Selling stuff (again)

[stuckinthemud]

I work full time. I am a whittler, and I am NOT looking to make my hobby my career. Fact is I only make one or two bits and bobs in a (good) month. If I want to sell these one or two bits and bobs, what is a good way forward?

 

[SLM]

What’s the purpose of selling? Simply to cover costs and move on to the next project, or to make a profit?

 

[DeanH]

I'd have thought Etsy would be worth looking into if they're of a size that can be posted?

 

[stuckinthemud]

For argument’s sake let’s say postable, and, cover costs and move on

 

[Tris]

My other half used to sell a fair bit through Etsy, but in the last 12 months or so it has gone really quiet. It used to be solely handmade items or craft supplies but now seems so full of personalised mugs and t shirts that the handmade stuff struggles unless you have a presence on social media that brings people in to buy.

Lately eBay has been more successful for her and you don't pay fees until the item sells. Fees are about the same for both platforms if you don't let Etsy promote for you (cost me nearly 50% of a sale).

Just our experience, if you have time to promote what you do I think Etsy makes a better impression and can probably return a higher price

 

[Nail]

Yeah, I was never keen on Etsy charging you to list. It put me off using it more than a few times.

 

[Nail]

You could also put some on Facebook marketplace. No fees so nothing to lose.

 

[DeanH]

You could also put some on Facebook marketplace. No fees so nothing to lose.

Good idea. Might need some clever ideas about naming the items and where to post them. Posting to general marketplace they could get a bit lost, but equally posting to a craft based group would be a slightly closed audience.

 

[gold_bantam]

In my limited experience, Etsy is takes a lot of time to set up, and you need excellent photos (like professional quality) because that is what people see first. It is a 'handcrafted' marketplace but seems more to be the domain of sellers who can make things very quickly and sell in the thousands of units a year.

I have had some luck with eBay but I feel it's a place where people generally expect low prices so may not be the best place for nice hand carved pieces.

A lot of people have said to me that craft stalls are the way forward (I've never got around to it). People can actually see the items and pick them up. Obviously you wouldn't do the big or boutique craft fairs because the stall charges would be insane, but small local ones should be more affordable. I guess you may have save up items and do a stall once every couple of years maybe.

 

[ColinDeVelen]

Any way to angle them towards the local tourists (assuming they are around)? Or maybe put them behind the bar of your local, double the cost and label them as 50% goes to the local charity of choice?

 

[Jacob]

I work full time. I am a whittler, and I am NOT looking to make my hobby my career. Fact is I only make one or two bits and bobs in a (good) month. If I want to sell these one or two bits and bobs, what is a good way forward?

Start by giving them away and see if anybody actually wants them?

 

[stuckinthemud]

My better half has Never had trouble finding homes for my work (weddings/birthdays/Christmases) but I have found you can’t buy tools with Brownie points.

 

[fiveforty]

you could try Folksy (UK version of Etsy), only handmade stuff is allowed