Subject: illustration: Rubber Stamp Phenomenon
Well... I've spent several hours on the net tonite searching the rubber stamp industry. You would not believe the numbers of places to go on the net to find info on this "phenomenon"!!!
You can start with a search... Yahoo: Business & Economy: Companies: Arts & Crafts: Supplies: Rubber Stamps
I was told not too long ago that my art would work well in the rubber stamp industry and I thought at the time... well, how much of my work could I sell in THAT field? Rubber stamps? Yeah... sure. Well... it's HUGE! There are hundreds of places that are on the net... I'm still researching. One retailer in PA has 25 manufacturers listed as a PARTIAL listing of manufacturers whose stamps they sell. Some of these stamps are soooooo sophisticated that I was amazed. There is whimsy, realistic, floral, landscaping, holiday, wildlife (thought of you Pattie) and much, much more!!!! Full ink line drawings, many copyrighted by the artists for home and personal use only by the customer. Others allow "craft" use if acknowledgment is given to the manufacturer who made the stamps. One place I found sells rubber stamps of Beatrix Potter art and Cherished Teddies and Precious Moments. Some had beautiful "floral frames" that can be used for mats on photos. Incredible. Another had 3-d finished pieces that were rubber stamped and put together! Amazing stuff!
There is one place called... Libby's Highway Rubbery! (Cracked me up!). Still another place said... "internet hub for politically incorrect rubber stamps"!!! It is totally unreal how big this business is. I really think it would be worth more checking into. I've started to take down info (not at all organized yet) of companies to contact who make the stamps and find out if they take submissions or use only "on staff" people. There were a lot of places on the net who only SELL stamps... so it's weeding out the manufacturers from the retailers and they all seem to be on the same lists. There was one site that had a "RubberLinks" button that took you to mega more places to check out.
This ain't going to be a quick find... but I think well worth the effort. Will let everyone know how it goes.... sometime down the road when I get further into it.
Also, there are 2 listings in the 98 AGDM book... payments for art between $50 and $250 rights negotiable... for a 2x3 or similar sized piece of b&w art!!! I'm really going to dive into this further.
Just thought some of you would like to know...
~Lainey
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I just checked out a site that was on this list of rubberstamp manufactures and you all must go there... www.kidstamp.com/ Why? FAMOUS KID ARTISTS!!! Felicia Bond is the featured artist complete with a set of "If you give a Mouse a Cookie" stamps, mugs, bookplate, t-shirts etc.! James Marshall, Trina Schart Hyman, Steve Kellogg... the list goes on. Only art currently on those I just mentioned. But they also carry Marc Brown, Sandra Boyton, Tomie DePaola, etc.!!! WOW!!!!
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Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 12:15:24 EDT
From: BURRISDRAW@aol.com
Subject: illustration: Re: Designing Rubber Stamps
To the List:
It is incredible how vast the rubber stamp industry is. People who use the rubber stamps for creating everything from cards to gifts to clothing are nuts about it! As I mentioned to Lainey, there is a large rubber stamp convention held every year out here in Southern California, and the one year I ventured there, I couldn't believe how crazy everyone was and how crowded it was! The company I designed for (Outstamping!) invited me to come and check out the "competition".
Regarding our rights, I wanted to mention that with my designs (over 75) for Outstamping!, I have an agreement with the owner that I still own the designs, but she uses them. Obviously, I will not be selling the same designs to another rubberstamp company, but I'm free to use and sell them in other areas. What I have done is to change the design a tad, when submitting elsewhere, just because it's fun.
Outstamping! has been very good for me. Once, they even had me come to an Open House event and sign my rubberstamps! So, I guess you'd call that a "stamp-signing". It was a blast.
Keep in mind, however, that once your designs are on a rubber stamp, they can be used to benefit others in many ways. By this I mean, they are transferred onto paper , cards, or fabric, then handcolored and sometimes sold. Yes, sold. Thankfully, I had one person call me from Iowa one year asking my permission to use my rubberstamp design to make note card packages to sell at a church boutique!
So, all I'm saying is once it's on a rubberstamp, it's OUT THERE. I've resolved this in my own mind, knowing that it has only helped with the sales of my new designs, as people want more...but, for every ONE person who calls to request permission, I'm certain there are many more who don't bother and make some money off our creations.
Don't mean to be so negative, just food for thought. I have a few scars from being burnt out there. They don't hurt anymore, they just serve as reminders.
Take care one and all,
Priscilla Burris
BURRISDRAW@aol.com
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