was suprised to see this thread title
ok, lemmee answer a few.

Deacon Jim, OK, now I got the name connection
Sorry about no show at St. Louis, but, it was the FIRST show I had to cancel since I started vending in 1989., why, well, the week before I sold so many pots at Florida show that I didn't have enough left to make an EXPENSIVE show ,with several other potters in attendance, worthwhile.
Jim, come up sometime, Plus, I usually go to Winterfair at end ofNov./early Dec. in columbus so could meet you at same friends place we did before. Save some shipping!

The Columbus show 2nds.
Yes, Columbus is the only show I save up "seconds" for all year. Why, well I know for a fact that $60-150 pot buyers at a local small show are few and far between . Since our local Akron show has no vending, I take them to Columbus and sell for 30-50% off what I normally would. And I'm glad to do it. I've sold some great pots there with the tiniest of flaws!
My buddy in Columbus keeps telling me to take the best stuff...I keep telling him that if I do I'll spend a couple hours unpacking/setting up and then in two days spend a couple hours packing up four tables of pots again.

A couple things I mentioned before, I think,

I CAN'T do a website, I'm not computer literate enough, so am contracted to someone to do it, unfortunately due to my procrastination, tool prices changing continually, and his slow additions to the site and slow corrections of problems, it sits there under construction. Another web designer offered to do it for me gratis, but he quit the important bonsai website job he had at the time and I've not heard back.
Maybe I'll/We'll get it together. Frankly, in summer I can't keep up, but would like to sell more pots and carving equipment in the winter months.
Also, bugs me to pay someone more than I make an hour making pots to punch computer keys!!

I can take good pics,...pay someone....no!

I can't have a catalog since I NEVER make the same pot twice.I don't have a "Line", size A, B, and C. and don't want to.

I sell most pots and continually am playing catch-up for shows, so they aren't IN STOCK long and if they are, between shows they are wrapped up in paper and boxes. Best time to catch a posted pot...right then, before it's boxed, otherwise....see you at a show. No showroom here at home to stack pots.

I don't sell on eBay, and don't want to.

I HATE packing/shipping as anyone who has ordered a pot can tell you, and go to great lengths to make "connections" with folks who oredered pots. I used to pack and ship for free, no charge to pack and charged true shipping,... no more....I could make a couple pots in the time it takes to pack one! Now, if you MUST have it shipped I take it to UPS store and you pay the shipping, which is usually enough that you could buy another pot! Plus, no worries about breakage...THEY packed it!

Ripsurf, not quite sure what to say.
I was there, my names on the pots, I was on vendors lists. And yes, hand made one-of-kind costs more than mass produced imported chinese/japanese ( usually)

Thanks Folks,
Dale

__________________
________________________________
If you want to be Different....
You have to DO something Different!
__________________________________________

Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time....
but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again...
____________________________________________
Dale Cochoy
Wild Things Bonsai Studio
Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery
Hartville, Ohio

rockm

Not to jump in here, but heck, here goes. As a bonafide, longtime, bonsaipotaholic myself, I've got more than my share of pots from Dale and a few others over the years.

I've found that waiting for potters and wares to show up on your doorstep is futile. You must seek them out, via the Internet, bonsai shows and various bonsai sources--clubs, personal contacts, etc. Go to them. Work with them.

Most of the potters I've bought stuff from are very disorganized (heck they're potters, they are artists who work with wet dirt )--although some are VERY organized, but they are the exceptions.

All of them, however, listen when you ask for a custom pot--most are more than willing to talk about making them, designing them, about potting in general--if you're a serious buyer. They will also tell you the time frame to expect to have it made. Sometimes it can be months. It's worth the wait though.

Why not call or message the potter and say "I'm interested in a pot." Give them a description of the specimen tree you're hoping to house in their pot, as well as a price range . The tree isn't really mandatory, if you're only after a nice handmade pot. A basic design starting point helps, i.e. rectangle, round, oval, etc. deep, shallow, glaze, unglazed. you may or may not be asked to put up front money. It is always better to do so, as it shows the potter there's real interest there and no "tire kicking."

P.S. Another reason to attend "big" bonsai events, like this past summer's WBFF convention in D.C. is to see these folks and not necessarily the displays. Ron Lang, Dale C. and Sara Rayner were all in the same room for several days. Each had at least four tables of stacked pots...yeah, I know, I was lucky, I live in D.C. Didn't have to drive far.

Deacon Jim

Dale,
Thanks for the explanation. Sounds like you are selling as fast as you can make them so the only alternative is expansion. Of course that's business loans, more kilns, apprentices, more risk, and more headaches. I agree, in general, with what Rockm said, "They are artists" so typically in the art world the sellers sell so the artists can create. Only for the big shows do the artists get involved for the face time. That's why I asked if you had tried to contract out the inventory and web selling end of the business.

Thanks for the invite. I have a sister in Uniontown so I'll keep that on the radar. Winterfair is good if I can get myself together by then. I think that's when we hooked up last time. My girlfriend and I still laugh about that meeting. You asked your friend about several dead trees that he had gotten from you, he replied, "they are just dormant, Dale." So now all the experiments that go south are, "it's just dormant, Dale."

Rockm,
Lucky for you about DC, unlucky for me about St Louis and Columbus shows, l was so ready, money in my hand like a kid in a candy store, I walked around St Louis vendor area three times, where's Dale? Where the $#% is DALE? Lucky for me he is close by and I'll arrange another meeting like last time.

Deacon

Dale Cochoy

Atilla said:
"let the internet and the post office do the job. Instead of you having to haul those pots around the nation all the time. All you have to do is to post a good picture with dimensions and the price tag. In the meantime, I will just continue to buy from Sarah, it's very convenient"

Atilla, I go to the conventions because I love it!....I'm a bonsai guy!
Yes, continue to buy from Sarah, you can't go wrong

Rockm,
Your comment was funny, but the last half did make me think of something. All the time, some from THIS group, I get people asking about building a pot. I go through several emails...size, color, etc then when I give them a price...never hear back. I've even had a couple order pots, I built them , then no answer when I emailed they were done. I guess that's common though with some types of businesses. Many times I get a beautiful pot to someone and ask to get a potted pic of it when they get it potted. I rarely do, but REALLY appreciate it when I do, The one REALLY DISAPPOINTING thing is when I get someone who says "build me a pot ABOUT 10x8x3," or whatever. I tell them DON"T GUESS, MEASURE IT!! So then they say they do and give me measurements that aren't very close to what their "ABOUT" size was. So I make the pot, sometimes it takes three trys to get a good one and right. I get it to them. Sometime later I see them and ask, how'd that pot come out? and, you guessed it....
The answer is "It didn't fit"
BTW, when next we meet , MAYBE at Spring PBA, introduce yourself, I just can't place the face/name

Deacon, yes Uniontown....2 1/2 miles from my house to center of town.
Yes, I remember joking w/ Ben . BTW, Ben is one of the two best bonsai people in that area. You can't go wrong seeking out his help.
but,
I can't imagine you had any trouble spending that money with all the good potters at St. Louis??

__________________
________________________________
If you want to be Different....
You have to DO something Different!
__________________________________________

Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time....
but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again...
____________________________________________
Dale Cochoy
Wild Things Bonsai Studio
Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery
Hartville, Ohio

mike_p

Here's a Dale Cochoy pot that I'm proud to own and display.

Mike

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