A Veteran Potter Tells Her Story | Bebe Federmann | Episode 945

Bebe Federmann | Episode 945

Bebe Federmann Designs specializes in functional ceramics that are made to be used, whether it is for a special gathering or as your everyday tableware. Made in small batches, and limited editions, these handmade wares are created to make the home, and rituals of mealtime, more beautiful and meaningful. Bebe resides in New York, and splits her time between Long Island and New York City.

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How are you firing your work now? Gas? Electric? Reduction?

I am still firing my work in an electric kiln.

Do you have a quota of sales that you need to make on a monthly basis in order to make your bills get all covered, to make life work?

Yes, absolutely. Luckily I was in the corporate world for a long time before I decided to do this full-time, so I do have a little safety net for the months that I don’t make my quota.

So how do you plan for those slow months?

I would say that my Christmas sales are usually the best sales of the year and I make enough money during November and December it usually holds me over until about May. So when it starts to get to June, July, August, September, those are actually my hardest months until the holidays hit again.

Do you have regular buyers for your work?

I do. I would say probably 30 percent of my sales now are to repeat buyers.

Do you see a typical lifespan of a follower who buys your work for a time and then falls away?

Yes, there are definitely people who are really, really into it for a few years and then I don’t really hear from them that often. But I have the regulars that started off buying themselves some pieces and now every Christmas they come back and they buy multiple gifts for people. Typically they don’t have them shipped direct they just have them shipped back to themselves but they usually send me a little note saying that their family loved their gifts that year and things like that so those are my favorite customers.

How do you demonstrate your love and care for your regulars and your collectors?

Oh, I usually stick in some little gifts into their orders.

Do you think doing that extra little bit makes a difference for loyalty?

Yeah, of course. I think that has a lot to do with it and sometimes I will put a little gift in there and they will come back and actually order more of what I gave as a gift. Which I think is great. I love it.

Has your studio become not just a place where you work but a place where you build relationships?

Oh, of course. I mean I have life-long friendships at this point that I met , you might have to help me do that math , I started pottery in 1997 and some of the people that I met at the very first studio are people I still see and hang out with and keep in touch with now. So I absolutely believe community studios do build community. I love it.