No Noise Product For Online Sales

[Ellen]

I don't know if this is the right place to ask, Business / Getting started. I'm considering possibility of making something for online sales and would appreciate advice. Apart from standing at the street corner and selling keyfobs together with pencils .

- Who works from apartment with thin walls (I'm not, but in very similar circumstances) know their limitations: no noise (no pounding, or Tippmann Boss, or air compressor), limited smell (no dip dyeing, especially large surfaces).

- For mailing there are size limitations (not much people will buy product when mailing is expensive due to size) and price limitations ($15 product is not worth the trip to postal office and waiting in line). Most will be international sales, not within own country. That excludes most of exotic leather.

- Online selling: product price range is likely $50-150. Less is not worth your time, more most people are not willing to pay (my impression, naturally, not a hard fact). $600 bag is a too high risk in case of postal problems or PayPal fraud, the leather alone for it will cost $200, and shipping of a large bag or golf bag costs a lot, large package.

- No flea markets, fairs or shows. Die hard introvert, not driving, and generally home bound.

What types of product can fit the bill?

Not much tooling (no pounding, thin walls, I can hear people talking). Modeling and painting seems OK, but that shouldn't take a long time (price should be not high).

Wet forming by hand is possible, thin leather only (no brute force or vacuum compressor, personal and noise limitations), no airbrushing if you think of masks (noise again and this is a living room).

Stitching long lines by hands, sewing garments for reenactors, archery items and dog collars don't pay for a time spent.

Holsters are out of question for a legal and insurance reasons. I know nothing about bikes, have no dog, and wouldn't do equestrian for the lack of knowledge and insurance reasons.

Seems that's all. I'm highly dubious that this is possible at all, but as a determined optimist I have to ask you before quitting.

Note that I will be not a competition for you: each has own style, very different from others.

Thanks.

Edited February 5, 2011 by Ellen

[Kevin]

Tooling doesn't have to be noisy, when I started, I was using a stack of phone books with a marble slab on top in the middle of my bunk bed. If you don't want to tool, look at Kevin King's posts or look at any custom cowboy boot book, there are tons of ideas. There is a couple on here that make pictures with hundreds of pieces of leather.

Some people can do a lot with just some "scraps" and a post sewing machine. Purses, wallets, money clips, notebooks, photo albums, even some shoes can be made without too much noise. That's just off the top of my head, I think we're all looking for "that product" that's going to do it for us. Maybe you can think of some kind of a service that people need. For example, I install brass plates on saddles, bridles, girths, halters and dog collars. The only thing we sell are dog collars, a store across the street sells everything else. We generally sell $300 worth of plates a month, and charge $3 to install other plates, it usually takes about 5 min.

If leatherwork is what you want to do, don't give up, even if you don't get to do exactly what you want. After I decided I wanted to be a Saddlemaker, I went to a school to learn, came home to the DC area, drove all around the beltway to any tack shop I thought I could possibly commute to, nobody needed anyone, or had just hired someone. I ended up shoveling manure for three years, and the day I decided I'd had enough a guy called me to say that a shop was looking for someone. I went the next day, no they weren't hiring, try in the spring, they still weren't hiring. One day my room mate comes home and says did you see the ad, they're looking. So I went in and he still didn't really want to hire me, so we did a trial period. Now that owner is gone and I work for his ex- wife. This year will be thirty years, I convey with the building.

Kevin

[hivemind]

So, at the risk of sounding too harsh:

You won't travel to shows or events, you can't make any noise, you can't use any chemicals, you won't ship small items, you won't ship big items, you won't do much hand sewing, you won't get a machine, and, finally, you're scared of guns and dogs and horses and motorcycles.

Sounds like painting watercolors on posterboard is the hobby you need.

[Ferg]

I don't know if this is the right place to ask, Business / Getting started. I'm considering possibility of making something for online sales and would appreciate advice. Apart from standing at the street corner and selling keyfobs together with pencils .

- Who works from apartment with thin walls (I'm not, but in very similar circumstances) know their limitations: no noise (no pounding, or Tippmann Boss, or air compressor), limited smell (no dip dyeing, especially large surfaces).

- For mailing there are size limitations (not much people will buy product when mailing is expensive due to size) and price limitations ($15 product is not worth the trip to postal office and waiting in line). Most will be international sales, not within own country. That excludes most of exotic leather.

- Online selling: product price range is likely $50-150. Less is not worth your time, more most people are not willing to pay (my impression, naturally, not a hard fact). $600 bag is a too high risk in case of postal problems or PayPal fraud, the leather alone for it will cost $200, and shipping of a large bag or golf bag costs a lot, large package.

- No flea markets, fairs or shows. Die hard introvert, not driving, and generally home bound.

What types of product can fit the bill?

Not much tooling (no pounding, thin walls, I can hear people talking). Modeling and painting seems OK, but that shouldn't take a long time (price should be not high).

