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

[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.