Until now I have been satisfied with building a wide variety of projects for my home, office and family. Of course many people have asked me if I sell my work. I believe that my quality level is equal to or better than other handmade work I have seen. I have built mission, shaker (tables and clocks), Greene and Greene, contemporary. Pretty much anything that appealed to me.
So the question is: How does one start selling a few pieces? Is it ebay or craft shows or a website or something else. And pricing? I have built 3 beautiful shaker style grandfather clocks from tiger maple. Have seen similar clocks priced from $1000 to $3000.00 and more. The 35″ shaker wall clock based on Isaac Young (which many people emulate): I have seen this priced from $150.00 to $900.00 and more. Any advice from those who have preceded me would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Patrick Morris
Replies
Here are a few recent threads to get you started:
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=18810.1
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=18794.1
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=32218.1
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=31991.1
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=31803.1
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=31448.1
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"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Thanks for the threads, which I just ran through, but that is not what I am asking. I have no intention of "going into business." Perhaps I phrased it wrong. No way I am leaving my day job to make a living at this. What I am asking is "how does one market and sell on a small scale, perhaps 12 pieces per year?
Word of mouth and networking. Just don't underprice yourself. If you are merely disposing of excess product and time, you are doing a major disfavor to people with legitimate businesses and trying to support themselves. If you are aware of your expenses, you can never compete with mass merchandisers on price.You should aim for a recommendation like, "He's not cheap, but he does excellent work."
<<Just don't underprice yourself. If you are merely disposing of excess product and time, you are doing a major disfavor to people with legitimate businesses and trying to support themselves.>>So true -- in any profession.
Well, maybe not any. I've never found someone to suck a septic tank, swap a kitchen sink, or mow my yard for fun.And a general note about consignment or galleries:
1) You had better make something you wouldn't mind having yourself in case it doesn't sell.2) It will get damaged on the showroom. I visit retailers weekly that have items ready to be delivered as soon as the showroom damage is repaired. Especially true if your goods become store fixtures for displaying other wares (designers just love to "accessorize").3. Be prepared for, "The customer likes this but would like it {a little bigger, a little smaller, a little darker, a little lighter, in a different wood, a bit glossier, a bit less shiny, a second one like it, ...} can you have it next week?"Mike_B responded:
34400.5 in reply to 34400.4 <<Just don't underprice yourself. If you are merely disposing of excess product and time, you are doing a major disfavor to people with legitimate businesses and trying to support themselves.>>So true -- in any profession.
Edited 2/11/2007 1:20 pm ET by byhammerandhand
<<Well, maybe not any. I've never found someone to suck a septic tank, swap a kitchen sink, or mow my yard for fun.>>Good point.
Try to find a gallery who will show your work on commission. You may not make a lot of money because of their markup but it will give you a much finer sense of what's marketable and at what price. After a year or two, you'll know what to do next.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
The short answer is word of mouth -- through family, friends, business associates, acquaintences (clubs, orgainziations).Make the rounds with local builders, remodelers -- they often need a vanity here, a bench seat there, etc. Craig's list is free. Be creative; years ago one of my neighbors owned an art gallery and I made crates for him. Not very exciting, but lucrative.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
One thing I can tell you, is that if you do good work you will find it hard to not quit your day job. Once your name gets out there the jobs will seem to come in crazy fast and the oportunities seem limitless.
It is very hard to do what you are describing. the issue is that one job can require 200 to 500 shop hours to complete. You will be pressured to get it done on a full time shops schedule. Not many will wait the 2 months you might need to get the time in on it.
The crafts people that do pull off what you are asking about seem to follow this model... Build what you want, when you want. Then sell it in an art show or gallery. Except comisions for work that you can complete in a reasonable amount of time, but stay away from general cabinetry work.Pardon my spelling,
Mike
Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.
Word of mouth.
Also, you probably have an idea in your head about the pieces you would like to sell on a regular basis. But if someone asks for something that you may not really want to do (long term), go ahead and do it anyway. The word of mouth from any good experiences goes a long way.
My long term goal is to do built-in bookcase but I can't tell you how many crown molding jobs I've done. I can't stand crown molding, but it's getting easier and about 1 out of every 3 crown jobs turns into something bigger and better. So I'll keep doing them until I don't need to anymore.
“The richest genius, like the most fertile soil, when uncultivated, shoots up into the rankest weeds..” – Hume
As mentioned above, beware of friends who want you to build something they saw in a catalog, on-line, or at a store, for the mass-produced price.
