Craft Organization Directors Association (CODA)
Craft Industry Economic Impact Survey Results:
American Craft Industry
Measures $14 Billion Per Year
April 2001 -- The results of the first major craft economic impact survey were announced by The Craft Organization Directors Association (CODA) on April 2, 2001, at the CODA 2001 Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. The survey is the first of its kind and was undertaken in an effort to prove that the making and selling of handmade objects has significant economic impact. Generally acknowledged as a valued contributor to the cultural and educational life of the United States, the size and impact of the craft industry has never before been measured.
The results of the CODA survey are expected to prove to business and government leaders that craft is a viable and sustainable industry worthy of investment and support. The results will draw attention to the important relationship between crafts and cultural tourism and validate the craft industry as a vibrant and growing network of small businesses. Armed with accurate statistics, state and regional craft organizations will be able to partner with economic development agencies to promote strategies encouraging growth and development of this important sector of home-based businesses. A crafts person will be able to use these statistics when applying for a business loan or developing a business plan. The study findings validate the craft industry as an industry, and draw attention to small and also home-based businesses, which are both growing sectors of the U.S. economy.
These statistics are drawn from The CODA Survey: The Impact of Crafts on the National Economy, prepared by the Center for Business Research, John A. Walker College of Business, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, March, 2001. The Craft Organization Directors Association is an organization whose mission is to support the work of craft administration professionals of state, regional, and national craft-related organizations.
Economic Facts
- There are 106,000 to 126,000 craftspeople working in the United
States today.
- The average gross sales/revenue per craftsperson is $76,025.
- The total impact of craft sales is $12.3 to $13.8 billion per year. This is one-third the volume of shoes purchased in the US and four times the value of taxicab rides.
- Median household income of craftspeople is $50,000 per year, 26% above the national median of $39,657.
- Income from craft activities comprises 47% of household income on average. 22% of craft households derive all of their income from craft.
- Direct retail accounts for 52.9% of annual sales, with just over one-half sold at craft fairs.
- The average craftsperson derives 27% of annual sales from wholesale and 11.2% from consignment to galleries.
- Craftspeople that have paid employees have three times the household income and ten times the sales/revenue of those that work alone.
Demographic Profile
- 64% of craftspeople are female.
- 41% are between the ages of 46 and 55. The median age is 49.
- 79% of craftspeople work in a studio located on or in their
residential property.
- 78% are members of a craft organization.
- 64% work alone in a studio, 18% work with a partner or family
member, and 16% work with paid employees.
Over 84,000 surveys were mailed directly to craftspeople who earn all or part of their living from the sale of handmade objects and other craft-related activities. Names and addresses were supplied by local, state, regional and national craft-related organizations. The survey was also distributed through The Crafts Report, other trade magazines and newsletters, and was available on the Appalachian State University website. The results of the study are based on 7,500 completed surveys, a return rate of 7% of the available 100,000 surveys.
Copies of the full 70-page national report are available for $25.
Contact:
Linda Van Trump, Managing Director
Craft Organization Development Association
P.O. Box 59
Onia, AR 72663
870-746-4396
fax and messages: 870-746-5159
info@codacraft.org
http://www.codacraft.org
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