Creative Ways to Sell Your Arts and Crafts
By Tommy Venable
Turn on your local news these days and you would think its 1933 revisited. They say
we're not quite in a depression but I guess it depends on who you ask and what part of the
country you're from. The percentage of Americans out of work is almost record breaking.
Times may be difficult and job opportunities may be few and beyond reach. These are the
times when you have to dig down deep inside yourself and come up with a solution on how
you're going to survive in this economy.
If you're the creative type, you may want to try making extra cash in the art and
crafts field. This hobby can quickly turn into a very profitable business. With today's
technology, you're able to reach a wider audience to sell your arts and crafts. Believe it
or not, there are people still out there willing to buy handmade crafty items. You just
have to be creative in finding where these people are and placing your craft items in
front of them.
So, what crafty item should you make and sell? Well, that depends on your creative
passions. The crafting field is vast and there is always something for everyone. Some
suggestions are; crocheting, knitting, polymer clay, sewing, handmade toys, handmade home
decoration, the list can go on and on. Think about what craft items people might want to
buy. How would your craft item benefit the buyer? Can your craft item be of use as
decoration? Is it a functional craft item? What purpose does it have for the potential
buyer? These are the questions you should ask yourself when coming up with ideas on what
craft item you want to make and⁄or currently making.
Now that you have decided on what craft item you want to make, how do you know if there
is a market for it? You don't, unless you do some research. Browse some of the online
auction sites that are out there on the web. Type in your craft item into the search field
and take note of how many bids are placed or how many items are listed. This is not a sure
fire method but will give you a sense of who else is making something similar to your
craft item. Another way to find out if there is a market for your craft item is to search
for possible stores or internet stores that may be selling what you want to make.
Research, research is the key.
You discover there may be a possible market for your craft item. How do you make money?
Where do you sell it? This is where you need to get extra creative of getting people to
buy your craft item. Research local craft fairs in your area and sign up to ones that fits
in with what you want to sell. There are many online internet sites like Etsy and ArtFire
where you can setup an online store to sell your craft item. Just make sure you read all
the fine print about listing fees and final sale fees but are a good way to sell online.
Make sure you take good pictures of your craft item and remember, the potential buyer
can't hold your creation. Describe in detail everything about what you are selling.
Along with selling your craft items on online stores, you can also turn your knowledge
of making your craft item into a tutorial or eBook. The quick and simple way is to create
the tutorial in word doc and then convert it to PDF file. List your tutorial on your
online store. When people purchase your tutorial, you would email them the PDF of your
tutorial. There is also online eBook creating software out there on the web. Do a search
on your favorite web browser for; creating eBooks.
These are just a few ideas of how I am trying to survive in today's rough economy as a
crafter. Keep your head up and happy crafting.
Tommy Venable is an artist and jewelry maker. He runs a free craft site featuring free
tutorials and shares ideas on how to market handmade crafting products.
My Crafts Page
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