Galleries that take consignments are a great idea. What kinds of small shops do you have in your area? Gift shops or whatever?? Sometimes, you can find a shop that will "fit" your work and they'll take items on consignment. A small furniture store/interior design place, a candle shop (I have a friend who owns one and a local turners makes candlesticks for consignment). Even a small-town hardware store -- fancy handmade mallets, of all things, will sell.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
The following is about me, not you. If it can apply at all to you, take heed:
The surest way of ruining the hobby of woodworking (or any craft) is to take on a paying commission or simply to adopt the mindset of making the item for sale. The focus then becomes the money and satisfying someone else. I'm a long time professional furniture maker and nowadays I make pretty much what I want for people who want me to make the decisions..... sort of. What it really boils down to is me making the decisions that they want me to make. And that is sort of gut wrenching. Even when making items for show and sale in a gallery setting, when the piece isn't directly commissioned, it is difficult to remove the "buyer" from the equation. Only when all the control is in your shop will the activity be all yours.
Everyone is telling you word of mouth. But in my opinion that doesn't help you get started selling piece. That only comes into play after you have sold a few pieces to others and they spread the word around.
If you build things for friends and business associates, then you are most likely going to be doing it more as a favor than make any money. My suggestions is to hit the galleries around you. They are a great way to get your name out there. Yeah they mark up your stuff, but then you will know what your pieces are actually worth. Then people see your work and come directly to you, and sell it to them for the gallery price, except this time you make the mark up.
Don't get me wrong wrod of mouth is great. But not to start out, you don't want to become the guy that does great work and is cheap. That only hurts you and all the others out there that are as good if not better and not cheap.
http://www.kalafinefurniture.blogspot.com
Iwould like to thank all of my colleagues for their input regarding my question "how to sell some work as a hobbiest." It had not occurred to me that galleries would be the logical first place to show and sell my work. It is my intention to build one or two of my favorite pieces and, once winter breaks. start placing my work locally. I have the good fortune to live in a tourist location (Cape Cod, Ma) and there are a multitude of local galleries of all types.
Another note. I posted a question on the forum perhaps a month ago regarding hearing protection. I was bombarded by responses all of whom said emphaticsally "yes, you need them." I have since purchased and use the earmuffs and love them. On the rare occasion when I forget to put them on I am amazed at the noise from the machine I am using. So I turn the machine off; get the muffs on; and then start again.
PMM
PM,
I've been doing this type of work for years/decades. And hope to do more in the future. I've been building furniture and cabinets for people who know me, or have heard of my by word of mouth. The only $$ I've spent on marketing is on a box of buisness cards.
I assume you have a fulltime job, maybe a wife/kids/house..In short you already have your hands full. The woodworking is for extra $$, for fun, and to cover the operating cost of your shop for your personal use...That's me, and maybe you're in the same boat. If so, here's some of what I've learned.
Very few family or freinds want to pay you a reasonalble hourly wage. Many think because they know you like woodworking, they are doing you a favor giving you work to do for free. They don't understand material cost. ("Just use what you have left over in your shop"). And they don't understand the overhead cost. .. Example.. After moving to my latest shop, I did a half hours work for a freind. It was the 1st job in this shop. He asked me what he owed me. I said that 1 dollar would be nice. It would be the 1st dollar earned in the new shop. I would frame it and put in on the wall. He wouldn't pay me the dollar, and hasn't for 5 years.
If a conversation starts with.. "I was thinking of you the other day while I was at IKEA/HD/The discount furniture shop.." ..Tell them your dose of Viagra just kicked in, and you have to go now.
Building what others want is in most cases is not building what you want to build.. There's alot less fun in that.
Deadlines are to be avoided. You have a fulltime job.. You don't need two.
GRW
Edited 2/12/2007 4:22 pm ET by GRW
Geez there's a lot of good info here! I too were in your shoes about a year ago and finally made the leap and set up a business. At first I was cheap mainly cause I didn't know any better and since then I have gradually increased my prices but I guess this doesn't help you sell your product huh. Anywho, I have had a steady flow of work so I guess I have been building what others want me too but ( call me selfish ) I always try to work something into the design that will keep it interesting! Again I guess this doesn't help you sell your product... Just recently, I set up a website from which I will try and sell various pieces (not there yet but) . This I beleive will let me design and build what I want, be up front with the costs, deadlines and all the details. I am not really sure how it will work but I guess we'll see:) The site is a work in progress, but aren't they all.
http://www.rjoneswoodworks.com
Edited 2/12/2007 1:00 pm ET by rjones69
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