LewisB
Member
For the hobbyist woodworkers out there who are employed but like to do woodworking on the side.
Thanks
Thanks
Do you sell your stuff?
- Thread starter LewisB
- Start date
Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:
I don’t very often sell tools as usually I regret it at some point but I’d consider donating to a charity or say to member who was ( god forbid) a victim of the thieving scum that take other people’s tools and destroy their livelihoods .
LewisB
Member
Blackswanwood
Still Learning
I make jewellery boxes to order but only for people I know (or are introduced by someone I know). I’m clear it’s my hobby and not a business and only charge for materials with a request they make a donation to a charity of their choosing if they offer to pay more.
My apologies I’m easily confused 😕
Some of the craft shops take in work, which basically sits there till someone happens along, likes and buys and you split profits with the craft shop and yourself. At whatever percentage was decided before hand.
Craft fairs are another route, and there you can hire a table to stick your stuff on and hope to sell, or get to know other makers and jointly rent the table.
Etsy. But there though i couldnt say 100% as ive never listed on there but i know how some customers are and some whine and complain trying to get a refund, and if refused maybe you'll get your stuff back, maybe not or even will it be damaged.
Then you have Ebay and gumtree
Ebay is very similar to etsy and people buy and when it arrives look to find fault, or dont understand that hand made can include flaws, and again they're looking for a refund or partial refund, but thats not every case obviously.
Gumtree is better, especially for larger items. I did a number of reproduction arts and craft type hall chairs. Just basic slab type of thing, but seemingly favoured by interior designers.
Another possible there is to 'properly' copy things like for example Charles Rennie Mackintosh or 'Mockintosh' as it is also known. But youre not really plagiarizing his work(ok you are but nobody is going to come knocking at your door looking for a percentage.
Hill house or Argyle chairs are sought after, though there there are quite a number making those so you cant expect anything over say 300 per chair.
Hill house chairs are easier to produce than the Argyle, which require a much higher degree of technical skill to make properly.
What I would recommend is to try to have a range of objects - furniture(small tables, stools, lamps etc) things like pens from kits. Turned goods like wide 'table center' bowls and platters vases etc.
Other skills you can advertise by word of mouth, but not putting yourself out as a joiner as theres plenty of those, is 'homer' type jobs you let people know you can do- like installing skirting and architraves, hanging the odd door. Even building ikea etc flat pack furniture(amazing the number of people cannot build simple flat packs, even with the instructions in big pics and a full description)
Craft fairs are another route, and there you can hire a table to stick your stuff on and hope to sell, or get to know other makers and jointly rent the table.
Etsy. But there though i couldnt say 100% as ive never listed on there but i know how some customers are and some whine and complain trying to get a refund, and if refused maybe you'll get your stuff back, maybe not or even will it be damaged.
Then you have Ebay and gumtree
Ebay is very similar to etsy and people buy and when it arrives look to find fault, or dont understand that hand made can include flaws, and again they're looking for a refund or partial refund, but thats not every case obviously.
Gumtree is better, especially for larger items. I did a number of reproduction arts and craft type hall chairs. Just basic slab type of thing, but seemingly favoured by interior designers.
Another possible there is to 'properly' copy things like for example Charles Rennie Mackintosh or 'Mockintosh' as it is also known. But youre not really plagiarizing his work(ok you are but nobody is going to come knocking at your door looking for a percentage.
Hill house or Argyle chairs are sought after, though there there are quite a number making those so you cant expect anything over say 300 per chair.
Hill house chairs are easier to produce than the Argyle, which require a much higher degree of technical skill to make properly.
What I would recommend is to try to have a range of objects - furniture(small tables, stools, lamps etc) things like pens from kits. Turned goods like wide 'table center' bowls and platters vases etc.
Other skills you can advertise by word of mouth, but not putting yourself out as a joiner as theres plenty of those, is 'homer' type jobs you let people know you can do- like installing skirting and architraves, hanging the odd door. Even building ikea etc flat pack furniture(amazing the number of people cannot build simple flat packs, even with the instructions in big pics and a full description)
Stigmorgan
Established Member
I agree with Triton although I don't have much experience selling online I hated having stuff on Gumtree, nobody wanted to pay more than pennies and would offer insultingly low amounts, I stopped after a few months. Fairs have been hit and miss for me but to be fair (🤪) the failures were caused by bad weather at most of them.
I've had a table in a shop since last December and whilst some months have been just OK, most have been poor to bad, in 10 months my overall "profits" amount to £20 a month, I've had a range of items from £5 to £100+ and so far have not found anything that sells reliably, although having said that, I missed out on Easter sales due to a mould outbreak in the makerspace that heavily infected a lot of my wood and finished turnings, I've not really looked at Halloween, instead I am prepping for Xmas, I'm hopeful that this year will be a good one, last year we opened the shop a week into December and I made almost £400 in 3 weeks and this year I will have more and better stuff available.
I've had a table in a shop since last December and whilst some months have been just OK, most have been poor to bad, in 10 months my overall "profits" amount to £20 a month, I've had a range of items from £5 to £100+ and so far have not found anything that sells reliably, although having said that, I missed out on Easter sales due to a mould outbreak in the makerspace that heavily infected a lot of my wood and finished turnings, I've not really looked at Halloween, instead I am prepping for Xmas, I'm hopeful that this year will be a good one, last year we opened the shop a week into December and I made almost £400 in 3 weeks and this year I will have more and better stuff available.
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