Martin began his career in blacksmithing when he was only 17. Directly out of high school he secured a job at a blacksmithing company, and spent the next four years there learning the basics. During that time, he discovered the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), an organization that recreates various aspects of the Middle Ages, and soon began making armor for SCA combat. Not long after, he started making armor of his own.
He worked at his art part time for 10 years before going full time in June 1998. Throughout his blacksmithing career, Martin has recreated armor from many periods and places in history, but has gained a reputation for a unique style of fantasy armor. He also produces decorative pieces like cups and hinges, which are mostly "farmed out" to dealers. Presently, he is focusing on high-quality, decorative fantasy armor.
Martin poses in his "Rose Knight" armor on his Web site's page about armor.
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Martin has rented armor to companies such as Jell-O, a mutual funds company and a cough drop manufacturer, to use in their advertisements. His work is even rented by men for marriage proposals and weddings. Some of his work appeared on the television show "Forever Knight."
A world-wide advertising venue
The blacksmith launched his Internet site three years ago, well before he was ready to go full time. But with help from Internet sales, his business began to grow, eventually allowing him to get his full-time business off the ground.
Right now, sales from the Internet account for 10 percent of his business, and he is working on improvements, which he believes will impact future sales. Overall, he says he will spend about $1,500 (Canadian) this year developing a new site, about $1,000 of which has already gone into the initial set up.
Martin's new site includes a much more extensive catalog of pieces available for rent. More than 50 photographs of his work will soon be displayed.
The costs for improving his Web site are relatively small for Martin, compared to what he would pay to advertise his work through conventional advertising media, which are too limited in geographic and demographic reach for his type of business. Martin's customers are from so many different demographic groups that he needs the international and cross-demographic potential the Internet provides.
READERS WITH WEB SITES
Do you have questions about your Web site? Has your site been successful in generating sales? Are you doing something unique on your site? Share it with The Crafts Report. E-mail Jim Joyner at: jimstoy@hotcom.net.
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Aside from accounting for 10 percent of his income, Martin's Internet business also has created new and unusual opportunities for his work. One especially noteworthy example was when CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, came across his work on the Internet. The television station was doing a segment on craftsmen in the Elmira area, and station executives found his site through a search engine. Martin's work was included in the special, and after it aired, a viewer who had just won $8 million in a lottery contacted Martin and purchased $8,000 worth of his work.
E-mail also has streamlined communications for his business. He replies to 10 to 15 e-mail inquiries each week.
Martin expects his business on the Internet to continue to grow, especially with the new and improved Web site. His wife is beginning to help more as the business expands, taking over much of the bookkeeping and e-mail correspondence, as well as contributing to new designs.
To other artists deciding whether or not to put their work on the Internet, Martin cautions, "Don't expect results overnight." It takes some time to create awareness. But, he also stresses, "The Internet should not be ignored or overlooked."
Jim Joyner is a database systems consultant.
