Chippygeoff
Established Member
We all know that scrolling is addictive, it’s like a drug, we have to have our fix on a regular basis but I was wondering what all of you do with the things you make. I know initially and in the first few months of a new found hobby you can make things for friends and family members but there will come a time when you have exhausted your list of people to give things to.
You still make things and I feel some of you may have items you have made festooned all over the house. Have you thought about taking your hobby to a new level and selling the tings you make. If you do then the money you make will pay for things like extra wood, a new stock of blades and many other items that we all need.
So how do we go about selling a few items now and again or on a regular basis? Many have gone down the Etsy and Folksy road but take it from me, you are not going to sell a lot there. With so many people on there already doing the same sort of thing your things can easily get lost with the hundreds of other people trying to sell scroll saw items. Some have tried E-bay with some degree of success but to me E-bay lowers the tone. Remember, we are selling hand made items here that are not available in any shops or online store and for me personally I think when people see things on E-bay they automatically think of China and mass production so if you do go the E-bay route be careful how you word your sales spiel and make sure you add hand made in the UK.
As most of you know I sell my things through craft fairs and there is always a craft fair within easy reach of everyone. Another outlet is the local craft centre. I have my things in a few of them and I get regular phone calls to re-stock. Then there are the tourist information centres. I have never tried these but I feel they would be a good source to sell. Like the craft centres they will add a commission to the price, normally around the 30 per cent mark but you must still sell your stuff at the end price you want so do not knock anything off.
I will never sell my things through normal retail shops and there are several reasons why. Firstly they want all your things you have lovingly made on a sale and return basis. Secondly they will stick such a high profit margin on your stuff that it is unlikely to sell. The worst places for this are garden centres, they will happily increase your price by 200 per cent, and they are so greedy and ruthless.
Another way to get noticed is to ask your local library if you can make a small display to highlight local craftsmanship and you would be surprised at how co-operative they will be and encourage you to put a show on. You can also approach the local council, most councils have a person that deals with crafts and they are a wonderful source of information and will offer a lot of help.
Some years ago I was talking to a friend about this very topic and he informed me that if I went to somewhere like B and Q and went inside and bought say a small packet of nails I could legally have a small stall in front of my car, as long as I held on to my receipt there would be nothing they could do about it. I have never done this but have been tempted many times, just look at the footfall on a Saturday morning outside your local B and Q.
This coming weekend and for the first time I am attending a craft fair at…………….Wait for it………………………… Tesco’s. It’s on Saturday and Sunday and a pile of us are going from my regular craft fair, the number of people coming and going each day will be measured in thousands rather than hundreds so we should all end up having a bumper weekend. I can’t wait to see how it all goes and if it is a success the organiser will do them on a regular basis.
I hope this short article has given those of you interested a small insight in the ways in which you can sell and make some extra money to pay for your hobby.
You still make things and I feel some of you may have items you have made festooned all over the house. Have you thought about taking your hobby to a new level and selling the tings you make. If you do then the money you make will pay for things like extra wood, a new stock of blades and many other items that we all need.
So how do we go about selling a few items now and again or on a regular basis? Many have gone down the Etsy and Folksy road but take it from me, you are not going to sell a lot there. With so many people on there already doing the same sort of thing your things can easily get lost with the hundreds of other people trying to sell scroll saw items. Some have tried E-bay with some degree of success but to me E-bay lowers the tone. Remember, we are selling hand made items here that are not available in any shops or online store and for me personally I think when people see things on E-bay they automatically think of China and mass production so if you do go the E-bay route be careful how you word your sales spiel and make sure you add hand made in the UK.
As most of you know I sell my things through craft fairs and there is always a craft fair within easy reach of everyone. Another outlet is the local craft centre. I have my things in a few of them and I get regular phone calls to re-stock. Then there are the tourist information centres. I have never tried these but I feel they would be a good source to sell. Like the craft centres they will add a commission to the price, normally around the 30 per cent mark but you must still sell your stuff at the end price you want so do not knock anything off.
I will never sell my things through normal retail shops and there are several reasons why. Firstly they want all your things you have lovingly made on a sale and return basis. Secondly they will stick such a high profit margin on your stuff that it is unlikely to sell. The worst places for this are garden centres, they will happily increase your price by 200 per cent, and they are so greedy and ruthless.
Another way to get noticed is to ask your local library if you can make a small display to highlight local craftsmanship and you would be surprised at how co-operative they will be and encourage you to put a show on. You can also approach the local council, most councils have a person that deals with crafts and they are a wonderful source of information and will offer a lot of help.
Some years ago I was talking to a friend about this very topic and he informed me that if I went to somewhere like B and Q and went inside and bought say a small packet of nails I could legally have a small stall in front of my car, as long as I held on to my receipt there would be nothing they could do about it. I have never done this but have been tempted many times, just look at the footfall on a Saturday morning outside your local B and Q.
This coming weekend and for the first time I am attending a craft fair at…………….Wait for it………………………… Tesco’s. It’s on Saturday and Sunday and a pile of us are going from my regular craft fair, the number of people coming and going each day will be measured in thousands rather than hundreds so we should all end up having a bumper weekend. I can’t wait to see how it all goes and if it is a success the organiser will do them on a regular basis.
I hope this short article has given those of you interested a small insight in the ways in which you can sell and make some extra money to pay for your hobby.
