Has anyone had any success selling their work?

[Elizabeth]

Further to the 'how much to charge' discussion a few weeks ago, (which was very interesting and informative), I was wondering if anyone here had had any good success in selling their work and for hobby or professional craftsperson prices?

I'd like to have a go, but the economic climate being as it is, I don't feel very confident about it. What do you say?

[Ruth Lane]

I own a fine craft gallery in NW Montana, USA and sell my work through the gallery. The selling climate is very poor here and we aren't selling much of anything at this point. I think you will find it hard to start out during this economic climate. I think many galleries will not be buying as much work wholesale but might consider selling your work on consignment. But starting your leg work and seeing where to sell your work now is a good idea. If you can sell somewhere now, then when things improve, you should do even better. I don't sell on ETSY or EBay or any websites like that. Not sure how everyone is doing on those kind of sites. I always try to price my work at "professional prices" as people underselling their work is one of my pet peeves and just makes it harder for the rest of us to get a reasonable price.

[Elizabeth]

What do you mean by 'on consignment'? Sorry, I'm not clued up on the business world.=) I wasn't really thinking of galleries either as wholesale prices could mean little more than hobby prices actually coming to me in order to make the final price realistic! Someone might buy from me for £15, but I can't see them paying £30 for the same thing.

I wouldn't dream of E-bay selling for this kind of thing as E-bay is the place to get bargains and sell what you don't need, not fine art pieces! Etsy I would say was different, but I totally agree with you about underselling. The amount of people who even encourage you to do it as well. As if you were doing the whole thing for the fun of it!!

Thanks for the info anyway. =)

[Romilly]

Elisabeth -

"On consignment" means that the shop takes in your work without paying you anything until it sells. Usually you sign a contract regarding price, and then when the work sells they keep the specified percentage of the price and give you the rest. The percentage they keep can range anywhere from 20-40%. I've even seen seen as high as 50%, but that's rare. And unless your selling very expensive items, probably not feasible for you.

Underpricing is one of my pet peeves, too, but it's also difficult online to tell what's underpriced -- appropriate prices can vary a LOT between regions of the US, let alone internationally. Best advice, price honestly, and compensate yourself well. :)

As for people selling, for the most part, the Etsy folks who are doing well are saying that they have a line that sells for $5.00-10.00 and under that sell regularly, as well as their more expensive lines of one of a kind art that sells less often, but makes them more money per piece. Robin Howes tells the story of raising the price on an unselling art piece on Etsy and having Courtney Love buy it from her. (http://robindudleyhowes.blogspot.com/2008/11/first-etsy-sale.html) There used to be a more detailed explanation somewhere, with pictures, but I can't find it right now and need to get back to work.

I don't necessarily think it's a bad time to try to break into business, but it's not the best. Of course, if we all wait for the best time, none of us would EVER do it! Personally, I'd look into the internet route, if only because there are more eyeballs with money looking at your work. And remember that people these days want a personal connection with the artist, if they're going to spend real money, so a blog can be helpful, too...but that gets into marketing, and there are LOTS of good marketing books on the market.

Good luck. And remember, you won't know if you don't try. :)

[Elizabeth]

Thanks Romilly! Some interesting points there and the Courtney Love story reminds me of a tale I heard in Taiwan of a girl who bought some apples and tried to re-sell them on the street for a reasonable price. They didn't shift, so she wildly inflated the price, marketed them as 'Japanese apples', (which they probably were), and people bought them double quick!!=)

Yes, the idea of having some items you can sell cheaper (which keeps a constant flow of customers coming) and more unique things for a bigger price is sensible.

[Maureen Greeson]

Hi Elisabeth, Since you didn't say what you would be selling, I will pass on an idea. Last year I attended a combination antique, craft show and there was a lady there selling t-shirts with a bit of crazy quilt on the front of each. She sold several just while I was near her booth. They were $20 each. Usually it's the things that you say "go figure" to that seem to draw attention. Even Banana Repulic has t-shirts for over $40 that have a pretty ribbon bow tacked on or some other doo-dad to make it look different. I added a bow to one of my $7 t-shirts and it looks as good or better. Casual is always in! Think small and you can get your creativity out there without giving each item hours and hours of your time. Maureen

[Elizabeth]

I've got several simple and quick ideas too that can be quite classy!

I'm not really certain about whether I'll get the time to follow this up, but we have a Staff Festival at work eary Sept before the students come back and staff members can have a free stall in an arts anc crafts market area. There aren't that many and folk who work there aren't half badly paid. Many of the academic and managerial staff (of whom there are a geat many in a world class university) are on pretty good wages and so I figured that if I were to get myself a stand and fill it with a few hand-made cards etc that anyone could afford, then some of the more senior staff might be persuaded to the more expensice hand-made/embroidered purses and bags etc by a decent stream of business. Of course, I would e-mail all present and past colleagues begging them to come and buy a £2.50 card from me if nothing else!!!

