Replies

1. 
   Cindi | Jul 24, 1999 08:03am | #1

   *
   I think that depend on a few things. Do you own a store or an area where your stuff can be shown consistantly? Does the piece serve any purpose? Do you finish it right away or wait for a customer to choose a finish?
   I owned a refinishing shop for over fifteen years and could network a lot. I also have designed many new things and had them sit for a long time before the "right" person came and scooped it. It's a question with a lot of ambiguity to it. Could you go into more detail?
   Cindi

1. 
   Lawrence_Goldsberry | Jul 30, 1999 08:29am | #2

   *I'm currently building cabinets at home and selling them on my driveway. People by the cabinets quickly when they are reasonably priced and are very funtional. Like bookcases forexample .I could make those everyday and still would not be able supply the demand. I bought hundreds of sheets of melamine on clearance and have been making bookcases for the past 2 months. Average of 10 bookcases a day.

1. 
   Brett_Netherton | Aug 11, 1999 01:30am | #3

   *I guess it depends what it is, and how well you're set up for mass (or semi-) production. I was just looking at the "Plans" forum and it seems a lot of people want Adirondack chairs. Looks like there's a market there. But then, anything that's vaguely functional and not too wild will sell. Speaking for myself though, I like to push the boundaries of design ... and what I've done before. My view is that if I like it, someone else must too.

1. 
   Stanley_Niemiec | Feb 25, 2000 06:43am | #4

   *Catherine Mater of Mater Engineering in Corvallis Oregon does a lot of consulting/advocating for secondary value-added manufacturing. She has a saying that I have titled Mater's Law that is:Make what will sell rather than trying to sell what you make!It sort of says it all!

1. 
   RJT_ | Mar 01, 2000 06:31am | #5

   *Stan: that's actually quite a controversial statement! It seems to me our successful woodworker Thos. Moser has played the opposite side, or has he?

2. 
   bkunkle | Apr 06, 2000 03:50am | #6

   *I think everyone in the business must build what their is a market for.Then when your able you can do whatever you want and have a client base/reputation to help you do thatand be succesfull at it.For example we do postform laminate countertops wich i relly dont care for.But that business gets me solid surface ,woodtables and customwoodworking.Maybe at some point we can drop that service but untill then well keep doing them. just my opinion Boyd

3. 
   Bill_Koncerak | Apr 22, 2000 06:27am | #7

   *Stanley has a point, I like Mate's Law...as for the big man...Thomas Mosier started by making a wide range of items, from water wheels to spiral stair-cases... things people wanted. (He was also a university professor, so it's a safe bet his early clientele weren't exactly pressed for bucks.) I think bkunkle summed it up well. Best of luck to you.

4. 
   Ian_Barley | Sep 30, 2000 03:23am | #8

   *It's down to knowing your market, knowing your product and, in an ideal world making something you like. I can't speak for the US but here in UK there is a real lack of people making good quality reasonable value craft items. I make Adirondack Chairs which probably seems like a yawn to you guys but they are rare and unusual over here and I get good reaction. I don't make a living from it yet but get the kind of reaction that shows that I could if I took the plunge and geared up for it. Find a slice of the market that's not too crowded and interests you and try it out!