Watcha Makin'?

[doc henderson]

we did that for a cub scout day camp.  made about 400 sets of them.  set up an assembly line.  we used a drill press to do some tight predrill holes to show where to put a nail, and to make it easy to start and get through the first board.  looked almost identical to yours.

[Old Greenhorn]

The kits are an interesting idea I might try. They would have been good to have at this upcoming show, but I don't have time right now to work it up. It's one thing to whip a couple of these out. But for kits I would really have to make templates to make sure they will assemble correctly every time. I don't want to do bird houses though. There are too many folks making those and the local forestry association runs building workshops at one of the shows I do building kits with kids and landowners (kind of like a Den Meeting :D).
 Yeah, I like that idea. Takes little space and it's another 'thing' on the table.
 I have been bringing a finished slab to shows hoping somebody would want to make it into a bench or table, but it doesn't even get second glances.

[Crusarius]

Funny you say that tom. my display is a cheap plastic table with some real nice walnut slabs on top of it. everyone loves it buy no one wants to buy it.

[Old Greenhorn]

Yeah, that right there is the story of my show work. I have so many people that take the time out to tell me they love my work or make a nice compliment on a particular piece, but nobody buys them. There are others or course that just say "I'd like to buy THAT one." I can't eat compliments, but I do appreciate them. I had one lady at one show who leaned in close and said "Your work is beautiful, but you are not charging near enough to what it is worth for the time you put into it." She didn't buy anything either. >:(

[Crusarius]

I love ppl that say that then walk away.

Price has always been my biggest issue. nobody ever wants to pay what its worth. So I price it where I think it will sell. Unfortunately, my idea of reasonable and someone elses are not the same.

The good new is the acrylics signs I am making seem to have finally hit a price point ppl can deal with.

Here is my latest sign.



 

I love having an artistic wife. But then I have to convert her sketch to something the computer understands.

[WV Sawmiller]

Tom.

   I think we are back to the fact people buy small. inexpensive items at the shows but not the big items. They will hopefully take a card and remember you when they do need a bigger custom item so you are advertising and will realize some future income. It is hard determine how much future income you will receive. Also it is like the old saying "It's hard to remember your goal was to drain the swamp when you are up to your a__ in alligators." 

   The other saying I use is "When the tide goes down you will be able to walk out." Response " Yeah but I'm drowning now!" 

[beenthere]

Thinking a number of people going to craft shows are just looking for some clever and good ideas for themselves. Maybe that is what is happening, and few that are looking to buy.  : :

[Crusarius]

I definitely do not disagree. I do the same thing. Always looking for ideas wherever I go.

[Ianab]

Tricky part may be mass producing "hand crafted" items?  If you live in a shack and the local wages are $1 an hour, then it's easier. But in the Western World, you need to make a lot more per hour to pay the bills. 

I do recall a Woodworking Magazine from a few years back about a guy (in Aussie?) that was making decent $ from turned wooden pens. Tough thing to make money from, but he had his operation streamlined and was making them 50 at a time, and could do that in a day. He wasn't getting rich, but he was making over min wage at least.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Thinking a number of people going to craft shows are just looking for some clever and good ideas for themselves.....

Well, I am sure there are some, but most are just dreamers and talkers who rarely 'make' anything, but are quick to say, "Oh I could make that and do it even cheaper" to which I always reply 'Knock yourself out. :D' If they are surly, I ask them what kind of sawmill and support equipment they have to start with, because I make all my own wood, then talk about how all they need is a planer, jointer, table saw, good measuring tools, and a hundred or so hours of free time. If they are genuine and polite, I find a nice way to say the same general thing and offer to do the parts they can't and supply them with materials to make what they want, like a 'custom kit'. My wife has had hundreds of omen come into her booth and say to their friend "Oh, this is really nice and a cute idea, but I'll just make a few when I get home." This sets her off every time. ;D More than half the time the 'non-customer' will then ask my wife about the technique she used to make such an item so they can reproduce it. If I am standing there, I back up at that point. :D
 Certainly I look for ideas at every show, but not to copy directly. The last thing I want to do is sell something somebody else is already selling. Maybe I see an element in the design I can incorporate into things I make, or display ideas, or signage, or booth layout. I also see a lot of stuff that turns me off and I learn from that too. I was at a show one time and this fella had gorgeous table tops in various odd species and his finishing work was quite good. But legs were his Achilles heel and he freely admitted it was a problem for him. True, they detracted from the beautiful tops, but they would be easy to replace with something nice on the same top. What turned me off was he used deck screws to put his legs together and you could see them everywhere. He loved making tops and was good at it, but never spent the time to figure out his leg issues and most were made from 1x2's. It was a shame.
 I will often share compliments with those unique builders and freely tell them what I do and why I like something of theirs in particular and pointing out the finer details that I was caught by. There is a big difference between the person who gets a bird house design out of a magazine and makes 50 of them to peddle, and the person who looks at the design and function then sets out to make a similar use item, but incorporating his/her own design elements and joinery to make something unique. You see both at shows and it's obvious which is which to me, but not so much to the general public who would rather buy the $20. bird house instead of the $75 version and think they scored a big victory with all the money they 'saved'.
----------------
 For myself, I really don't want to do production items, but I will do some sparingly. The balance is in constant debate in my head. I got into this to do things I enjoy doing and the money was supposed to cover the cost of my habits, pus a little extra. But since I started there have been some extra financial obligations dumped on me that are forcing me to make sales, so I have to be practical. There is also the 'cost of sales' aspect. If I have to do a show to sell stuff, that is a big time and money expense to sell goods, plus lost work time. If people call me and place an order, or stop by and pick up an item or three, that is a 'no cost' way to sell. I spend the time with them during the sale and 2 minutes after they leave I am back working. This is ideal for me, so I try to promote that by telling everyone my shop is 'open by appointment only'. Many of my mushroom log clients do this and sometimes I have secondary sales during their visits to pick up orders.
 Crusarius, do you have a price tag on those slabs, letting folks know they are available? That would catch my eye. ;D

