selling hobby pieces

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 11:30:07 -0600, Bruce Rowen <[email protected]>
pixelated:

>Larry Jaques wrote:
><snip>
>> ... Spanish Inquisition...
>
>NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!
> Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and
>fear...fear and
> surprise....

And to that I say... S H R U B B E R Y !


-
Press HERE to arm. (Release to detonate.)
-----------
http://diversify.com Website Application Programming

> You want to market to the right people. Johnny Average buys his jewelry
> boxes at Wal-mart for $29.95 and you will never convince him that yours are
> worth $299. Know who your buyers are.

Fortunately here in Kansas City, especially in Johnson County over on the
Kansas side, there is big money. A lot of businesses are headquartered
here: Sprint, Hallmark, Harley-Davidson, etc. If I can just figure out a
good way of *reaching* this crowd, it might be a pretty *good* place to
sell upscale items....

david
--
So, we've got Uday and Qusay. Now, how about the Eapons-way of Ass-may
Estruction-day?

On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 08:39:04 -0400, Thomas Mitchell wrote:

> My wife is getting let go from her day job this Friday. She's known for
> several weeks and started this notion that she was going to sell crafts.
> Her problem is that she's a perfectionist and "wood" take five days to
> make one item that sold for $3.00. Regardless, I supported her and we
> looked into various ways to market the crafts. All the consignment shops
> that we checked required a monthly rental fee and a commission. The
> monthly rental fee was based on the booth size.
>
> I've since talked her into something that might be a little more
> practical, Doll Houses. Doll houses can range in price dependent on the
> quality of the piece, so she can invest the time to make things perfect.
>
> One suggestion that I'd have for you is keep track of your costs. I've
> been toying with selling wood train cars should I be next in the
> corporate layoff game and have an excel spreadsheet with the cost of
> material for each individual car. I've tried to take into account waste
> from goofs, defects in wood and come up with a fairly decent plan. No
> sense selling things if you aren't coming out ahead enough to make it
> worthwhile.
>
> As for Ebay, that might be a good way to start out. I hate BUYING on
> Ebay, but selling could be a different story. You could always do a
> price check to see what people would pay for your jewerly box on Ebay
> and use that as a guideline for a base price to start.
>
> As far as losing interest in the hobby, do you think that's really
> possible? :) I've only seen a few people in this world do things for a
> living that they truly love. Most of them are chefs. The rest are
> woodworkers...
>
> In any case if you do go ahead with selling your boxes, I'd love to hear
> about the process you follow and how it works out.
>
> Best of luck
>
> Thomas
>

Thanks for the advice, Thomas. I've been learning about the cost-tracking
the hard way as I've been developing my own business (my 'real' job). You
really have to keep track of EVERYTHING.... (G)

I've got the same problem as your wife, I tend to be a perfectionist. But
something I've learned from my 'real' job is that it's just as important to
perfect the process. So my plan is to build a few boxes the hard way, and
perfect the process, and keep track of exactly how I do everything. Then I
can start making them in quantity. With the process down, I can make the
items to nearly my ideal level of perfection, but at a fraction of the time
committment! Hopefully this will help me with productivity....

I'm definately going to try to avoid places that require a monthly 'rent'
cost! That sounds like a good idea ONLY if you're big scale. I really
want to stay smaller. I'm also having second thoughts about eBay. As
somebody else pointed out, people are just looking for deals there.
Probably not the best place for a good price.

Thanks again! And I hope your wife's endeavour meets with great success!

david
--
So, we've got Uday and Qusay. Now, how about the Eapons-way of Ass-may
Estruction-day?

My wife is getting let go from her day job this Friday. She's known for
several weeks and started this notion that she was going to sell crafts.
Her problem is that she's a perfectionist and "wood" take five days to
make one item that sold for $3.00. Regardless, I supported her and we
looked into various ways to market the crafts. All the consignment shops
that we checked required a monthly rental fee and a commission. The
monthly rental fee was based on the booth size.

I've since talked her into something that might be a little more
practical, Doll Houses. Doll houses can range in price dependent on the
quality of the piece, so she can invest the time to make things perfect.

One suggestion that I'd have for you is keep track of your costs. I've
been toying with selling wood train cars should I be next in the
corporate layoff game and have an excel spreadsheet with the cost of
material for each individual car. I've tried to take into account waste
from goofs, defects in wood and come up with a fairly decent plan. No
sense selling things if you aren't coming out ahead enough to make it
worthwhile.

