Chris Knight
Established Member
There is a heck of a lot of good discussion going on under the pricing a kitchen thread and it raised a few questions in my mind that I thought it might be interesting to explore. However, I don't wish to hijack that thread so I am starting another..
My question is this:-
IF you were aiming to make a living at woodworking (accepting that it will be tough etc etc) what would you make and sell?
In my mind the question implies that you must be able to make more than a couple of hundred quid at a craft fairs in the summer but does not insist that you make a fortune. Since everyone's ideas of a living wage are different from everyone else's let's pick a number say £25k (income, or say £20k clear profit, thus allowing for the sort of expenditure a salaried worker incurs going to work - not turnover!)per year.
How would you try to make this money from woodworking?
I guess my own answer would be to try and commercialize the rocking chairs. The product is attractive, I know it can be made in a reasonable time (with jigs, some of which I have and more of which I would have to make for a commercial venture) and given the area in which I live, folk are likely to be prepared to pay quite a bit for them.
However, I am darn sure I would not enjoy making them continuously, I would get very bored. That might drive me to making something I liked less but which could make the same money in less time ( pile high sell, cheap) but is unlikely to make me want/try to sell a higher end product that would be more interesting but too challenging to my abilities for a reliable wage earner.
My question is this:-
IF you were aiming to make a living at woodworking (accepting that it will be tough etc etc) what would you make and sell?
In my mind the question implies that you must be able to make more than a couple of hundred quid at a craft fairs in the summer but does not insist that you make a fortune. Since everyone's ideas of a living wage are different from everyone else's let's pick a number say £25k (income, or say £20k clear profit, thus allowing for the sort of expenditure a salaried worker incurs going to work - not turnover!)per year.
How would you try to make this money from woodworking?
I guess my own answer would be to try and commercialize the rocking chairs. The product is attractive, I know it can be made in a reasonable time (with jigs, some of which I have and more of which I would have to make for a commercial venture) and given the area in which I live, folk are likely to be prepared to pay quite a bit for them.
However, I am darn sure I would not enjoy making them continuously, I would get very bored. That might drive me to making something I liked less but which could make the same money in less time ( pile high sell, cheap) but is unlikely to make me want/try to sell a higher end product that would be more interesting but too challenging to my abilities for a reliable wage earner.