selling your scroll saw work.

[83entrepreneur]

Hey y'all,

A lot of you may have seen my Facebook Page woodworking by t&j. You may have noticed that I am not really selling much of nothing. So many people really bragged on My work.oh Man are you selling this stuff, its awesome. Those will sell like hot cakes. But nothing is selling like that. I have sold a few pieces. Most people say I don't charge enough but those people aren't buying either. I thought on it and figured if my prices are to low people may think its junk. So I raised them. People say I need more affordable prices. OK well... All in all I am hoping you all can help. Any ideas or comments feel free to give some advice/ constructive criticism Maybe.

[ike]

I have found out at craft sales you have to keep your prices at about $20. You don't make much money at that but I am doing it for fun and if I can make expenses + a little that is all right with me. and I will be falling this for some other input.

[LarryEA]

I wish I knew the answer.

1: Bad economy

2: Who your clientele is important

3: How it is displayed

 

I just price at what I think it's worth.. They buy, ok.

If not I keep and maybe give it as a gift.

[LarryEA]

This is in a post called scrolling for profit  by Travis..

You can go back to General Scroll Sawing and do a search for pricing scroll work... or pricing (your words)

 

1) How did you get started in scrolling for dollars?

You probably already have the equipment you need to start.  I don't think you'll need to invest too much.  Maybe for some business cards.

If you want to do craft shows, you might have to invest in a tent, tables, displays, and entry fees.

If you're selling online, I'd use a free website like blogger.com, or Google Sites (there are lots of places that have free website tools).  Promote through Facebook.  If you sell on Etsy or similar services, you'll have listing fees which are cheap (20 cents or so).  You might have to invest in a good camera if you don't already have one.

Word of mouth is probably the easiest.  No investment other than materials. 

2) Do you market your services or is it a word-of-mouth thing? If you really market what tools do you use?

 

I wouldn't take out any paid ads online or in the paper.  For online, Facebook is your friend.  Create a page and update it often (people LOVE pictures...take lots of pictures).  Use a free blog and update that often.  That way you have a webpage to point people to with your contact info and pictures of your work.

 

If you post to Etsy, post often and spread out the posts (don't post 30 items at one time.  Instead, post 30 items over a week or two).  That way you're more likely to get organic traffic.

 

Keep business cards with you with your website, and other contact info.  Maybe even keep a few samples in your trunk to show off to people when they show an interest.  Maybe even carry photos on your smart phone.

I don't think people know or care which tools you have.  I think they really only need to know that it's hand crafted.  You can make a quick demonstration video to show them the scroll saw.  But I doubt they'll care you're working on an Excalibur using a #3 FD Scroll Reverse blade.

3) How do you charge for your work?

I wrote this article awhile back that might help.  Others may have their own methods.

 

4) What advice would you give someone trying to get started?

Decide how much you want to put into it.  If it's casual, keep it simple.  Don't go overboard buying new equipment, fancy marketing campaigns, and expensive lumber.  It doesn't cost much, so the risk is low.  It probably doesn't take much additional effort either.  And selling your work can become an offshoot of your hobby.  It just adds another dimension to you favorite past time.  If it doesn't work out, so be it.  But I suspect you can earn enough to buy a new tool every once in awhile.

 

This isn't to say you can't make a living at it.  Some people do.  And if you do, you'll probably stumble into a niche without realizing it until the orders start coming in.

But here's a couple articles on SSV you might enjoy.  Etsy.com also has a bunch of great info for the crafting business.

 

[rjR]

I also only have some sales.

 

I have some stuff at consignment shops that sell a little of everything and still not great luck.

 

I actually do about as well by some C'list ads. They are free so only time invested.

 

My website is www.aeontoys.weebly.com advice ideas are very welcome-- the website is also free and does not sell very much; but makes a neat reference.

 

Good luck and share the advice that works! Please and Thank YOU!

[Ron Johnson]

Good morning Jeffert

I have taken a look at your site on Facebook. You do excellent work but my honest opinion it's not set up and layed out professionally. If you take a look at other woodworking sites selling art you'll see what I mean. Your work shows you really enjoy and are good at it so your display weather it be on a web page or at a show should be set up to show that professionalism as well. Every artist is usullay better at doing one thing the most. Not saying they're not good at others as well. For example one person may have the gift for doing portraits, another the gift for doing signs and etc. So may be helpful to create a theme or catagories so each and every item pops. It takes time and a lot of thought in deciding how your art work should be layed out on a web page or displayed at a show, but I strongly feel presentation is everything. It's like greeting a customer, if you haven't made a good impression the first time, chances are you won't the second time either. You will eventually find the right niche of how to sell your art. You have the talent so try, try, try but don't ever give up.