[Crusarius]

No, I can't sell them now. My wife has claimed them for her table.

They do work nice to bring ppl over though.

[Crusarius]

here is what today's display looked like. Pictures not great but it was right inside the door and definitely got a lot of attention.



 

[WV Sawmiller]

Tom,

  I get that all the time when people see my benches and say "Oh, that's just a board with 4 legs poked in a holes in the top."  I ask them if they have a tenon cutter? "No". Do you have a heavy duty drill with auger bits to drill the mortises? "No." Where are you getting your live edge slabs? "I don't know." How are you going to cut the legs all the same height and same angle? "Oh, I was going to use a chain saw". (my first ones were made that way and I never got one that would sit level on a concrete pad or floor.)

  The best is when the wife sees one and tells her husband "That is the one I want" He will reply "Oh, I can make that." Then the wife replies "I've been after your for 5 years to make me one, I want this one. Pay the man and take it to the car."

[21incher]

Thinking a number of people going to craft shows are just looking for some clever and good ideas for themselves. Maybe that is what is happening, and few that are looking to buy.  : :

I don't think that is actually true anymore.  Years ago before the internet that was the case but now most craftspeople search the internet for what is trending and try to stick with that theme. just so many ideas online without leaving home. I think many craft show visitors this time of year are actually going to buy if they find the perfect gift for the right price. It also appears to me sites like etsy that offer homemade gifts are the small craftsmans worst enemy. I just see online sales soaring these days that takes money off the table. 

[aigheadish]

I'm, unfortunately, one of those guys that stops by booths like y'all are talking about and commenting on how lovely things are (if they are) but not usually buying. Most handmade wood crafting stuff is beyond my budget, regardless of how much I like it. 

I definitely understand the amount of work that goes into this kind of stuff and I wish I could afford it both for the beauty and to support artists.

Maybe I need to start buying small stuff here and there just to help you guys pay some bills.

I think the most I've ever spent on one thing at a flea market or craft show (don't know what you want to call it) is 60 bucks. But I wonder if I saw a nice unfinished slab I'd be interested.

We have, just down the way, the "worlds longest yard sale" or the "127 sale" and I think only once did I see a woodworker who had a lot of base material for sale. I think I bought something from him but don't remember what.

I think the more you can quickly put your story behind any pieces you have the more likely stuff will sell. 

[aigheadish]

Back to whittling... I started this little mushroom, as previously shown and made some random cuts to the bottom. But wait! Are they random?



 



 

No! It's a little guy! I hope it reads properly, and I'm still refining. I thought it was cool that it doesn't look like a little guy when flipped over.

[Broncman]

Working on a keepsake box for my grand daughter. 


 

 

 

[Tom K]

Thanks for the reply Larry.

I've been helping the wife with her holiday gifts again this year. She decided to make all of her directors at work a cutting board. Hopefully we can finish them up this weekend.

[doc henderson]

Tom I would pick the top middle one.  She has a lot of directors.  must be a government gig. :D   What are the species used.

[Tom K]

Sorry Doc, heath care not government 

Mainly walnut & maple, with some cherry, white oak, hickory, jatoba & locus. She likes that burly looking maple one also and may keep it if she has an extra one.

[doc henderson]

They all look great.  Healthcare would have likely been my second guess.   

[tule peak timber]

Busy in the shop today making repairs on a fried shaper, adding some tenons to the big island top, close to final coat on the end grain hobbit table top. I also built an urban lumber sycamore pocket door in the last couple of days as well as some walnut flooring. Hard to get over fertilized, over watered, urban lumber to dance, but it did OK!

 

 

 

 

 

[Old Greenhorn]

That cookie in the 3rd photo has 2 different faces in it. Kind of spooky.

[trimguy]

Very nice, except the shaper deal.

[thecfarm]

@Jeff, would like to see the faces.
I only saw one.