Selling Your Makes to buy the next Craft Items
Let me start this blog by stating I am no saleswoman, I wish I was. I have seen good sale persons in action and they love their own products and will tell anyone willing to listen about the products about their many wonderful uses and why you cannot do without it. But I am not talking about selling to make a living here, I am talking about selling some cards or craft items each month and adding this to your craft pot to buy the next “must have” items, guilt free.
Here’s 5 selling lessons nobody talks about
1. When you first start making and thinking of selling you are so full of joy over your new hobby that you will probably consider the items you have made are great, well maybe not great, but good, and if not exactly pristine well good enough, after all these are hand crafted items. Think again, first impression only come once and if the first craft items you sell are not up to standard this is the image you are giving out.
2. I am only selling to friends and family so I do not need to package them and paper bag will do. Again this is sending out a message about your crafts. How do you what your items to be viewed.
3. I have not made many cards/gift bags/folios, but I would like to try selling. Think about this carefully before starting to sell your crafts. Ask yourself “Do I have enough choice”?, are they items that people require all the time or only rarely. Do my friends and associates use the things i have made. If your friends are the type who love tech and send Birthday greetings by email then they are not in the market for your beautiful hand crafted cards. Make sure your items fit your selling place. There is nothing that puts you off selling your crafts more than setting them out there and not making a sell, so it is worth thinking hard about how and when you sell.
4. I am not willing to give my crafted items away. I have heard this said and while most of us like to be recompensed for our time and effort, think about this as a way of getting you wares known, call it promotion if you want . If you belong to a club see if you have anything suitable for the Raffle and donate it. For example, I have given a set of stationary items,
and a set of 5 gift bags for raffle prizes.
Just make sure you have added your details to the package so the recipient knows who made it and how they can get more should they require them. I have seen many crafting friends start selling this way. I started selling cards at my WI and now, as I am on committee, I make a lot of the birthday cards we give to members. A lot I donate but every now and then when I hand over 10 or so cards I get recompensed for the materials and that way I get the pleasure of making them and some funding towards the next lot. WI friends often comment about them and I imagine they are the same ones who purchase from me on the Trading stall we have.
5 Lastly, and this is a hard one, be prepared to take criticism. Most family won’t give it, friends and colleagues will also be reluctant. But if you are showing your goodies and getting few sells, take the hint. That does not mean giving up, talk to them, ask them what sort of items they like of yours and how you can improve them, what are they looking for generally when shopping for cards, or other items. Remember we all started somewhere and I know I made all of the above mistakes , which is how I can share them with you.
I am fortunate enough to have a husband who is happy for me too craft away, but will be totally honest about what I make. He will also tell me whether he thinks I am wasting my time on something and question the need for anything I make. This can be a little annoying at times but keeps me grounded.
Another way to craft for free is to look out for bargains on Ebay and use some and sell some on. If you are a regular crafter you will know the cost if items, so know a bargain when you see one. This is particularly good for craft kits. I will check out clearance items and if I like an item and the price is right I will buy it.
For example: There is a Christmas card kit on Ebay today 15/8 that has 30 cards, 30 sheets of A4 card and embellishments. They may not all be to your taste but you could use the cards you do not like as much to make boxes or layer up. The cost is £4 plus postage, so for £7.50 you have at least 30 cards thats just 25p each and for the cards with plenty of card left over, for boxes, gift bags etc. Just add your craft skill and imagination. If you have the outlet make the 30 cards up and sell them, at 50p each you have doubled your money. Or make half and sell the other half on. Here is a box made from spare card from one of the Christmas kits purchased last year.
Be prepared to use your spare pieces in other ways to get the most from the kits.
There is also a Create and Craft Teddy Bear kit, with 38 cards and envelopes, and 43 sheets of A4 papers as well as sticky back ribbons and stickers for £12 including p&p. If I bought this kit I would make 18 cards and then sell on a kit of 20 cards & envelopes and 20 A4 sheets, as well as some of the sheets of stickers etc. Or you could make up 4 x 8 card kits and keep one and the odd sizes and sell the rest on. You get the idea.
Lastly look out for summer bargains. A lot of the companies are selling off stock this time of year. There are some great buys out there, but not all sales items are being offered at the very best prices available so shop around. If you see a sale item you like google it and check out prices elsewhere before purchasing.
Here are a couple of my best BARGAIN PRICE outlets
Www.everycraftsabargain: Some great prices for tapes glues inks and other basics, but you do need to purchase a lot as the postage added makes a difference. Particularly good for a group or craft club.
Www.craftclearance.com: They have some amazing dies on offer from Sue Wilson, Tonic, Craft Expression and The Paper Boutique. They also sell The Paper Tree paper packs at clearance price. However the website is not so quick to get around, and if you are on the email list and get notification of new stock the website can be very slow, but definitely worth a look.
Lastly check out the Range every now and then. I use to think they carried only basic items, but as well as the basics they have some items that they have obviously cleared for other companies and these are not only great quality but really great prices. Probably best to see the the best buys on-line and then check out stock in your local store. I have purchased Natural History Museum 12 x 12 pads at half the original price. 50 sheets of double sided papers for an amazing price of £8. These items clear quickly, so if you see something you liked buy it. The downside is that delivery to your local store can take a week or more. But I have just purchase 50 sheets of Matt gold card 240gsm for £7, about half of the price of other companies.
A set of gift bags made from the Natural History Museum pad.
If you want to see more about these bags check out my blog 1st Sept 2020.I hope this post is of help to you, if you like it please leave a comment.
Happy Crafting
Dee