As for Ebay, that might be a good way to start out. I hate BUYING on
Ebay, but selling could be a different story. You could always do a
price check to see what people would pay for your jewerly box on Ebay
and use that as a guideline for a base price to start.

As far as losing interest in the hobby, do you think that's really
possible? :) I've only seen a few people in this world do things for a
living that they truly love. Most of them are chefs. The rest are
woodworkers...

In any case if you do go ahead with selling your boxes, I'd love to hear
about the process you follow and how it works out.

Best of luck

Thomas

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "D K Woods"
>
>>It's time -- I've got to start making this hobby pay for itself.
>>
>>
>>I'm mostly concerned with HOW to get the items sold. >
>>I'm mostly into making small jewelry boxes.
>
>
> At the Scott Phillips demo, he told us about a box that he makes. First one
> took him 8 hours, now he knocks them out in about an hour. They sell for
> $200 in a craft store and they sell all he can make. The potential is
> there.
>
> There are craft shops that sell on consignment. You provide the merchandise,
> they provide the shelf space and collect the money. I don't know the
> details, but you can do some asking around locally.
>
> That said, are you sure you want to do this? My wife had a wonderful hobby.
> She turned it into a very profitable business. Problem was, she then had a
> job, not an enjoyable relaxing hobby. If you can enjoy making your box, go
> to it. If, however, the local shop needs six of them by next Friday and you
> have plans to go away, will you still enjoy the hobby?
>
> If you are selling them for say $20 made from maple and some special order
> want one from plywood and painted green, will you still enjoy making it?
>
> I sincerely wish you the best of luck and hope you make a fortune, but what
> I said if from first hand experience. Don't put pressure and deadlines on
> what should be a relaxing hobby.
> Ed
> [email protected]
> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
>
>
>

Larry Jaques wrote:
<snip>
> ... Spanish Inquisition...

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and
fear...fear and
surprise....
Our two weapons are fear and surprise... and ruthless
efficiency....
Our three weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless
efficiency...
and an almost fanatical devotion to the
Pope....
Our four... no...
Amongst our weapons... Amongst our
weaponry...
are such elements as fear, surprise...




-Bruce


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

Larry Jaques wrote:
>
> On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 11:30:07 -0600, Bruce Rowen <[email protected]>
> pixelated:
>
> >Larry Jaques wrote:
> ><snip>
> >> ... Spanish Inquisition...
> >
> >NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!
> > Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and
> >fear...fear and surprise....
>
> And to that I say... S H R U B B E R Y !


It! It! It! It! It! It! It! It! It! It! It!


>
> -
> Press HERE to arm. (Release to detonate.)
> -----------
> http://diversify.com Website Application Programming


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

You might consider selling them to those woodworkers who seem to just collect
tools and every once in a while need to show something to their spouses to
maintain their standard of collecting! :-)

Bob

D K Woods wrote:

> Well it's happened, LOML has put an allowance cap on my spending -- so that
> simply saving would take me at least a year before getting a decent
> bandsaw. It's time -- I've got to start making this hobby pay for itself.
>
> Has anyone else been in this boat? How did you get started? How did your
> first sales go? Have you been able make your hobby self-sustainable? How
> much experience did you have before making pieces marketable?
>
> I'm mostly concerned with HOW to get the items sold. Is eBay really the
> way to go? Does anyone here sell through eBay, and if so, do you consider
> the prices you get enough to compensate you? I can't see myself with the
> time to do big shows. What about local boutiques? Would small stores
> carry my items and sell things on commission basis? I just have no idea
> how this kind of thing works....
>
> I'm mostly into making small jewelry boxes. So I started brainstorming and
> came up with a neat design for a locking false-bottomed secret compartment
> jewelry box. I figured something like that would attract attention over
> other pieces if I go the eBay route.
>
> I've seen books that would appear on-target but they seem to be directed
> towards people who want to make a living woodworking. I am doing pretty
> good with my day-job, so I'm fortunate in the making-a-living arena. But I
> do want to get some decent tools and work with some good wood....
>
> Sorry for the bombardment of questions like this. I'd appreciate any
> stories, suggestions, or possibly even some encouragement.... URLs would
> be good too!
>
> david
> --
> So, we've got Uday and Qusay. Now, how about the Eapons-way of Ass-may
> Estruction-day?

