Do You Sell Your Work?

[Travis]

I'm curious about how many people sell their work. So I thought I'd do a mini-survey. I thought it would be fun to see what folks are doing.

 

[*:35pd7jlv]Do you sell your work?
[*:35pd7jlv]Where do you sell (craft shows, your website, Etsy or another online marketplace, word of mouth, etc.)
[*:35pd7jlv]What do you sell?
[*:35pd7jlv]H'bout profitability? (Please don't name numbers)

[*:35pd7jlv]Do you make enough to keep yourself in saw blades and materials
[*:35pd7jlv]Extra money to buy some new tools/toys
[*:35pd7jlv]Or enough to consider it a part-time/full-time business (meaning its a fairly significant portion of your income)

[*:35pd7jlv]What piece of advice would you offer to someone who wants to start selling their work.

 

Feel free to post a link to your website if you sell your work.

[WolfmoonCT]

I'm curious about how many people sell their work. So I thought I'd do a mini-survey. I thought it would be fun to see what folks are doing.

 

1. [*:31ftdou5]Do you sell your work? Yes
   [*:31ftdou5]Where do you sell (craft shows, your website, Etsy or another online marketplace, word of mouth, etc.)Work so far
   [*:31ftdou5]What do you sell? Pens and scrollsaw candle trays
   [*:31ftdou5]H'bout profitability? (Please don't name numbers) Profit? Are you kidding?
   
   1. [*:31ftdou5]Do you make enough to keep yourself in saw blades and materials

Basically
[*:31ftdou5]Extra money to buy some new tools/toys Nope
[*:31ftdou5]Or enough to consider it a part-time/full-time business (meaning its a fairly significant portion of your income)

Nope

[*:31ftdou5]What piece of advice would you offer to someone who wants to start selling their work.

I'll take all the advice I can get!!

 

Feel free to post a link to your website if you sell your work.

[DWSUDEKUM]

I'm curious about how many people sell their work. So I thought I'd do a mini-survey. I thought it would be fun to see what folks are doing.

 

1. [*:1v15kluj]Do you sell your work?Yes
   [*:1v15kluj]Where do you sell (craft shows, your website, Etsy or another online marketplace, word of mouth, etc.)On-Line ( Etsy,Artfire,Craigslist and Ebay), At my local Craft and Antique Co-Op,Craft and Art shows
   [*:1v15kluj]What do you sell? Puzzles, Bowls of various types, boxes, Gift items
   [*:1v15kluj]H'bout profitability? (Please don't name numbers) Overall basically break even
   
   1. [*:1v15kluj]Do you make enough to keep yourself in saw blades and materials

most of the time
[*:1v15kluj]Extra money to buy some new tools/toys Sometimes
[*:1v15kluj]Or enough to consider it a part-time/full-time business (meaning its a fairly significant portion of your income)

No but would like it evolve in that direction.

[*:1v15kluj]What piece of advice would you offer to someone who wants to start selling their work.

The best advice I have for someone that wants to sell is be personable. This is especially true if you are selling at a craft fair or art show ... if you do not engage the potential customer they will walk right past you and not stop. Talk to them not at them. As for on-line sales.... research prices see what other folks are charging for a similar item. For instance you make a standalone puzzle and you take the time to sand it all nice and smooth and put a good finish on it and you do a Google search and find a similar puzzle but it looks like it has just been cut, not well sanded and does not have a finish on it. This other puzzle is selling for $20 what would you sell yours for? $25? more? Another point that just came to mind. The venue that you are going to be selling in makes a HUGE difference in the amount you can charge for your work. For instance if you are at a craft fair and you had a puzzle that you priced at say $20 it would probably sell but if you priced it at say $40 it would not, however if you were at a high class art show you most likely would sell it easily at $40 probably be able to get more depending on how personable you are when chatting up the customers.

 

Feel free to post a link to your website if you sell your work.

http://Http://Thescrolledhand.ecrater.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DWSudekum

http://www.artfire.com/users/DW_Collection

 

 

DW

[CHawkins]

Tried to for a while. Rented a booth at a craft mall. Had scrolled portraits (Earnhardt,Presley,Some hisorical figures) along with some trivits, orniments, doll funiture. Nothing sold. Stuck it out for a year.So now I only do what I enjoy along with an occisional request piece. But I give it all away, no charge. More enjoyable for me and then theres no time line either!!!!

[Clayton717]

I'm curious about how many people sell their work. So I thought I'd do a mini-survey. I thought it would be fun to see what folks are doing.