There are other selling opportunities here, but not many that really fit in with my schedule, (ie most are on Sundays when I'm not free for business matters). Well, much of it depends on time as I'm really behind with my C&G coursework and would need a lot of time to make goods to sell. Can't really decide until May, but then it won't keep me awake either!!LOL!

Thanks ladies all.=)

[Judy B]

Elizabeth,
I joined the world wide web to see if I wanted to sell patterns on the web. I think I will, just have to work out the how!
In a previous life I stitched together rag dolls, table runners and toppers, and many other items up to and including quilts and some self published patterns. I sold them on consignment with mostly good and a couple of bad experiences, I sold at country craft fairs with a fair amount of success, and through community craft co-operatives (shops ran by a group of people to promote local craftspeople and raise funds for the community) with great success. Along with teaching workshops and classes I managed to pay for my hobbies, including the materials, books and tools, plus made or purchased gifts for extended family and friends, nearly all my clothes and some of the kids' clothes.
Beats having a real job, and though I would not have made enough money to be totally independent, but it was very good pocket money! Don't think I could have made it independently in the small communities we lived in, and was never in the position where we could borrow set up money to give it a go. In working with others in the co-ops I certainly gained the skills to run a small craft shop!
Once I had established a reputation I was able to charge near or equal to professional prices, never sold anything below asking price. (Gave unsold stuff away as gifts or donated them to charity rather than sell below a profit.)
Initially I sold mostly small prices items (equivalent to the $5-10 items now, but keep in mind I am thinking in Aussie dollars!), but in the last few years pretty much everything I sold was over $25, (I did a quick price check yesterday on what I would put on one of the staple, cheapest dolls, and that is the lowest price I would sell them for now, five years down the track.)
In the best sales year I made over 1000 dolls, plus other stuff, taught workshops, ran classes, and didn't have any hand crafted items left in the cupboard for Christmas gifts, and the shops I was involved in had nothing of mine in stock.
Overall, it was hard work, especially the craft fairs! Packing up stuff, setting up, packing up again and sorting it out ready for the next one in hard physically. On the other hand, being part of the craft co-ops was sometimes hard mentally, as there were thirty to a hundred members, and about half of them had their own ideas and agendas! The advantage of the latter was not having to make every decision, do every job, or even have every smart idea to make the shop successful. And not having to work full time on the shop floor means more sewing time.
The best way to use that sewing time is making items using your own designs, in your own style, and making them well! Build up a reputaion for original, inventive, and most importantly quality items, and work out what selling method you are most comfortable with Never expect to be rich, enjoy what you are doing, and be patient.

[Rosemary]

Hi Elisabeth,

I used to make patterns for people, graphing their houses for cross stitch, did quite well but the work was very intensive and a one off each time. I found advertising had to be in a higher end magazine, one that focussed on lifestyle/decorating rather than magazines pitched at "crafters". That became very expensive.... still, it was good for me at a time in my life (12 or so years ago) when I was in a very stressful job where I didn't get a lot of positive feedback: it was great "timeout" and my clients were very happy on the whole. I learned a lot about presenting yourself professionally in terms of your publicity and the presentation of your product. People are wary of dealing with anyone who seems a bit too... what's the word? Amateur? People were put off that I didn't have a shop at times I think. These days a slick website would seem to be a minimum.

Since then I've sold cross stitch and blackwork patterns to magazines from time to time, again a one off creative outlet that doesn't pay really well, you learn to balance time and effort against possible return. It was done on my terms though - I'd draft up a few ideas and take them in and then they'd choose what they'd like and off we went. I think it can be a way to promote yourself in a wider business sense.

Rosemary

[LizW]

Just want to say how useful this thread has been, I am also mulling over whether to try and sell my work.

[shaidy]

I make earrings and greetings cards etc which I sell at a local craft shop, that covers the cost of all my projects and the bigger 'art' pieces I sell there as well but they are quite pricey and so don't have a high turnover but are much more enjoyable to make. I couldn't make a living out of it but it is worth it for the extra pocket money and finding a home for everything! Good luck and happy stitching :)

[LizW]

There are so many online shops like Etsy these days, I am wondering whether to try that, but I have to make some stock first!

[DebraAnn]

I've done craft shows and had my work in a few stores and galleries. It's kind of hit or miss. But I think that's the way it is with everything today. Out of the 15 cars people are still buying, some of them were Mercedes BMW and Porsche but the rest of them were Hyundai and Kias. I also think people are afraid and shopping at Walmart for everything. Not very good for everybody else.