Selling my stuff

[Jaxx1024]

Hey guys. I am wanting to sell my prices but am unaware of everything out there. I was told Etsy was not good because of all the business stuff I have to deal with. Tried Fb marketplace but no luck. Any suggestions?

[PastorBob]

Here are some options.  Some may suit you better than others...

1. Sell on Etsy (as you mentioned, they are now cracking down on the business side of things)  They take their percentage and you compete with everyone else on the WWW.

2. FB marketplace.  As you mentioned you have not had much luck on there. People are really looking for deals on stuff and doesn't lend itself well for fine leatherwork.  I have put items there on the lower end of pricing and have actually gotten some custom requests doing that.  Not a huge fan.

3.  Setup your own website - pricey.  Then you have to drive traffic to it and that can get pricey too.

4.  Word of mouth.  It would be cheaper to make some items and give them away to friends and family so the neighbors can see your fine work.  Takes a while, but you could always hang out a shingle near the road by your house.

5. Setting up at trade / craft shows like a Ren-Faire or motorcycle show, etc.  The booths, etc can get quite expensive and it is a time-hog.  You have to be there the entire time.  

6.  Find a local shop that will either buy your items or allows for consignment in their shops.  I have 2 local shops where I sell my wares.

 

Each of these could use some elaboration and there are many threads on each one of these types on the forum.  

[chuck123wapati]

43 minutes ago, PastorBob said:

Here are some options.  Some may suit you better than others...

1. Sell on Etsy (as you mentioned, they are now cracking down on the business side of things)  They take their percentage and you compete with everyone else on the WWW.

2. FB marketplace.  As you mentioned you have not had much luck on there. People are really looking for deals on stuff and doesn't lend itself well for fine leatherwork.  I have put items there on the lower end of pricing and have actually gotten some custom requests doing that.  Not a huge fan.

3.  Setup your own website - pricey.  Then you have to drive traffic to it and that can get pricey too.

4.  Word of mouth.  It would be cheaper to make some items and give them away to friends and family so the neighbors can see your fine work.  Takes a while, but you could always hang out a shingle near the road by your house.

5. Setting up at trade / craft shows like a Ren-Faire or motorcycle show, etc.  The booths, etc can get quite expensive and it is a time-hog.  You have to be there the entire time.  

6.  Find a local shop that will either buy your items or allows for consignment in their shops.  I have 2 local shops where I sell my wares.

 

Each of these could use some elaboration and there are many threads on each one of these types on the forum.  

lol forgot one Pastor https://www.internationalleatherclub.com/

[Dwight]

2 hours ago, Jaxx1024 said:

Hey guys. I am wanting to sell my prices but am unaware of everything out there. I was told Etsy was not good because of all the business stuff I have to deal with. Tried Fb marketplace but no luck. Any suggestions?

If you are making a specific item (plain jane belt for example) . . . Ebay is a good place to start.  You photograph each item several times . . . put it on it's own page . . . brown on one page, tan on the next page, black on the next page . . . and you are done.  You don't have to have it made if you tell them up front that you don't . . . and if you build in a shipping cost . . . folks flock to "free shipping" . . . 

Second thing it will do is begin to build a customer base . . . they will come back looking for other things if they really like your work . . . or you can put a flyer in the box with the first item . . .  telling them about other items.

I will be going back on there later this fall . . . the order comes in . . . I get it ready . . . package it . . . and ship it.  

Holsters are a different breed . . . up front they have to know it is a 2 week lead time.

Lady's purses take even longer if you want to go there.

But Ebay is your friend.  Your cost is up front . . . and I have found them to be at least fair when it comes to disputes.  I've won all but one (because I'm honest and ethical) . . . and the credit card company took care of the one Ebay didn't.

May God bless,

Dwight

[TomE]

@PastorBob, that's a really thoughtful overview.  I haven't sold any leatherwork so my advice is based on selling a different product, baby horses.  I would set up a free Google Business page and use it as a feeder to a website or commercial sales site that displays your merchandise.  The info on a Google business page will show up in search results and provides a summary of your business and your contact info.  Word of mouth is definitely an important means of marketing but the word spreads faster and people remember your business if it appears in other places.  I would say in 15 years that we've never sold anything directly off Facebook (actually, selling live animals is against FB policy) but it is a big audience that I think has helped us build our brand so we continue to post there.  Most of our clients found us through our ads on a commercial horse sales site or our website.  

[Jaxx1024]

2 hours ago, PastorBob said:

Here are some options.  Some may suit you better than others...

1. Sell on Etsy (as you mentioned, they are now cracking down on the business side of things)  They take their percentage and you compete with everyone else on the WWW.

2. FB marketplace.  As you mentioned you have not had much luck on there. People are really looking for deals on stuff and doesn't lend itself well for fine leatherwork.  I have put items there on the lower end of pricing and have actually gotten some custom requests doing that.  Not a huge fan.

3.  Setup your own website - pricey.  Then you have to drive traffic to it and that can get pricey too.

4.  Word of mouth.  It would be cheaper to make some items and give them away to friends and family so the neighbors can see your fine work.  Takes a while, but you could always hang out a shingle near the road by your house.