"D K Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Thanks for the input Digger... I bet the economy isn't helping too much
> with this. A friend's dad is an excellent potter, but had to give it up
> when it just didn't pay the bills. He went back to school and is now a
> dental assistant, and finally making plenty of money for the family. So
> now he's wanting to get more studio space and do more art, as a side-line
> job. That's like me. I'm a web designer by day, woodworker by the
> weekend. (I would say night, but I've got neighbors to consider...)
>
> We're actually having a terrific month right now, so money isn't the
> issue--in term of making a living. But I just want to be able to afford
> something more than my $99 tablesaw, and I would really like a bandsaw and
> a router someday, hopefully a Steve Knight plane or two....
>
> So I'm not despairing. Starting out small is fine with me. Find a niche,
> right? Find a place where you can be integrated into an existing product.
> Excellent advice.
>
> Thanks!
> david

I read in another post that you are in Kansas City. That is where my
parents live, and the shows that they attended. When they lived further
north, they had a little better luck in the craft shows, but said that the
mall shows in KC is where they had there stuff copied. I live in Des
Moines, and also work in the computer industry. I do some web work, but
mostly network, wireless, medical and business support. Perhaps our paths
will cross some day.

Digger




-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 06:56:37 GMT, McQualude <[email protected]>
pixelated:

>Larry Jaques spaketh...
>
>> Hi! Intolerant Dick here. I'm intolerant because of the thousands
>> of complete assholes in religious costumes who have knowingly and
>> intentionally violated the sanctity of my space in the 50 years
>
>Guess I won't ask you to church! LOL.

Let's hope not. ;)


-
Press HERE to arm. (Release to detonate.)
-----------
http://diversify.com Website Application Programming

On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 22:54:09 GMT, "Mike Zuchick"
<[email protected]> pixelated:

Zoo Chick, you silly bitch!

Please stop creating new email address for all of us
to have to filter out, eh?

I drop trou and turn both cheeks to you.

-
Better Living Through Denial
------------
http://diversify.com Dynamic Websites, PHP Apps, MySQL databases

Dave Balderstone <dave***@balderstone.ca> wrote in message news:<120820032127373965%dave***@balderstone.ca>...
> In article <[email protected]>, Larry Jaques
> <jake@di\/ersify.com> wrote:
>
> > Zoo Chick, you silly bitch!
> >
> > Please stop creating new email address for all of us
> > to have to filter out, eh?
> >
> > I drop trou and turn both cheeks to you.
>
> C-less...
>
> Why not just filter on "Zuchick"? It's not like he's hiding his
> identity.
>
> You don't *HAVE* to filter on email addy's, you silly bunt...
>
> djb

Because he is an intolerant dick who doesn't really want to filter him
out, he just wants to post anti-religious blather.

Dave Hall

--
In His Name, be Blessed,

And just think some do not believe in miracles.

God Bless,

Mike

PS. Before you reply, remove 'remove-this-before-you-email'
from my Email Address please..

www.cedarworks.1plan.net
www.geocities.com/zuchick
"Larry Jaques" <jake@di\/ersify.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 22:54:09 GMT, "Mike Zuchick"
> <[email protected]> pixelated:
>
> Zoo Chick, you silly bitch!
>
> Please stop creating new email address for all of us
> to have to filter out, eh?
>
> I drop trou and turn both cheeks to you.
>
> -
> Better Living Through Denial
> ------------
> http://diversify.com Dynamic Websites, PHP Apps, MySQL databases

"Digger" <DW> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> and sales, they mostly bring it back. They went in to the whole thing
with
> the idea that "cute", decent quality, "different" type items would sell.
> They did pretty well at first, but the funny thing about these places is
> that if you have something that sells this weekend, six of the others will
> have a hacked version of it at the sale nesxt weekend. It is a regular
> routine to send one of the family to see what other booths are selling
well.

It can sometimes be cutthroat at these craft shows. My friend, Bill, went
to a large craft show in Reno. I liked an item he saw and proceeded to take
out his tablet and sketch it. The 'lady' in the booth came up to him
grabbed his sketch and said, " you can't do that." Bill grabbed the sketch
back and said, "Oh yes I can." The 'lady' gave him a shove with both hands.
Now Bill wasn't going to be her competition but she didn't know that.

Larry

--
Lawrence L'Hote
Columbia, MO
http://home1.gte.net/llhote/
http://home.mchsi.com/~llhote

D K Woods spaketh...

> I tend to be a perfectionist.

