Brainstorm On Selling My Crafts:

[jennythereader]

In a sort of neat outline I attempt to figure out how to profit from my recent craftiness. Pictures of my recent creations are forthcoming, probably this weekend.

Here are two major questions and some of my answers:

1) What should I make?
A) I could do custom work, allowing my clients to choose colors, item to be decoupaged, amount of re-purposed materials, and amount and type of additional ornamentation.
i) Advantages
a) Everything I made would be a guaranteed sale
ii) Disadvantages
a) I have a hard time making stuff to a deadline
B) I could make whatever the muse inspires me to make.
i) Advantages
a) It's easy to make whatever I feel like.
ii) Disadvantages
b) Stuff may or may not sell
2) How should I sell what I make?
A) Posts on my current LJ
i) Advantages
a) No need to set up any other accounts
b) Easy to remember where to post things
ii) Disadvantages
a) Hard to advertise to strangers
b) My friends might get annoyed with the posts
B) Posts on a dedicated LJ
i) Advantages
a) Uses a system I'm already familiar with
b) Won't spam my own LJ/flist
ii) Disadvantages
a) Hard to advertise to strangers
b) Keeping track of multiple LJ accounts is a pain.
C) An Etsy shop
i) Advantages
a) Easy to advertise to strangers
ii) Disadvantages
a) Have to set up a whole new account in an unfamiliar setting
b) I might have a hard time making enough stuff to stock a shop.
Solution:
(1) Create a shared shop with other creative people from among my friends.
D) Ebay
i) Advantages
a) Lots of potential customers
ii) Disadvantages
a) Prices sometimes stay lower than is ideal



Anyone have any suggestions or comments?

ETA: I always forget that I lose my text formatting when LJ actually posts.

ETA 2: Pictures of things I've made using decoupage. The Decoupage Gallery

Comments

[sioneva.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine has quite a small Etsy shop, so quantity may not be as important as quality there. What is an issue, as with any website/shop, is getting your name out there and publicizing what you have!

[jennythe-reader.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Spreading the word will be the hard part, no matter what method I choose.

[nounsandverbs]

With regard to question number 2 ... no matter what online forum you use to try to sell what you make, your focus is always going to be driving people to that site. As one of my housemates learned when he tried to sell his stuff -- and as I've learned, in a small way, trying to give away my music for free -- getting strangers to see what you've got is extremely challenging. So with that in mind, Etsy is probably your best bet -- since the people who go to that site are already looking for crafty bits to begin with. Anywhere else, you've got to convince people of two things: 1) to buy crafty bits at all, and 2) to buy yours.

That said -- from what little I've seen of the crafty stuff you've done, I see no reason why it wouldn't sell. It's good.

[jennythe-reader.livejournal.com]

Your reasoning runs parallel to my own. :-) At this point I am leaning pretty strongly toward an Etsy shop, either solo or with a group. I just wanted to come up with other options so that I knew I had really thought about it.

Thank you for the compliment.

Product and Placement

[(Anonymous)]

With any business the easiest thing is to get the product the most difficult part is convincing people to buy your product. With that in mind. Everything is so connected now that if you have a quality product there is somebody somewhere that will buy it. The problem is finding that person at the right time.
So far as what products to create I think you should perm. Meaning do both. They are permuatable. You can do crafts to order and you can do custom works. Your buisness will start slow and your clients will direct how you should grow. You also will operate in the red (at a loss) for maybe a few years. This does not mean that your idea is wrong or flawed ( but it might). It might mean that your seedling of a buisness needs time to grow.

Anyway the basic rules are diversification of products and advertisement. Location Location Location. Copy your competition and outsmrt them.

Give it a shot. You have been doing this stuff for sum time. It won't be easy but just think of everything you put up with at your job for whatever it is you make.

Re: Product and Placement

[jennythe-reader.livejournal.com]

What I came up with last night (after posting this) was to make and sell whatever I come up with myself, but have an offer to do custom work somewhere on whatever site I end up using to sell.

That anonamous comment was your brother Bobby

[(Anonymous)]

seriously give it a shot. Put time into it. Start slow. Baby steps. All good things come with time.