5. Setting up at trade / craft shows like a Ren-Faire or motorcycle show, etc.  The booths, etc can get quite expensive and it is a time-hog.  You have to be there the entire time.  

6.  Find a local shop that will either buy your items or allows for consignment in their shops.  I have 2 local shops where I sell my wares.

 

Each of these could use some elaboration and there are many threads on each one of these types on the forum.  

Thanks Bob. I never considered checking for other forums like this. I will check out my options. Ren Fest is upon us so I will check them out too. 

[Jaxx1024]

Thank you Chuck, Dwight and Tom as well. I will definitely also try out eBay and google business. 

[Burkhardt]

Don't know if you have a sewing machine or not but if you do start with a ad on like Facebook with custom sewing and use a whole bunch of different keywords for your leather work vs individual pieces to come into someones search boxes who are looking for something.

[Dwight]

2 hours ago, Burkhardt said:

Don't know if you have a sewing machine or not but if you do start with a ad on like Facebook with custom sewing and use a whole bunch of different keywords for your leather work vs individual pieces to come into someones search boxes who are looking for something.

Just be careful with facebook . . . they have a pricing strategy that can get in your pocket real quick . . . with no results.  And they can drain a full pocket quick.

At least when Ebay and some of the others get in your pocket . . . it is AFTER the sale.  

May God bless,

Dwight

[Gezzer]

I think someone mentioned  " consignment  shops  and K C should have some . Just know the local ones here want a percentage of the sale and if your stuff don't sell and you pull it , they still want a small fee .

Word of mouth , which is slower is what I get work from .  Good luck to you !

[PastorBob]

16 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

lol forgot one Pastor https://www.internationalleatherclub.com/

You are so right.  I don't know how I could forget it.  This one is a great option.

[Bert03241]

On 9/26/2022 at 11:19 AM, chuck123wapati said:

lol forgot one Pastor https://www.internationalleatherclub.com/

I don't know Chuck I went to the Market place and clicked on half a dozen items and they all said there was nothing under that selection

[PastorBob]

7 hours ago, Bert03241 said:

I don't know Chuck I went to the Market place and clicked on half a dozen items and they all said there was nothing under that selection

Sorry about that @Bert03241, I have my store in vacation mode at the moment.  All my stuff is in a storage unit as I finish building my house/ shop.  Hope to be back in business by January.  You can check out the progress of the build here.

 

And here is the most recent short video

 

[Dwight]

Lookin good, Pastor Bob  . . . always enjoy that kind of work . . . too bad it is such work . . . lol

May God bless,

Dwight

[PastorBob]

1 hour ago, Dwight said:

Lookin good, Pastor Bob  . . . always enjoy that kind of work . . . too bad it is such work . . . lol

May God bless,

Dwight

Thanks.  It was to be a labor of love.  My wife and best friend of 35 years passed suddenly in March of this year.  Most of the house was designed with her in mind (and a lot of her input, especially the kitchen).  She was a Godly woman (as described in Proverbs 31) and is in her eternal home.  Oh to meet her again one day..  

[johnnydb]

23 minutes ago, PastorBob said:

Thanks.  It was to be a labor of love.  My wife and best friend of 35 years passed suddenly in March of this year.  Most of the house was designed with her in mind (and a lot of her input, especially the kitchen).  She was a Godly woman (as described in Proverbs 31) and is in her eternal home.  Oh to meet her again one day..  

I am so so sorry to hear this...I don't know what I'd do without mine.  

But:

Watch out for those ladies bringing you casseroles to "help out".  A pastor friend of mine was hounded non-stop and had to marry one just to fight them all off. 

[Gezzer]

28 minutes ago, PastorBob said:

 She was a Godly woman (as described in Proverbs 31) and is in her eternal home.  Oh to meet her again one day..  

Great to hear and what a glorious day that will be  brother 

[Tugadude]

1 hour ago, PastorBob said:

Thanks.  It was to be a labor of love.  My wife and best friend of 35 years passed suddenly in March of this year.  Most of the house was designed with her in mind (and a lot of her input, especially the kitchen).  She was a Godly woman (as described in Proverbs 31) and is in her eternal home.  Oh to meet her again one day..  

Amen!  My sincere condolences, but I know you’ll meet again.  May that truth will comfort you brother.

[Dwight]

4 hours ago, PastorBob said:

Thanks.  It was to be a labor of love.  My wife and best friend of 35 years passed suddenly in March of this year.  Most of the house was designed with her in mind (and a lot of her input, especially the kitchen).  She was a Godly woman (as described in Proverbs 31) and is in her eternal home.  Oh to meet her again one day..  

Hmmm . . . that meeting you mentioned was a meat portion of my message at church last Sunday . . . so many there we all want to either meet . . . or rejoin.  And sadly . . . the older we get . . . the more of them that are there and not here with us.

I also have one of those women you mentioned . . . and yes . . . it does make for a good life.

Best wishes on your finishing of the house . . . hope you will bless us with pics of the finished product . . . they've gotta be good.

May God bless,

Dwight

[PastorBob]

Didn't mean to overtake the thread.  Thanks for your well-wishes. Will definitely keep you updated.