I have a saying, "It doesn't have to be perfect, it only has to look
perfect." There is a difference and when you get a feel for the difference
you will save a lot of heartache.

> I'm definately going to try to avoid places that require a monthly
> 'rent' cost! That sounds like a good idea ONLY if you're big scale.

It's a good idea if your stuff sells. The shop owner pays rent whether your
stuff sells or not, so if you set the minimum price too high, the piece
takes up valuable space but doesn't sell.

> I really want to stay smaller. I'm also having second thoughts about
> eBay. As somebody else pointed out, people are just looking for deals
> there. Probably not the best place for a good price.

You want to market to the right people. Johnny Average buys his jewelry
boxes at Wal-mart for $29.95 and you will never convince him that yours are
worth $299. Know who your buyers are.
--
McQualude

Larry Jaques spaketh...

> Hi! Intolerant Dick here. I'm intolerant because of the thousands
> of complete assholes in religious costumes who have knowingly and
> intentionally violated the sanctity of my space in the 50 years

Guess I won't ask you to church! LOL.
--
McQualude

> At the Scott Phillips demo, he told us about a box that he makes. First one
> took him 8 hours, now he knocks them out in about an hour. They sell for
> $200 in a craft store and they sell all he can make. The potential is
> there.

If only I had that name recognition! (G) I also wouldn't mind knowing
that craft store he sells from...

>
> There are craft shops that sell on consignment. You provide the merchandise,
> they provide the shelf space and collect the money. I don't know the
> details, but you can do some asking around locally.

I was hoping it would be something like this. The problem is that I would
have to calculate not just a direct price for my items, but overhead as
well. I've been thinking about this, and have come up with two possible
ways to make this agreement. 1) you could tell the shopowner that they
take 15% of the price (or whatever percentage...I have no clue what is
normal) and let them set it -- since they know their customer base they'll
know a limit for the price, and since they're also able to name *their*
profit they won't stiff you with a low low price. 2) you can set a fixed
price that the shop will pay you when an item is sold, but allow them to
set whatever price they want over that, all profit for them.

Any comments on this thinking??

>
> That said, are you sure you want to do this? My wife had a wonderful hobby.
> She turned it into a very profitable business. Problem was, she then had a
> job, not an enjoyable relaxing hobby. If you can enjoy making your box, go
> to it. If, however, the local shop needs six of them by next Friday and you
> have plans to go away, will you still enjoy the hobby?

WELL noted, Ed. I've been struggling with a similar issue for years. My
'real' job is a web designer and programmer, and I run my own business from
home so I have the work/home life boundaries to watch out for too. But I'm
still so much in love with what I do that I still do it for fun, too.

I just hope I'm never in the circumstance where the demand is TOO high.
After all, I'm just trying to fund the hobby, I'm not interested in making
it rich or anything. I just want to be able to afford good tools, and
hopefully enough money left over to buy good material so I can build things
for *me*.

> I sincerely wish you the best of luck and hope you make a fortune, but what
> I said if from first hand experience. Don't put pressure and deadlines on
> what should be a relaxing hobby.
> Ed
> [email protected]
> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

Thanks MUCH for the encouragement, Ed, and for the excellent advice!

david
--
So, we've got Uday and Qusay. Now, how about the Eapons-way of Ass-may
Estruction-day?

A neighbor and a couple of her friends needed a BUNCH of stuff cut so
I used that need to outfit my "shop". Another friend had 2 spaces for
reselling garage sale items and many needed repair, another source.
And word of mouth helps widen the source well.

On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 17:39:05 GMT, McQualude <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Do you sell mostly to friends and family (family of friends, friends of
>friends and friends of family!!)?

>Bob
>
divorce?

>D K Woods wrote:
>
>> Well it's happened, LOML has put an allowance cap on my spending -- so that
>> simply saving would take me at least a year before getting a decent
>> bandsaw. It's time -- I've got to start making this hobby pay for itself.
>>
>> Has anyone else been in this boat?

snipped

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 03:27:37 GMT, Dave Balderstone
<dave***@balderstone.ca> pixelated:

>Why not just filter on "Zuchick"? It's not like he's hiding his
>identity.
>
>You don't *HAVE* to filter on email addy's, you silly bunt...

Bueno idea, señor. That would take care of those who quoted
him, too, wouldn't it? Doh!

