How you sell your creations...

Re: How you sell your creations...

MikeinCapeMay

>Local craft shows. Local gift shops. Make sure that your pleased with your work and that it's finished properly. If your doing bowls and boxes make sure the bottoms are finished with some detail and signed with a date and wood species, people always look at the bottom and that's a nice touch. Have some professional looking business cards displayed with your work. Try to know the answers to the myriad questions that customers will pose. If you do shows try to construct a professional looking display. Nice tables (I use folding leg variety) with covers, shelving, display stands. If you're outdoors a good quality canopy with sides.

Try local shows and you'll get a feel for what shows work and which don't and what sells and what doesn't. Visit some shows and see if there are turners there and what they're selling and charging, then try and find shows that don't have turners and be the one and only. It's easier to not compete, if there are several turners in a show it's nice if you're selling different products. I did a show in November and there were two of us there. We both had bowls and boxes and potpourri bowls, however his big thing was pens and mine bottle stoppers so we cohabitated and both did well.

Go to lots of gift shops and see if there are turnings there and what the quality is and the pricing.

I'm sure many will weigh in with advice. Good luck and have fun......don't turn your enjoyment and passion into too much labor.

Hope this helps,

Mike

Re: How you sell your creations...

Richard Allen

>Hi Rob

You should know that selling your turnings takes as much effort as making your turnings. At least that is the way it works for me. I enjoy making the turnings a lot more than selling them.

There are a lot of outlets for woodturnings:

Craft shows, Gift shops, Galleries from low end to high end. Selling to people you know, like at work or in a social way. This usually involves letting them know that your turnings are for sale. You can have a "Tupperware party" only make it a woodturning party.

Along the way you will have to discover a LOT of things about selling your turnings. Just as you have learned a LOT of things about making your turnings. Stuff like price, presentation, taxes, artist statement, returns, commissions.

For me selling tends to take a good deal of the fun out of woodturning. But there are only so many gifts and only so much room in the house....

Good Luck

Richard

Re: How you sell your creations...

TomW in SouthJersey

>Mike - I had a friend hitting some shops in Cape May yesterday. She said one called Kiss the Cook had some nice bottlestoppers in a nice display. I said I'll bet I know who turned them? Was I right?

Tom

Re: How you sell your creations... *LINK*

Tom Mullane

>Rob, most of what I sell is my custom pens.. and a few bowls that I am happy with (not a whole lot of them.. LOL)

I sell quite a bit at our local farm market.. they have a real nice area set up for local crafters.. I usually book a booth for Nov & Dec and then again for April to June... this covers most of the better gift times for me...

I also have a connection with 2 shops that only sell items made my instate craftsmen... they are very touchy about what is carried and I feel fortunate to have been selected to have my work there.

I am also looking at a couple of local trophy places that cater to the local schools.. hoping they will carry some pens made in the school colors..

There are a lot of places to try and it is a lot of work to properly market your work...

I have also recently started a website for my pen sales but to date it is only in the beginning stages and no pens are available for sale yet..

To give you an idea the link is below... If you decide to go this route make sure that the site loads quickly and is attractive without being too busy... Also make sure that you get the word out about your site and make sure you register with every search engine you can think of...

All I can say after all this is GOOD LUCK and Keep on Trucking... it ain't easy but sometimes you hit paydirt..


My Favorite Pen

Re: How you sell your creations...

MikeinCapeMay

>I'm partners with another fellow in so much as we share expenses for shows and wood gathering and are in several of the same venues. We both have items in "Love the Cook", however the stoppers and pepper mills that your friend saw were made by my partner. I need to replenish my items there. I'll pass along compliment.

Tell your friend the next time in Cape May check out the Cape May Winery, we have a number of items in there too.