Crafts fairs: What to sell

OK, we’re two posts into this sequence already: It’s time to discuss precise woodworking!

What do you have to make to sell on the market?

Here’s the factor: You have to determine this one out for your self and it’s possible going to take a minute. But right here is a few steering.

Set your self other than the remaining

You ought to make belongings you get pleasure from making and which can be ultimately distinctive. This doesn’t imply you’ve gotten to invent a brand new system utilizing solely upcycled scrap wooden and located gadgets from the native Goodwill. Not in any respect. In reality, folks will count on a woodworker at a market to have a minimum of a number of the following: reducing boards, bowls, chess boards (Thanks Queen’s Gambit), wine bottle stoppers, coasters, salt bowls, pepper grinders, and many others. Certainly, you possibly can transcend this stuff, however just a few of those are a very good begin.

The subsequent trick is to make merchandise which can be distinctive and can work together with your market. This is as a result of a easy rectangular reducing board with rounded corners, and many others., might be cheaper to purchase at Ikea or perhaps a dwelling items retailer with greater high quality gadgets (no shade on Ikea … okay, slightly). Instead, push your self creatively and to provide one thing distinctive that additionally demonstrates your individual voice. You can also need to focus in your area people. In Washington, D.C., our group exhibits its native satisfaction with a reasonably easy flag (three stars, two bars). I’ve paid lease by making picket variations of this flag as coasters, wall hangings, bookmarks, and many others.

Customization is a good way to make your merchandise stand out and attraction to your native market. I exploit custom-made branding irons to put stars and different icons on my items. My buddy and fellow D.C .woodworker Quinn makes use of a laser, however can also be an professional in picture transfers (transferring a printed picture onto a chunk of wooden) and can also be fairly good with a wood-burning pen. One of my favourite Instagram feeds for dwelling items is Chopd.woodshop; Nick creates some unimaginable patterns and designs in excessive finish, finish grain chopping boards.

The predominant purpose is to discover a manner to differentiate your self from different woodworkers and attraction to your native base (or an web base). How you do it’s up to you, however I’ve had success, and seen others have success, with these primary ideas.

What about furnishings?

Some of you, maybe many, would favor to simply make and sell furnishings. I applaud that and it’s the core of my enterprise too. Here’s the factor: Selling furnishings at a craft present or vacation market is a tough enterprise. Most folks going to these exhibits aren’t wanting to spend severe cash or make a serious funding. They are in search of one thing small, distinctive, or a very good present, slightly dopamine hit/retail remedy–not a home improve. Separately, making accomplished items, packing them, transferring them, setting them up is a variety of work and now your advantageous furnishings is out within the climate. In my expertise, it’s greatest to stick to the small stuff at these exhibits. AND, deliver a e book of images, an iPad, a poster, or no matter, that exhibits your greatest work. Bring plenty of enterprise playing cards and discuss to everybody. Maybe you’ll get a fee out of the deal.

If you actually need to concentrate on furnishings at these exhibits, listed here are some ideas. There are specialty exhibits for promoting and displaying furnishings. While I don’t have expertise with these, I requested fellow woodworkers for his or her insights. Mike Jury (Mjurywoodworks on IG) is an unimaginable craftsperson working loads within the Shaker type. Mike says to search for “Fine Arts Festivals,” particularly ones which can be juried, to make sure you’re surrounded by high quality makers. “Furniture is not an impulse buy, so have items you can sell for $50-$200 as well,” he says. If you’re going to go this route, these exhibits are a great way to get commissions, in accordance to Mike, as a result of folks can meet you and get a way of pricing, and many others. He additionally suggests committing to doing the identical present for a number of years to actually see it repay.

Christina Boy is considered one of my favourite furnishings designers and an unimaginable craftsperson who has been on the scene for some time. Christina agrees with Mike that doing the identical present for just a few iterations is an efficient observe. “Furniture is something people need to think about and you want to be top of mind for when they are ready for that piece.  So if there was a lot of interest but not a lot of follow up, do that show again and see if they return.” Christina additionally largely sticks to furnishings at these advantageous arts exhibits (regardless of having a line of actually cool dwelling items). “A few years ago I made a conscious decision to no longer take a lot of smaller items with me. This was a scary decision as the small items often cover fees and expenses at the show, but I wasn’t getting a lot of follow up from those sales. However, since cutting those out, I have been selling more furniture. And once customers start collecting your work, they will come back year after year.”

Play the lengthy sport

Both Mike and Christina contemplate these exhibits an extended sport. As Christina stated, “Sometimes you don’t know whether your show was a good one until weeks, months, or a year later. You never know what kind of ideas you’ve triggered in people until they’ve had time to process or when their memories are triggered the following year when they see you at the show. So don’t get discouraged when your first show is a dud.”

Whether you’re making furnishings, dwelling items, or steampunk telecommunications gadgets, the primary factor is that this. It may take just a few tries to dial in your designs and processes. Start small and be taught out of your experiences.

Previously on this sequence