Series: The Menu- Limited Edition
This week, on the series: Limited Editions. Limited Editions are by no means something new. Art pieces in many forms are sold as limited editions, and in the art world, that refers to identical pieces that are produced in small quantities. They represent an opportunity for collectors to purchase a piece that has the dual attractions of being well-executed and accessible, yet in small enough numbers that its value (current and future) gets an up-tick. This is true of Its Cactus Limited Edition items, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.
While we have a fair number of customers that are serious collectors of Haitian metal art, the majority of those that shop with us take a more casual approach. They make a purchase because they like a piece; they enjoy the aesthetics and appreciate the craftsmanship, but not so much with the intention of the piece becoming an investment. With aesthetics and craftsmanship being greater priorities for most of our customers then, we use Limited Editions as a means of making certain designs available that we anticipate will appeal to specific customer groups, smaller than our customer base as a whole.
Take for example our masks: We have several mask designs that are wonderful in concept and execution. The people that love them – though they are proportionately few in number – LOVE THEM! We have several of those designs created as Limited-Edition pieces so that they are readily available to those that want them. From a perspective of supply and demand, it allows us to meet demand for masks without infringing on our ability to keep designs that are more widely popular in good supply.
Another function of our Limited Edition’s section is to serve as a sort of test market for pieces that we think will be well-received. Sometimes we introduce a Limited-Edition piece to learn about its salability and customer preferences. Sometimes the customers love the item just as is, sometimes we learn they’d prefer a larger or smaller version, and sometimes we learn that we love the piece more than customers do. Once we have tested the market, we know how to proceed with the item. Case in point is this Tiki Mask which is now in our catalogue as REC1075. Originally it came in as a Limited Edition item with only about 10 masks; however, after the great response from our loyal customers, it has been upgraded to a catalogue item.
Perhaps the most important role of our Limited Editions section is to give more artists a chance to sell their work. With each sale of every piece impacting the lives of our artists in Haiti, it is critical to make the most of every selling opportunity. A small run of production can make a huge difference in the life of a family. And that positive difference is what It’s Cactus is really all about!