 

1. [*:2syvlgf2]Do you sell your work? yes
   [*:2syvlgf2]Where do you sell (craft shows, your website, Etsy or another online marketplace, word of mouth, etc.)word of mouth
   What do you sell? intarsia, pens, bottle stoppers acassional scrolling
   [*:2syvlgf2]H'bout profitability? (Please don't name numbers) sometimes
   
   1. [*:2syvlgf2]Do you make enough to keep yourself in saw blades and materials-

yes
[*:2syvlgf2]Extra money to buy some new tools/toys- thats how I buy most my tools
[*:2syvlgf2]Or enough to consider it a part-time/full-time business (meaning its a fairly significant portion of your income)

no but maybe someday, after retirement

[*:2syvlgf2]What piece of advice would you offer to someone who wants to start selling their work.

check the area you live in, and see what similar things are selling for.

 

Feel free to post a link to your website if you sell your work.

[Dan]

I'm curious about how many people sell their work. So I thought I'd do a mini-survey. I thought it would be fun to see what folks are doing.

 

1. [*:2jsicubj]Do you sell your work? Yes
   [*:2jsicubj]Where do you sell (craft shows, your website, Etsy or another online marketplace, word of mouth, etc.) craft shows and some at work
   [*:2jsicubj]What do you sell? pens, ornaments, puzzles
   [*:2jsicubj]H'bout profitability? (Please don't name numbers) some
   
   1. [*:2jsicubj]Do you make enough to keep yourself in saw blades and materials

Yes
[*:2jsicubj]Extra money to buy some new tools/toys Yes
[*:2jsicubj]Or enough to consider it a part-time/full-time business (meaning its a fairly significant portion of your income)

No

[*:2jsicubj]What piece of advice would you offer to someone who wants to start selling their work.

If you enjoy selling keep it up. If you are not having fun, just do what is fun for you and don't worry about making money.

 

Feel free to post a link to your website if you sell your work.

[wombatie]

Do you sell your work? YES

Where do you sell (craft shows, your website, Etsy or another online marketplace, word of mouth, etc.) WORD OF MOUTH

What do you sell? PORTRAITS, NAMES, WHATEVER PEOPLE ASK FOR.

H'bout profitability? (Please don't name numbers)

 

Do you make enough to keep yourself in saw blades and materials YES

Extra money to buy some new tools/toys SOMETIMES

Or enough to consider it a part-time/full-time business (meaning its a fairly significant portion of your income)

 

 

Just enjoy what you do. If it becomes stressful, STOP. Its not worth the stress.

[Old Dust]

90% of my scroll saw art is to raise fund for the Arizona Lions Clubs Handicapped Camp. Over the past several years I have been able to give them over $34,000.

At craft shows I supplement my fund raising by also having Glass Jewelery, wood roses, etc., for more donations.

 

Here in Arizona I do about 40 shows during the "winter visitor" season ( Oct-April) at RV and Mobile Home Parks/resorts.

In addition I do a lot of Bar-Hopping all year long.

 

Donations have been for many different cuttings.

At Veterans Bars (American Legion, VFW, etc.) Different military cuttings sell well.

i.e. Military logos, POW, Never forgotten, etc.

 

At sports bars various team logos, motorcycle etc. are good.

 

Orders for portraits also come in occasionally.

 

Name key rings are another frequent seller.

 

At one of our local Cafes I have a whole wall display and several go each month.

 

 

Just some thoughts that I use.

 

John

 

Old Dust

[PawPawRay]

I have a site on Etsy, Artfire and Zibbet.

Make a sale every now and then but don't make enough to quit my day job. Oh wait, I'm retired and have already quit my day job.

Working on a special order for an Etsy customer now. Will post pic when completed.

I do it mostly for fun not to make money.

[Oges]

Do you sell your work? Yes

Where do you sell? Word of mouth (at the moment)

What do you sell? Keyrings mostly (until i get organised and cut other things to demonstrate what else can be made on the scroll saw)

H'bout profitability?

Do you make enough to keep yourself in saw blades and materials - Yes

Extra money to buy some new tools/toys - Depends on the quantity sold

Or enough to consider it a part-time/full-time business - Not reliable enough to consider this, plus would take enjoyment away from my hobby

What piece of advice would you offer to someone who wants to start selling their work. - Get your work out there, gift to family, friends or colleagues and have them direct people to you if they get any enquiries about it.