[sullyscroller]

Jeffert, There's no right or wrong way to sell your stuff. All the above advice is true. I have tried FB and it was a flop big time so i don't even mess with it any more. I stick with craft shows and my local FM. Craft shows are the best way to go. Price is totally up to you and the area you live in based on economics. I don't sell a lot but enough to make it worthwhile to do shows. Also my wife does jewelry and we have other handmade things we do. My highest portrait is $100 and my lowest is $20. I know this don't help much just don't give up.

 

sully

[amazingkevin]

a marketing man at church tol me to have things priced in the one bill catogory  $1-$5- $10 an $20's that way they just spend one bill to buy something as a quick "spur of the moment" gotta have thing.

[heppnerguy]

Your pieces are awesome. but your audience is way too small to do the job. maybe I can help you further if you send me a PM

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[ike]

I did 7 craft sales last year and sold enough to make expensis with $600 profit in which I bought a DW 780. IKE

[edward]

Crafts shows today are hit and miss, after doing eight years of shows they are going down hill, not like it use to be.  First of all the economy isn't as good, and there are a lot of WOB, [ people just walk on by] not even looking.  There are to many people selling resale items, and not hand made, and thery are a lot of company people selling  items which shouldn't be there which people running these shows don't care as long as they rent the space. N my area there aren't any jury show around, so we just put up with it. This is only my opinion.  edward

[Jim Finn]

I started selling seven years ago at street fairs and festivals.  I started selling $3 toys and easily sold out! I then tried making different items including , wooden flowers, boxes with inlays, banks, signs, vases, shelves,plaques,intarsia, crosses and other wall hung items.  I have found that the boxes sell best, so I make a lot of them.($20).  I still do some lettering,  crosses, and lettered signs and plaques.  The only toys I still make are rubber band shooters.  I think the trick is to find things you can make and sell for about $20 and then learn to mass produce them so that you can make some money at it.  Lately the big selling items for me are boxes and crosses.

[Clayton717]

I sell close to 90% of all my work, the other 10% I give away as gifts. I too have people telling me my prices are to low (it's usually my paying customers), and a lot compliment me on the piece but don't want to part with their money. I have a set rate I charge per hour( actually calculate it per minute), plus charge for all wood used and add a set fee for shop supplies. You are always going to have people that think it's to much, these are the same people that would go to the store and buy something similar for less but also mass produced not handcrafted. When I tell a "customer" a price and they say its to much I don't sell it. Unless I know there is a little wiggle room in the price that still pays for supplies and most of my time.

   This is my hobby not my Job, so I look at it like this- If I can sell most things I make to fund my hobby great, if not I will have lots of gifts for family. I enjoy woodworking/scrolling so I'm going keep doing it. Don't sell yourself short.

Get some of your stuff out there, word of mouth is the best advertisement you can get. I don't do shows all my sales are from word of mouth, and I have several repeat customers. I recently started a facebook page which also seemed to help spread the word about my "crafts". my page is Clayton's Wood Creations if you want to check it out. Hope my rambling helps out some.

[marmoh]

If we could convert compliments into cash we would all be rich.  

Your work is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.  You need a good variety of items to choose from which enables you to have different price ranges. 

I've done some street fairs and have an Etsy account and a facebook account.  You can never have too much exposure but if  you don't promote your site no one knows it's there.

I made some items for my Veterinarian and made sales from people seeing them on his wall.  I made items for the people involved in the street fair and they helped promote my booth.  I hand out business cards when ever I can. I keep pictures on my phone to show people what I can do.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if you want to make money people have to know you have something for sale.  Wish there was a magic formula to give but seems to be .. that one person, liking what they see, and willing to pay the price for it ???   Just because you build it doesn't mean they will come in this craft.    

Hope I didn't ramble too much ...... Marion

[amazingkevin]

Yes that's the ticket have a wide range of low to high priced stuff so they can, at a glimpse see it's well worth what your asking.UN shown is UN sold !

[Jim Finn]

I eventually sell 100% of what I make.  Mostly at festivals and lately more by word of mouth. I had a friend take $60 worth of my boxes to show his barber.  He wanted to choose form the three boxes I sent.  My friend came back with just money.  Sold one to the barber and two to other customers.  You just never know when a sale will come along.