- This product cruelly tested on defenseless furry animals -
--------------------------------------------------------
http://diversify.com Web App & Database Programming

On 13 Aug 2003 08:19:19 -0700, [email protected] (David Hall)
pixelated:

>Dave Balderstone <dave***@balderstone.ca> wrote in message news:<120820032127373965%dave***@balderstone.ca>...
>> In article <[email protected]>, Larry Jaques
>> <jake@di\/ersify.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Zoo Chick, you silly bitch!
>> >
>> > Please stop creating new email address for all of us
>> > to have to filter out, eh?
>> >
>> > I drop trou and turn both cheeks to you.
>>
>> C-less...
>>
>> Why not just filter on "Zuchick"? It's not like he's hiding his
>> identity.
>>
>> You don't *HAVE* to filter on email addy's, you silly bunt...
>>
>> djb
>
>Because he is an intolerant dick who doesn't really want to filter him
>out, he just wants to post anti-religious blather.

Hi! Intolerant Dick here. I'm intolerant because of the thousands
of complete assholes in religious costumes who have knowingly and
intentionally violated the sanctity of my space in the 50 years
I've been alive, starting with the fire 'n brimstone Episcopal
priest who scared the shit out of me when I was age 4. Now I watch
them get taken down for lying, theft, molestation, hookers, and
taking all the money from good (and bad) misguided people for their
own private purchases. Great crowds those religions gather. They
brought us the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Salem Witch Trials,
Jim & Tammi Bakker, Jim Jones, Jesse Jackson, Swaggart, and other
big hits. And that's just ONE religion: Christianity. Ho boy...
Since Christianity is the most widely publicized religion in the
USA, it's the one we all are most abused by.

Religion, money, power, and abuse all seem to go hand in hand.
Take your molesting priests and your holier-than-thou attitudes and
just GTF out of my life, eh? Nobody needs you, them, or the attitude.

I truly don't care at all what religion you choose (or don't) as long
as you -don't- spew it at me (like the zoo chick always has) or try
to "convert" me.

P.S: Liar. You said you plonked me.


-
Press HERE to arm. (Release to detonate.)
-----------
http://diversify.com Website Application Programming

--
In His Name, be Blessed,


E-Bay: I would avoid E-Bay. Most people there are looking for bargins and
your design and work should not be at bargin prices they should be sold at a
good price.

Craft Shop Consignment: Craft Shop Consignment is pretty deal.. You set your
price, allowing for the seller to make something. However the drawback here
is they generally they are not responsible for any breakage which can be
considerable pending on who does it.

Wood Craft/Art Sale: The Wood Craft/Art does pretty good. It is like a Yard
Sale maybe a couple times a month. You set your prices and eventually you
will learn how much you can get for a piece which will dictate just how much
time and effort you can put into a piece and make alittle money. I have
discovered that where I am not to make anything I would have to ask more
then $20.00 to $35.00. So far it works out pretty good for me, but make
youself several signs and give a couple days notice when you are going to
have your sale.

Internet Craft Sale: I have a modest Internet Site I use to sell most of my
stuff. There the sky is the limit with regards to the price. The only draw
back is the person looking must rely upon pictures to buy something and as
we all know there is no such things as duplicate pieces in our hobby because
God does not make all wood grains equal. They see the picture of a piece and
want an identical piece unless you explain to the there is no such animal
because each piece you make is hand crafted. But regardless of which option
you use to sell your work, everyone is wanting a handcrafted piece as a
Walmart Price and the quicker you realize that you never get out of a piece
what you have in it unless you are a very good salesman.

I have made this offer before here with no takers and will do it again. My
WebSite is www.cedarworks.1plan.net and I will take small pictures of your
work, place your description in the caption and set it up where any
inquiries will be directed to your Email Address and let you take care of
the collections.. I will do this at no charge.. Like a consignment shop, but
I get nothing.. It is FREE. It you take PayPal, I will set it up where the
Purchase will be directed to your PayPal setup. What do I get out of it?
SATISFACTION that I have helped a fellow craftsman make some money for their
effort.

Hope this helps.



