What I'm making is very cheap to make...

3 hours ago, Kevin Beitz said:

What I'm making is very cheap to make...

And you have a market, and you have a niche, and you are doing great, good on ya Kevin!!! And I hope to heck you don't undersell your talent and artwork.

 

Look, there are tens of thousands of successful woodworkers in our nation, there are examples all over the place, and there are success stories coming out of small shops and garages, you just gotta be hooked up to the market, feel it, contacts, see the trends coming, and going, right now there could not be a better time to sell hand crafts, the general public is eating it up. If you can't make it in today's market, with the new found interest in folk art and crafts, then you don't have what people want, that's nobody's fault, but the producer of such work that nobody wants. Yet so often the general public is blamed, or the market, or folks don't appreciate my art, or craft etc etc, if you aren't making it today from the perspective of the small inventory craftsman, if you are not selling your wares at the local farmers market, or artisans bizarre, it's because you are trying to sell items nobody wants, and you need to shift, you need to look in the mirror, and realize that what you are making, just aint selling.

 

Kevin, you got a great thing going there, I bet those sell well, it's what our market of today just absolutely loves.

14 minutes ago, John Morris said:

it's because you are trying to sell items nobody wants, and you need to shift,

Very true, businesses that once were powerhouses failed to adapt to the changing market and they crashed.  Look at Sears it was the pre internet Amazon.  They did not have the foresight to utilize all those warehouses and distribution facilities and remarket them for the internet sales.  

 

I don't do woodworking projects but I do have several people that sell stuff online and bring what they have found and get cords replaced, switches fixed and equipment checked out.  These guys could easily overwhelm me with work if I took everything in and had deadlines and such.

 

But I am still with @Gene Howe  I am not interested, certainly not in this mingle thingy you speak of, and finally when would I get my stuff done?  

 

3 minutes ago, Woodbutcherbynight said:

I am not interested, certainly not in this mingle thingy you speak of, and finally when would I get my stuff done?

It's most certainly not for everyone, I agree.

13 minutes ago, John Morris said:

It's most certainly not for everyone, I agree.

The times I have made good money doing woodworking have been when I worked with someone who was a true salesman.  A people person if you will.  I am a task oriented person and just want to work till it is done.  Calling me every few hours is NOT helping get it done faster.  

4 hours ago, CharlieL said:

In almost all cases it is NOT mass produced. Custom one of a kind pieces are not cheap too make. Plain and simple.

Quite often they are not inexpensive to make Charlie, but that is why you charge accordingly.

Reason it's so cheap... Wood is free and I have my own saw mill.

In the distant past, I garnered a few sheckles building and installing commercial point of sale counters for NAPA, JC Penny and smaller concerns, water beds (remember those?) and a few kitchen cabinet jobs. It was never a full time job. One job usually lead to another and, I never solicited business. Now and, for the lat 20 years, woodworking is all about the enjoyment and fun. AND SMALLER PROJECTS!  

Just now, Gene Howe said:

AND SMALLER PROJECTS!  

Is this a natural age progression thing? Cuz I sure am moving towards this direction, I have a growing interest in green woodworking, carving spoons, bowls, and turning smaller items. When I was young and full of energy I built a few kitchens for folks, entertainment centers, cabinets for all reasons, a ton of flat work, even hung doors on the side for about 4 years and did really well with it, always busy. Now, I just wanna sit down at the bench with a few hand tools and make something, small.

1 minute ago, John Morris said:

Is this a natural age progression thing? Cuz I sure am moving towards this direction, I have a growing interest in green woodworking, carving spoons, bowls, and turning smaller items. When I was young and full of energy I built a few kitchens for folks, entertainment centers, cabinets for all reasons, a ton of flat work, even hung doors on the side for about 4 years and did really well with it, always busy. Now, I just wanna sit down at the bench with a few hand tools and make something, small.

I'm sure age and age related conditions have a lot to do with it. Kinda forces a change in priorities. Money has never been a motivator. Phyl and I always made decent money while we were working. And, we're comfortable in retirement. So, we're free to explore our different avenues of creativity. You'd be amazed at the care Phyl takes in selecting fabric for her needle work. Much like we do with our wood. And, she enjoys her tools as much as we do ours. 

Both our priorities have changed. 

1 hour ago, John Morris said:

Is this a natural age progression thing?

I suspect so and as Gene said priorities change.  Sure I always have a project but these days I take my sweet time and enjoy the entire process.  What I need is more project time and less work same money.  

 

Or a rich relative to leave me a nice chunk of change.

Had a shop for two years and might have one again but for now I'd pass on it unless i had another income...

 

If your in the right place and have a shop it's not too bad. Now wrong place hunting customers all the time.. Not me...