Selling one off pieces

[Scottdimelow]

Hi everyone, I'm relatively new to the forum but I have been woodworking as a hobby most of my life (god knows why I didn't pursue it as a career!)

I was just wondering how you'd go about selling a one off piece. I built this beehive inspired chest of drawers about 4-5 months ago, and I've just let it sit on etsy and folksy. Obviously it's not sold, and I don't like the system they use. Similar to adwords, which tots up quickly.

Any help on this issue is greatly appreciated, I'd really love to make a career out of woodworking.


A bit of info on the drawers, it's 18mm ply construction mainly with a veneered oak top. It was built before I got my P/T whence the reason for sheet goods, if I made another I'd use solid wood for the 'cladding'.


TIA

 

[doctor Bob]

Can I ask what you are selling it for, to see whether you are pricing right?

 

[blackrodd]

I am delighted to see that unusual piece you have made, Pity you didn't do a w.i.p. as this would have been most interesting. Some more pics would be nice!
The colour scheme goes well with the piece too!
I would try and persuade a local shop to incorporate this in their window display I think it would look brilliant and would help so sell most things.
A discreet label, and an "artistic" logo with you're 'phone details and you may well be doing lots of " bee hiving "
Regards Rodders

 

[Scottdimelow]

I put it up at £545, but that was just grabbing numbers out of the air. As it was a one off I didn't really work out how many hours etc. I thought if it doesn't sell I'll drop it until it does.

Thanks Rodders, I didn't think of a WIP actually. I will have a look for local places, it's a whole new area for me so the entire process is alien. Would the shop buy it as stock, take a commission?
I'm glad you like the colours, my girlfriend isn't convinced!

I'm just uploading some more pics to photobucket and I'll post a link.

Cheers

 

[Scottdimelow]

Here you go, the pics are pretty similar though http://s722.photobucket.com/user/scottdimelow/profile/

 

[blackrodd]

Here you go, the pics are pretty similar though http://s722.photobucket.com/user/scottdimelow/profile/

Like the pics!
Don't want to upset you're Girl Friend but I really like the colour still
You just want to be "out there" and seen, hence the window dresser. and always pay a fee, commission, or flowers and chocs, etc, you will always be remembered!
If any one really likes the piece, and it helps in displaying their own stocks, you're getting exposure, which is desirable,
(And you wont get locked up)!
Most of the professional furniture makers will tell you its extremely difficult to get known and any get commissions.
Even as a "paying" hobby its hard enough.
You're area is different to here, in sunny devon, and what sells here, may not, near you.
Regards Rodders

 

[Halo Jones]

That is really nice work. I like it!

If you could get that down to around £250 - 300 by batching the build I think you would have good chance in my neck of the woods.

Cheers,

H.

 

[Scottdimelow]

Thanks guys, a bit of feedback is really appreciated. There's always the question in your mind, will anyone like it? It's ok family saying they like it.

I think I could easily get the price lower by batching them out, I just thought I'd test the water first.

I'll definitely look into local shops, that has to be the way to go. The pics are ok but it certainly looks better in the flesh.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

A copy of 'Marketing and Promotion for Crafts' by Betty Norbury might be a good investment. Betty is the wife of Ian Norbury, one of the country's most successful woodcarvers, and also the organiser of several major craft exhibitions, so she knows of what she writes. The book was written just before the internet really took off, so is slightly deficient on that front, but is otherwise solid good sense.

One source is abebooks - http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Searc ... for+crafts - from which you'll see that the required investment is not excessive!

 

[Scottdimelow]

Whoa the price is a bit steep! lol

Cheers, I'll have a look at that.

 

[beech1948]

This is the first time I have critiqued anything here. I'm doing so only because the OP is selling it.

Price is a bit steep but is at the upper end of what might be possible for a 100% design effort.

Its a small chest. Seems to be larger than a bed side unit but smaller than a chest of drawers.

I dislike the photos being on the lawn in the garden very much. A white background would be better.

I like the overall design, however, the bee hive look lacks somewhat in style. If I bought it how would I use it. In a bedroom a lounge, a conservatory ?? Does it need a slightly larger top and small handles to the drawers even if just to delineate the drawers and break up the box/hive like appearance and make it look like a chest of drawers. Form follows function.