God Bless,

Mike

PS. Before you reply, remove 'remove-this-before-you-email'
from my Email Address please..

www.cedarworks.1plan.net
www.geocities.com/zuchick
"D K Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well it's happened, LOML has put an allowance cap on my spending -- so
that
> simply saving would take me at least a year before getting a decent
> bandsaw. It's time -- I've got to start making this hobby pay for itself.
>
> Has anyone else been in this boat? How did you get started? How did your
> first sales go? Have you been able make your hobby self-sustainable? How
> much experience did you have before making pieces marketable?
>
> I'm mostly concerned with HOW to get the items sold. Is eBay really the
> way to go? Does anyone here sell through eBay, and if so, do you consider
> the prices you get enough to compensate you? I can't see myself with the
> time to do big shows. What about local boutiques? Would small stores
> carry my items and sell things on commission basis? I just have no idea
> how this kind of thing works....
>
> I'm mostly into making small jewelry boxes. So I started brainstorming
and
> came up with a neat design for a locking false-bottomed secret compartment
> jewelry box. I figured something like that would attract attention over
> other pieces if I go the eBay route.
>
> I've seen books that would appear on-target but they seem to be directed
> towards people who want to make a living woodworking. I am doing pretty
> good with my day-job, so I'm fortunate in the making-a-living arena. But
I
> do want to get some decent tools and work with some good wood....
>
> Sorry for the bombardment of questions like this. I'd appreciate any
> stories, suggestions, or possibly even some encouragement.... URLs would
> be good too!
>
> david
> --
> So, we've got Uday and Qusay. Now, how about the Eapons-way of Ass-may
> Estruction-day?

"D K Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 17:36:29 GMT, Ernie Jurick wrote:
>
> >
> > "D K Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >> Well it's happened, LOML has put an allowance cap on my spending -- so
> > that
> >> simply saving would take me at least a year before getting a decent
> >> bandsaw. It's time -- I've got to start making this hobby pay for
itself.
> >>
> >> Has anyone else been in this boat? How did you get started? How did
your
> >> first sales go? Have you been able make your hobby self-sustainable?
How
> >> much experience did you have before making pieces marketable?
> >
> > Back when I was building furniture I would build 2 or 3 identical
pieces,
> > keep one and sell the others. It paid for the wood and my time and let
me
> > slowly build up a decent shop. Fortunately I was making high-end Shaker
> > reproductions and lived in Maine, so the tourists snapped them up.
> > -- Ernie
>
> Hi Ernie, thanks for the input. I've been thinking about this myself.
> There are several pieces I need around the house -- bedside tables, coffee
> tables, etc. If I could just afford the wood, I'd enjoy them enough as
> practice. But making a few extras sounds like a good plan.
>
> Through what venue did you sell these? How did you get the word out?
> There's not much tourism here (Kansas City) but there *are* a lot of rich
> people..... (G)

In Maine I just put a picture ad in "Maine Times" and I had to fight off
potential buyers. I even picked up several commissions from disappointed
would-be buyers. If KC has an upscale magazine or weekly newspaper, that's
the medium to use.
-- Ernie

"D K Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well it's happened, LOML has put an allowance cap on my spending -- so
that
> simply saving would take me at least a year before getting a decent
> bandsaw. It's time -- I've got to start making this hobby pay for itself.
>
> Has anyone else been in this boat? How did you get started? How did your
> first sales go? Have you been able make your hobby self-sustainable? How
> much experience did you have before making pieces marketable?

Back when I was building furniture I would build 2 or 3 identical pieces,
keep one and sell the others. It paid for the wood and my time and let me
slowly build up a decent shop. Fortunately I was making high-end Shaker
reproductions and lived in Maine, so the tourists snapped them up.
-- Ernie

"D K Woods"
> It's time -- I've got to start making this hobby pay for itself.
>
>
> I'm mostly concerned with HOW to get the items sold. >
> I'm mostly into making small jewelry boxes.

At the Scott Phillips demo, he told us about a box that he makes. First one
took him 8 hours, now he knocks them out in about an hour. They sell for
$200 in a craft store and they sell all he can make. The potential is
there.

There are craft shops that sell on consignment. You provide the merchandise,
they provide the shelf space and collect the money. I don't know the
details, but you can do some asking around locally.

That said, are you sure you want to do this? My wife had a wonderful hobby.
She turned it into a very profitable business. Problem was, she then had a
job, not an enjoyable relaxing hobby. If you can enjoy making your box, go
to it. If, however, the local shop needs six of them by next Friday and you
have plans to go away, will you still enjoy the hobby?

If you are selling them for say $20 made from maple and some special order
want one from plywood and painted green, will you still enjoy making it?

I sincerely wish you the best of luck and hope you make a fortune, but what
I said if from first hand experience. Don't put pressure and deadlines on
what should be a relaxing hobby.
Ed
[email protected]
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome