August 18, 201114 yr Ok those of us who sell our items, how do you sell ? Through your own site or sites such as Etsy or Artfire ? I found out about another site today called www.madeitmyself.com, I may try it out. I have items listed on both Etsy and Artfire, not much luck on either yet. I am in the process of revamping my own site also. Does anyone do any shows of any kind? I also plan to set up at a local farmers market that is sponsored by the town I live near, starting in late Sept.- late Nov. every Sat. morning and see how that does. I have tried Ebay in the past with very little luck, it's definitely not a good market place for hand made items. Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/
August 19, 201114 yr Author Charles I agree on ebay, I have sold quite a few things on there but none of my scroll saw projects sold.  Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/
August 19, 201114 yr Greg, try facebook. My gf uses facebook and ties her etsy.com together and she's done ok
August 19, 201114 yr well, she has met new people from etsy and have added each other on FB, friends of friends of friends see what she is selling and their buying. I think she also uses something called pinterest.com.
August 19, 201114 yr The stuff I build are rather large, but they are strictly for work. I just show the pics so if that is what someone is interested in, I can build it again. Rather than keeping surplus of stuff to be sold, ya know
August 19, 201114 yr Author Charles, if you have an Etsy store in the you can go to the your account page, then look on the left side bar and scroll down until you see the heading "promote" under it will be a FB link. Also on Etsy and FB I use those to share on FB when I add something. Check out  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sawdust-Factory/134926503197931 that is my FB page for my work. It needs some updating. Hope this helps. Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/
September 8, 201114 yr We have our own site and we also do some of the better local area shows. I had little or no luck on Ebay and Artfire or Etsy.  Rickwww.thwscrollerandtoler.comDeWalt 788
September 8, 201114 yr I sell off EBay but the fees are a killer. By the time you figure in the EBay and PayPal fees you're looking at 13-14%. So much for profit.  Ron DudelstonAbove and Beyond WoodWorks
September 10, 201114 yr Author Charles, check into http://www.homestead.com/ Their fees are reasonable, and you can get your own domain name through them. Also they free software to build a site that is fairly easy to figure out.  Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/
September 10, 201114 yr Been wondering how I could sell some of my items for several years. My problem is that I want to keep it local. Also I have a set mindset idea I need to build large items. Lately I'm thinking of smaller items. Furniture I can make but I'm not really set up for it. But small items such as keeps sakes (not sure I spell it correctly) boxes, small clocks (mantle and some wall clocks), scroll sawing items. Along with Bird houses, feeders and some yard/ patio items. I am considering farmers market, and craft fairs, and what is many times call flea market but they not the week-end type. It more as a antique store withbooths spaces for those who wants or have items to sell. But it a little high. A 4ft by 8 ft booth is $ 50.00 a month plusI think 11% commission on what you sell. These store as such will take care of payment on items that sell. So you reallydo not have to been around all time. I thought of maybe trying Craig List. But what I seen I'm not too sure that would work. I do not have a web site and not sure I'll ever have one. I can see the advantage of having one but my so call computer expertise is very lacking in trying one. More I keep thinking along this line I'll probably will try starting upsmall in some way in selling items. Just have not made up mine mind which way I'll go. Wayne E  Â
September 10, 201114 yr Author Wayne, if the antique store has good steady daily traffic it would be worth a try i think. Some places like that want you to rent for a minimum amount of time, so check on that. The holiday shopping season is sneaking up fast so now might be the time to try. You might want to try to talk to some of the other vendors and see how well they do. Also check on who is responsible for the security of your items when you're not there.  Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/
September 11, 201114 yr Greg Aksdal said:Wayne, if the antique store has good steady daily traffic it would be worth a try i think. Some places like that want you to rent for a minimum amount of time, so check on that. The holiday shopping season is sneaking up fast so now might be the time to try. You might want to try to talk to some of the other vendors and see how well they do. Also check on who is responsible for the security of your items when you're not there.  Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/  Greg I been going to one antique just about every 2 weeks just to check it out. I had made a list on what booth and what woodworking items that both has. Some booths seems to be selling fairly well and others not as well. Most of these booths are selling similar items but prices are different. I'm thinking of maybe do some different woodworking items. None of these booths have any clocks, cutting boards or any scroll saw items and not even any intrasia items.  As far security for the items, there is surveillance cameras in different parts of the building. Also at the front entry door there is a check out counter.  I have not rule this store out yet. It just the booth fee plus the commissions they want. Almost afraid I may have to priced my items little higher than I want to.  As for traffic goes. There almost at least 3 or 4 shoppers there while I'm there for about 30 minutes. Very few times I not seen less. When I go I try to go at different time from the last time I went just to get an idea of how this store do.  Wayne E
September 12, 201114 yr Author Wayne, I think you've got a good idea about having different items from the other vendors. That sounds like good traffic to me. Unfortunatly booth fees are a cost of doing this. I plan on setting up at a local farmer's market for about 8 Saturdays starting in Oct. and I had to pay $40 to join the association and $7 every sat. and this is outdoors, so we have to provide our own shelter and tables, hopefully it will pay off for me. Have you talked to any other vendors there to see if they have had any kind of problems? Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/ Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/
September 13, 201114 yr Greg Aksdal said:Wayne, I think you've got a good idea about having different items from the other vendors. That sounds like good traffic to me. Unfortunatly booth fees are a cost of doing this. I plan on setting up at a local farmer's market for about 8 Saturdays starting in Oct. and I had to pay $40 to join the association and $7 every sat. and this is outdoors, so we have to provide our own shelter and tables, hopefully it will pay off for me. Have you talked to any other vendors there to see if they have had any kind of problems?  Greg I have not talked to any vendors there yet. Seems like every time I go I see people that are acting as customers doing the same thing as I am looking what the vendors have in their booths.  I have not seen anyone who seems to be checking or re-stocking their booths.  Even with the booth fee and commision, the good thing about this is I do not have to been there at all. Just come in to check the booth, re-stock it, put on  price tags and clear up the clutter. The store clerk will accept the payment per the price tag plus collect any sales taxes. This way iI could spend more time on woodworking. Also I would not have to worry about doing the state sales tax forms every so often. But on  farmers market or week-end flee market, you are there the whole day and collecting sales taxes which later you would have to do the report. More I keep thinking  along this line, the $ 50.00 booth monthly fee plus commision keep lookiing better. Still hoping to catch a vendor or 2 and talk to them.  I'll have to change the time of day I'm going there and hope to catch them. Wayne E Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/ Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/
September 13, 201114 yr Author Wayne, If it were me I would give it a try. The farmers market that I'm doing is only a half day, 8am to 1pm, of course as soon as I leave it I'll be heading to work from 2-10pm so it will make for some long days.Wayne Ellington said:Greg Aksdal said:Wayne, I think you've got a good idea about having different items from the other vendors. That sounds like good traffic to me. Unfortunatly booth fees are a cost of doing this. I plan on setting up at a local farmer's market for about 8 Saturdays starting in Oct. and I had to pay $40 to join the association and $7 every sat. and this is outdoors, so we have to provide our own shelter and tables, hopefully it will pay off for me. Have you talked to any other vendors there to see if they have had any kind of problems?  Greg I have not talked to any vendors there yet. Seems like every time I go I see people that are acting as customers doing the same thing as I am looking what the vendors have in their booths.  I have not seen anyone who seems to be checking or re-stocking their booths.  Even with the booth fee and commision, the good thing about this is I do not have to been there at all. Just come in to check the booth, re-stock it, put on  price tags and clear up the clutter. The store clerk will accept the payment per the price tag plus collect any sales taxes. This way iI could spend more time on woodworking. Also I would not have to worry about doing the state sales tax forms every so often. But on  farmers market or week-end flee market, you are there the whole day and collecting sales taxes which later you would have to do the report. More I keep thinking  along this line, the $ 50.00 booth monthly fee plus commision keep lookiing better. Still hoping to catch a vendor or 2 and talk to them.  I'll have to change the time of day I'm going there and hope to catch them. Wayne E Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/ Greghttp://www.thesawdustfactory.net/
September 16, 201114 yr I do several craft shows every year. Both large and small, Juried and free for all styles. Also I have a Face Book Page just for the items I make and to let people know when I have a show. I dont tend to keep this as updated as I should tho. But I have received several orders from it and my regular page. Also own a website, www.the-cut-above.com , again needs to be updated big time when I get a new computer. And lastly I have 5 locations around Tennessee that sell some of my goods on a commission. Still dont make a lot but it goes up every few months and now that I'm in the height of show season and laid off from work I will have a show at least every other weekend if not more.
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