The Variety of Venues for Selling Arts and Crafts
Maybe you've been considering turning your crafting hobby into something profitable, but you're not exactly sure where to begin.
Making the decision to turn your hobby into a part-time job or career is the easy part. Figuring out how to sell your products may seem a bit daunting.
The variety of markets for handmade arts and craft items has grown tremendously in the last decade. Sold from a busy city shop, or from a remote mountain cabin, today crafts can be marketed from nearly anywhere.
First and foremost, don't be shy. Tell people you know that you have gone into the crafting business. Take pictures of the items, and if you have access to a computer, email the photos of your "product line" to friends and family. Business cards are inexpensive. Have some printed, and distribute them to your friends and acquaintances. Get the word out!
Do some research to find out about upcoming craft shows or sales in your area. Check newspapers for ads announcing sales, and make a few phone calls to community centers, schools, and shopping malls to find out if any of them have shows scheduled. For a flat fee, these types of sales generally rent space for you to display and sell your items.
Seek out area stores that may be willing to sell your crafts on consignment, or possibly purchase your items in bulk at a wholesale rate. Check with places such as boutiques, garden centers, beauty salons, spas, gift shops, resorts, cafes, coffee shops, or pet stores. Make an appointment to speak with the manager or store owner, if possible, and be sure to have a few of your products on hand for review. If the item is large, such as a piece of furniture, bring along a photo or two of your creation. It may be a good idea to bring along few samples of the materials used to complete your craft, such as a piece of finished wood or hardware for use as visual aid.
You may want to consider holding a boutique in your home for the sale of your crafts. Create a display area in a portion of your home or garage and invite guests. Background music while your customers shop, along with coffee and cookies may make them feel more relaxed and welcome. If you know other crafters, ask them to collaborate with you on the endeavor. The greater the variety and quantity of products, the more interest you will generate. Before you decide to have a boutique sale, be sure to check with your city for zoning ordinances regarding events such as this.
Get acquainted with craft magazines. Some magazines are designed specifically for marketing crafts. Submitting an ad to a magazine of this kind can be rather costly but you may be able to reach a large audience that specifically targets craft-loving customers. Be prepared for the response to the ad, both positive or negative. Make sure any craft supplies you purchase are returnable in case the response to your ad is disappointing. At the same time, be rigged with supplies in case you're inundated with orders! Specify a lead-time for orders in your ad and stick to it!
There are a variety of venues for selling crafts online, as well. This can be particularly helpful if you live in a remote area. If you're feeling adventurous (and patient), you can try your hand at designing a website. Beware that this can be surprisingly time-consuming and tedious. It may be more effective to hire someone for your site's design, but this can be extremely expensive. You also must be prepared to set up a merchant account with a bank in order to process orders online via a shopping cart.
There are also a variety of websites that will assist with the promotion of your crafts. Etsy.com is a popular site for artists and crafters. Specifically intended for the buying and selling of handcrafted goods, the site allows vendors to set up their own "stores" within the site and select accepted payment methods. Etsy is small, but it's catching on quickly.
Online auction sites such as Ebay.com and Yahoo Auctions create another venue for promotion of your crafts. These sites sell everything from thimbles to vacation homes so handcrafted items can sometimes be overlooked amongst the deluge of goods made available there.
Don't discount a simple free ad posted on a craft-related website. Many sites allow crafters to post ads along with email addresses at no charge. But beware that email addresses posted on these sites may be harvested by web crawlers. This could result in a mailbox filled with unwanted junk email. It's a good idea to create a new email address that will be used specifically for ads such as this.
As the craft market continues to grow and change, you may need to explore new venues for your products. As you branch out and learn during your venture, always remember to seek out new ideas, improve the old ones, and make certain that your work is always top-notch quality. A good reputation is the best venue available - and it's free!