He knows that he will either be idle half the time, or have to find someplace to store 300 unsold pots. The chief concern is not increasing production, but holding down production costs, said Gochi. For example, a gas kiln is far more efficient than a slow and quirky wood-burning one. But the potter will choose the traditional model if he can buy wood scraps cheaply from a neighboring town of furniture makers. But while they are willing to change to meet the demands of the marketplace, their efforts often fall short.
Marketing strategies are often primitive.
In the worst of cases, such as in the less-developed communities on Michoac n's Pacific coast, an artisan will bring his products to the side of the road and wait for a truck. Whichever way you are going,' the artisan replies. Or an artisan will load up his sack of goods and go to the city. There he will sit, sometimes harassed by the police, often hungry, sleeping in the open. On the fourth day he lowers his prices, and on the fifth day he practically gives his products away.