BeadieFriends.com

Patterns & Projects for Beading & Crafts

Home

Beading Instructions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Sell Your Crafts

What to Sell:

You already know which crafts you love. Popular items change quickly. You want to sell item(s) which:

  • are at least somewhat popular (and/or useful) in your area
  • don't take too long to make
  • are somewhat unique
  • don't cost too much to make
  • you enjoy working on
  • there is a market for
  • you have the rights to

Where to Sell Them:

You've decided which type of craft you want to sell. Now to figure out where you're going to sell them. Below are a few suggestions as to where you can sell your items. Bear in mind selling your items almost always costs money up front.

  • from your home
  • on a casual basis to people you know
  • at craft fairs and similar events
  • on consignment in shops
  • by custom/special order
  • on the internet

How to Advertise:

You must advertise. If no one knows you're selling, how will they find you to buy anything? It doesn't have to be complicated. If you're selling at the big craft fair at the recreation center that's been an annual event for the past 20 years, basic advertising is probably covered. You may want to mention to friends, family and coworkers that you'll be selling there. Ask them to drop by your booth or table. Odds are they'd rather buy from you than from a stranger. Be careful though, they may ask for a discount! It's a good idea to have contact information on your business cards, order forms and so on. From the advertising point of view, you want to get your name and contact information onto every slip of paper you distribute so customers (and potential customers!) will have a way to reach you.

Keeping Records:

Keep track of everything, even if you think it's not useful to you at the time. Will you remember 6 craft shows later which location's customers really liked your new item and they sold out within an hour at a nice tidy profit? In order to calculate how much profit you are making, you must track:

  • which items sell best and in which location
  • the expenses you've incurred - all types
  • info needed for income tax, sales tax, etc.

Pricing:

Often the most difficult decision to make is what to charge for your crafts. There are a few schools of thought on this:

  • 3 or 4 times the cost of the materials used
  • an hourly rate (many suggest you use at least minimum wage) multiplied by the number of hours put into each item, plus the cost of the materials used
  • whatever amount seems reasonable

The first two are pretty easy to calculate. If the result is not realistic, you must take the third option into account. "Reasonable" is very subjective. It must be low enough that the customer feels it's not overpriced. It must be high enough that you feel you're getting a decent return on your investment of time and money. You may have to do a bit of research to see what price the market will bear.