Can I sell my crafts? - Craftdabbler

Can I sell my crafts?

There comes a time when every craftsperson asks, “Can I sell my crafts?” If this is where you are now, then this article sets out to look at the questions you need to answer before you reach a decision.

The first thing you will probably do is ask other people. Who will you ask? Usually it’s the people nearby - family and friends.

Perhaps these are the people who encouraged you in the first place and suggested that the things you make are good enough to be sold and you should try making some money by doing what you enjoy. Remember, these are the people who love you and so any opinions they offer may not be totally unbiased.

OK. Maybe asking family and friends is not the only way to go.

To make your own decision about whether the things you make are good enough to sell you need to check out the people who will become your competition.

That’s right. Find people selling the same kinds of things that you make. Remember, you need to compare similar things. Comparing your handmade quality patchwork quilt, for example, with mass produced imports is pointless. You need to compare your items with others of the same quality.

Where will you look? Try to attend at least a couple of craft fairs where similar goods might be sold. When you find what you are looking for you need to ask these three questions.

What is the quality like?

What price is being asked?

Is it selling?

So, look at each in turn.

Is the quality better? If so, you will need to look at ways to improve your product.

Is the quality inferior? If you think it is, then try to work out why. Maybe it is a deliberate effort to streamline production of the items.

*Time is very important to the business craftsperson. You will have a clearer understanding of why from my next article, “Can I make money from my craft?”

Make a note of the prices.

Is it selling? Now, try to assess whether the items are actually selling or if they are simply drawing admirers. You may need to observe for a while for this answer for higher priced items like quilts. Lower priced goods like greeting cards should have a faster turnover.

What if you don’t see your craft represented at a craft fair?

Try online. Many arts and crafts are sold online. Do a Google search and be prepared to spend quite a bit (OK, a LOT) of time surfing the net. You are likely to find several independent websites selling items that appear to be similar to your own.

Another good place to check out is www.etsy.com . This is a huge website that allows hundreds of craftspeople to sell their goods through mini websites under their own control. The main rule is that everything has to be hand made or significantly altered by the skill and craft of the seller.

When you find your craft represented, ask the same questions.

What is the quality like? Not as easy to judge online, but the photos and descriptions should give you some idea.

What price is being asked? At last, an easy question! The prices should be clearly stated but remember there will be postage and packing on top of the quoted price. For heavy, bulky items or those coming from abroad this can add a lot to the amount a buyer actually has to pay.

Is it selling? Another difficult question to answer for an online business but there are clues. If the website is up to date and fully working then someone must find it worthwhile to keep it maintained.

Now, you have compared what you make with your competitors. If you are happy that your quality is as good, if not better, than what is already available then you are on your way

But there are still more questions. Didn’t you know there would be a “but” in there somewhere?

Can you set aside enough time to do your craft as a business? You need time to make the actual items, to sell them in person or on the internet, to shop for supplies and all the other things entailed in running a small business from home.

Your family may not appreciate you spending all your time shut away in the craft room. If you have no family to consider you still need time to socialise, to get fresh air and exercise, and to generally “have a life”.

If you are confident that you can organise your time and fit everything in then there is only one more question to ask.

Will I still enjoy doing my craft when I have to do it as a business? Only you can answer this. Many people like being free to make what they want to make when they want to make it. Having to fulfil orders can be a bind. Working on 200 Christmas related items in August for a craft fair in September may be just more than you can bear. That’s OK. Better to realise now than later.

If you are thinking, “What! Are you kidding? An excuse to spend even more time crafting and getting paid for it. Count me in!”

Go for it!

Now you have decided that a crafting life is for you, look out for my next article “Can I make money from my craft?”