Wet forming by hand is possible, thin leather only (no brute force or vacuum compressor, personal and noise limitations), no airbrushing if you think of masks (noise again and this is a living room).

Stitching long lines by hands, sewing garments for reenactors, archery items and dog collars don't pay for a time spent.

Holsters are out of question for a legal and insurance reasons. I know nothing about bikes, have no dog, and wouldn't do equestrian for the lack of knowledge and insurance reasons.

Seems that's all. I'm highly dubious that this is possible at all, but as a determined optimist I have to ask you before quitting.

Note that I will be not a competition for you: each has own style, very different from others.

Thanks.

Ellen,

I appreciate your due diligence but you have disqualified yourself from almost any self employed endeavor. Think about what you have stated as a "No-No". Is there anything left with exception of selling

pencils and keyfobs on the corner?

ferg

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Sounds to me that you are a candidate for braided items. No noise there,and you don't have to dye. Some of the items that I taught in my LW merit badge class at summer camp included key lanyards, whistle lanyards, zipper pulls for backpacks, and lanyards for pocketknives. You can also do necklaces, bracelets, whips, quirts, and various BDSM gear. There are other items, but they are horse related. There are several books out on braiding that have many ideas for projects.

Unless you can find a location to work in , you are severely limited in what you can do. If you can pick up a used van, or motorhome, it could be used as a working area. When the weather gets nicer you can also work outside.

You may have to think outside the living space.

[JohnBarton]

I don't know if this is the right place to ask, Business / Getting started. I'm considering possibility of making something for online sales and would appreciate advice. Apart from standing at the street corner and selling keyfobs together with pencils .

- Who works from apartment with thin walls (I'm not, but in very similar circumstances) know their limitations: no noise (no pounding, or Tippmann Boss, or air compressor), limited smell (no dip dyeing, especially large surfaces).

- For mailing there are size limitations (not much people will buy product when mailing is expensive due to size) and price limitations ($15 product is not worth the trip to postal office and waiting in line). Most will be international sales, not within own country. That excludes most of exotic leather.

- Online selling: product price range is likely $50-150. Less is not worth your time, more most people are not willing to pay (my impression, naturally, not a hard fact). $600 bag is a too high risk in case of postal problems or PayPal fraud, the leather alone for it will cost $200, and shipping of a large bag or golf bag costs a lot, large package.

- No flea markets, fairs or shows. Die hard introvert, not driving, and generally home bound.

What types of product can fit the bill?

Not much tooling (no pounding, thin walls, I can hear people talking). Modeling and painting seems OK, but that shouldn't take a long time (price should be not high).

Wet forming by hand is possible, thin leather only (no brute force or vacuum compressor, personal and noise limitations), no airbrushing if you think of masks (noise again and this is a living room).

Stitching long lines by hands, sewing garments for reenactors, archery items and dog collars don't pay for a time spent.

Holsters are out of question for a legal and insurance reasons. I know nothing about bikes, have no dog, and wouldn't do equestrian for the lack of knowledge and insurance reasons.

Seems that's all. I'm highly dubious that this is possible at all, but as a determined optimist I have to ask you before quitting.

Note that I will be not a competition for you: each has own style, very different from others.

Thanks.

Leather jewelry.

[Ellen]

Thank you all!

Kevin, BigGunDoctor, JohnBarton: sincerely thankful for your help. World needs more people like you.

I'll look further into details of the advised.

Some answers were just as expected. BTW, there is big difference between won't and can't. It's good if you didn't face this yet. Won't and shouldn't, won't and not be able to make even a minimum salary this way. I'm not looking for a hobby. A really cheap shot about being scared... Have more fun. Bye.

[greybeardUK]

Hi Ellen

Leather jewelery has been mentioned, knot work and beads using leather. You could also think about doing ' collage ' using leather. Both thick and thin exotic and mundane, surprising what comes to mind when thinking ' outside the box '.

You could also look at fabric crafts that could to some degree lend themselves to being adapted for use with leather.

GB.

[Shane in Baton Rouge]

Ellen,

I think braided leather products are a great suggestion, but also, and I KNOW its not leather, and it may be blasphemy on this forum, but a buddy of mine finds himself sitting at a lot of extra duty. (He has daughters in college and high school.)

He has started tying paracord survival bracelets, keyfobs, neck knife lanyards, weighted monkey fists in various colors.

I think color combinations that suit folks favorite sports teams would be a great marketing tool. A simple website, and you are off and running.

I think the cost for a survival bracelet is about 1dollar. They go like hotcakes at 10$.

Check youtube for some tutorials. If Cline can do it, anybody can.......

[Nod4Eight]

It was stated earlier several times but what I thought of when I read your post was braiding. Rawhide or leather or both - there are many possibilities. Its challenging but if you get good at it it may work for you. There are several good books to teach you - check out Bruce Grants encyclopedia its a great reference. If there's the will there's a way. Good luck!