Craft sellers- I have some questions for you:)

[edeemarie]

This year for Christmas we have really focused on homemade gifts to save some money since we were planning on a layoff (which now looks like it probably won't happen- hurray!). Every time I finish something my dh and my mom tell me that I should make some to sell. The extra money would be great but I am not really sure what the best way to go about doing this would be. So for those of you that do this I have a few questions.

 

-Is it easier to sell things at a craft show or sell on something like Etsy (or maybe both)? I assume a craft show might be more appealing since with Etsy you have shipping to deal with- but I could be wrong.

 

-How much do you mark up prices beyond what materials cost? This one is really tricky for me because I am the type of person that would much rather figure out a way to make something myself that pay for someone else to do it. I know production time is a factor but just wondering if there is a ballpark figure of how much to mark up.

 

-What are the best ways to market your crafts on either Etsy or selling at a craft show? If I spend the time to make things I want to make sure I am marketing them to as many people as possible.

 

-If you sell at a craft show, how do you gauge how many things to make- especially your first year? I have a variety of things to make so I am wondering if it would just be best to make several of each and see what sells best. Some of the items are specific to Christmas but others are not.

 

-Are there craft shows at other times than Christmas? That is the only time I have ever seen them but if I chose the craft show option I would like to have other times to sell than just at Christmas.

 

-How do you figure out shipping for Etsy? Just wondering if there is a tool or something to help figure this out since I see that most people have shipping already calculated and it is not based on zip code.

 

-Where do you store the crafts you have completed? We have a dog in our house and I would like to keep the finished crafts in a place where they won't get dusty or hairy (maybe a rubbermaid tote or something similar?).

 

That is all I can think of for now. Thanks for any advice you can give:)

[fairfarmhand]

I've never sold, but to keep my crafts free from dust and smudges, I store them in ziploc baggies in totes. This also means that I won't smudge or muss them when I am looking for something in the tote.

[mytwomonkeys]

dp

[mytwomonkeys]

i have an etsy store, but the competition is vast there for my market. i make most of my money at craft fairs and home parties. at christmas, we sold a ton of stuff through parties people hosted for us (i work with my sister).we had 2 holiday parties and made $1,200. this was much more lucrative for us. we are now gearing up for spring festivals.

 

on a side note, many festivals require booth pictures and work space pictures, etc. the bigger ones can be difficult to get into when you're first starting out. when we started, we worked a small church fair for $35 a booth and took a lot of pictures (which we used to get into bigger fairs later on). we only made $150 at that fair, but it covered the entry fee and gave us a little cash. the main reason for it though was future fairs. hth. have fun!!!!

 

 

 

oh, to answer your questions...

 

make more than you think you will need for a fair. you can sell stuff at other festivals! you often cannot leave early, so if you run out - that will stink! as for cost, we price competitively, so know your market. we do increase the cost quite a bit, but the price is still very fair for the customer. we factor in costs of materials, what it will cost us to replace the materials, and what our time was worth sewing it. all of those things matter. know your market. :) have fun!

[songsparrow]

I haven't yet started such a business, although I've considered it. Here's an article you might find interesting:

 

http://whatthecraft.com/how-to-pricing/