A shocking tale...

[linkshouse]

I'm reluctant on many levels to give you my website as my produce pales into insignificance against a lot of the stuff I see on this forum, plus many of the gallery items are things I created last year because I don't have much to actually display. However I'm steadily building up my gallery, a lot of which I can't display yet because they're upcoming birthday/xmas presents, so there'll be better stuff to display next month. I'm also awaiting images back from a semi-pro photographer which should be better quality/layout; most of the original photos were ones I'd taken for myself never thinking they'd be used professionally. (note kitchen roll, kettle, wires, carpet, whatever in each shot!)

http://www.treetonwoodcraft.co.uk

You're doing yourself an injustice the stuff on your website is excellent and I can't imagine you have any problems selling them.

Just don't hold your breath with website sales. I think the nature of the product means that people like to see it and I find, handle it. It's a wood thing, people like to touch it. I'm sure we can all relate to that.

Try to get out to some fairs if you can.

Of course I'm an expert now as I've done two! But, they both blew me away. I came home in complete shock after the first one (good shock).

And, I must add, my stuff is nothing special - certainly no better than yours.

Chin up, jump in enjoy the swim.

Good Luck

Phill

 

[Aggrajag]

Thank you Phill, I appreciate your comments.

Ironically I wish I'd lost my job two months earlier so I could have made some stock and booked some fairs but I'm just too late for Xmas this year. I have a friend who does loads (glassware) and she's given me loads of advice and I'll definitely be taking that route next year at times and almost certainly heavily towards next Xmas when I've got stock. This year I'll keep making the Xmas stuff whenever I'm low on orders. My first plan is to design more of my own rather than using third-party bought designs, that way they're even more unique.

I've also got a Facebook page which links to my real page and I intend to test that out a few times just to see if it pushes traffic that way and if not orders at least some bespoke enquiries. Their plans start at £4 a day and you can do single days so it won't hurt to dip my toe in the advertising water.

 

[Claymore]

.........

 

[Aggrajag]

Luckily for you even though I'm English and reasonably tall, I don't make wooden ducks

I'm Mark.

 

[Claymore]

.....

 

[Stanleymonkey]

You're talking the site down!

The work looks great. Keep it going. You never even planned this and you have made a great start.

I would agree about gradually replacing the photos with even better ones. The beautiful hummingbird set in front of a bin liner made me smile!

One thought - new mums love kiddie feet and hand print stuff. Is there a market where they send you a foot / handprint and you incorporate it into a piece of fretwork (or a 'whimsy style' jigsaw' with the the hand or foot intact)

Ans now I'm thinking wooden presentation boxes / trays for your products - need to stop typing.


All the best - the work looks great. Keep it going and enjoy woodworking

 

[Walney Col]

Don't get disheartened and take the site down Mark, I love your stuff.

Col.

 

[Aggrajag]

No I'm not taking it down, I thought Stanleymonkey said that too, but he actually said "talking it down"

 

[RobinBHM]

Excellent work, definitely products that will sell and a nice website.

Yes there are a few faults that can be seen but you know about those.

I agree, craft fairs are probably important as these type of products will sell more readily from being seen in the flesh and handled.

I would research the best fairs to attend. Certainly in the South East there are fairs from quite rustic agricultural to quite upmarket. For example there is a Christmas craft market at RHS Wisley that has quite designer / London gallery type work. My wife is into crafts and likes to visit fairs, my experience of visiting them is that most of the stallholders are happy to chat if they arent busy serving customers and they are the best people to find out the best venues which theyve found the best sales compared to the stall cost.