People have expectations and pre formed ideas and while it is Ok to break these some reference point is needed.

The green is a nice colour but not on here. I say that because I'm left wondering, without an answer, how do I expect it to look. Quite a bit of the answer comes back to wood grain, simple transparent finish and my brain is trying to interpret that. Perhaps handles would help.

The green is in a bulky box shape.?? The proportions are good but the box shape is a bit monolithic and the top is perched on there. Does it need the edges to be chamfered underneath to make it look a bit thinner ? and add interest.

I don't really have answers to any of these and for that I apologise but those are the questions which occurred to me looking at it and seeing how I felt if I had made it.

Sort of like it but don't like some elements of it. Thats usually a sign to me to think about tweaking the design while the basic idea remains sound.

Hope this is not too unhelpful and not too critical.

Al

 

[Scottdimelow]

Thanks for the input Al, you bring up some very valid points.

The price was a stab in the dark really, you look on etsy and they have things like this for £600 https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1971245 ... pe=gallery

I did try a white background but without proper lighting they just looked naff, if I could afford to I'd have some professional shots taken.

I chose not to use handles as I wanted it to intrigue, it looks like a normal beehive from the front. There are routed grooves on each drawer.

I'm not sure how I'd make it less boxy though, it's basically a box lol.

 

[RogerP]

I think it's an excellent piece but you do need photographs of displaying it in it's intended sort of setting, not on a lawn.
My immediate reaction on first seeing your photos is that it's outdoor furniture, especially as it's green and reminiscent of a beehive.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

To answer a few questions and a few observations. Shops seldom buy stock from makers. A few might, but almost always not. They usually place things in their shop and expect commission for doing so. This is often 40-50 percent of the selling price, though I have not found many at the 40percent end for ages. In otherwords, the ticket price for your chest would be £1080 ish. See the problem professional designer makers have?

The suggestion that you should try to lower the price to about £200 is totally unrealistic. This might seem to be the going rate, from observation, but the going rate is based upon far eastern slave labour and pieces are bought from there, literally cost 10's of pounds. Cheaper than the raw materials here. To make a living at making such, without doing any calculations, I can see by looking at your piece, you would be making a loss at 200.

Batch production is only viable in reducing cost, if 10 or more units are made at one time. Could you be confident that you could sell all 10, have the initial outlay for the matrials and the space to store them? I doubt some or all of the above. And you still couldn't make them for 200 quid if you did.

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I would continue to enjoy your hobby and forget turning it into a job. Trying to make a living at designing and making things is frighteningly difficult and even the successful designer makers earn a pittance. (The exceptions are rare) I did it for years, with varying success. You spend more time with marketing and promotion than actually making stuff, else no one knows who you are and what you do. Many designer makers have to run courses at their workshops, or do other jobs on the side to make woodwork viable. Almost all share workshops to keep cost manageable and those that become successful, just front the business and employ makers, virtually abandoning making altogether.

Site joiner or shop fitter is better paid if you really want to be a woodworker and don't mind doing this instead.

Mike.

 

[custard]

Normally my advice would be very much in the "keep it as a hobby" camp. But you've got something that's a actually bit special, namely genuine and innovative design skills (I'm assuming the beehive design is your own?).

I wouldn't give up the day job just yet, but with your talent it's worth pushing the design boundaries a bit further, and trying to get as much publicity as possible for your work, from entering competitions to putting your work on Ebay. Original design commands a higher price than high quality craftsmanship.

Good luck!

 

[Scottdimelow]

Cheers for the comments Mike, I will take all you've said on board. You're right about batching, I wouldn't be able to store many and to be honest I don't think I'd like to make too many at a time. I plan to keep doing it on the side regardless, so if it does work out then that's a bonus

Custard, thanks for your comment. It really means a lot coming from a fellow woody. It is my own design yes, obviously not the original beehive but as a set of drawers it is. I think I'd agree with you completely about the original design aspect.

I will have to look into competitions!!

Cheers again everyone.