Would some of you be willing to share the details of your marketing
strategies and give those of us who are new to the craft the benefit of
your experience?
How do you get your items out there for your buyers to find them?
Where do you put your items for sale?
If you consign, what is a good percentage rate?
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Until you actually meet face to face and shake the hand of someone who is,
and has, been successful (financially) at selling home crafted woodworking,
I suggest you keep your skepticism. That includes EBay where you compete
with China re-sellers and CNC machines. Simple fact. You cannot compete with a factory. John Henry lost to the
steam power tool, and you will too. The only way to make money, is to convince the buyer that what they are
buying is more than a simple wood box. What they are buying has some sort
of intangible value added. For example, a unique handcrafted work of an
artisan of exceptional skill, the buyer will possess the bragging rights to
have ownership of an object that their friends will admire and complement
the buyer for her (his) esthetics tastes, the object will be a memento of
some event in the buyer's (owner's) life. If purchased as a gift, the
object will have a emphatic positive reflection on the giver's tastes and
purchase discretion. The higher the intangible value added, the more car payments you can make.
There must be more ways than I know of, but to me the best is to stay away
from church basements, and step right up to Art Fairs, and Arts and Craft
street shows. The buyer needs to look, feel, and talk to build their
confidence in you (or whoever is selling the item) and the object. Web site will help to demonstrate to customers that you are more than an
artisan who is unknown to them at the street fair. Where you choose to sell your craft items is so very important to the
financial success of your enterprise.
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