Finding Ideas For Crafts to Make and Sell
By Jim Delahaye
There are several ways to learn how people sell crafts, like going to craft shows and
scanning the listings at Etsy. But those markets don't tell you what crafts sell. They
only reveal what other crafters are making and showing. There are other places where
crafts sell that you can research and learn what the best selling crafts are and how
much people are willing to pay for them.
Before you start snatching ideas for crafts to make and sell from the sources described
here, understand that it is illegal to copy and sell other peoples designs. If you get
caught at copyright infringement, it can cost you legal fines and worse. Use the craft
ideas you find through your research to stimulate your own creativity.
The first place to research best selling crafts to make and sell is online at QVCs
website. Use the "search" box to enter terms like quilt, or ornament, or birdhouse, or
lamp, or just even the word handmade.
QVC will then display items they are selling on TV. Unless you specifically search for
handmade items, the results will not be for items made by hand. See anything you could
make into a craft and sell? Use your imagination and think about everyday items that could
be made by hand.
While you are looking at crafts to make, jot down the prices the QVC items sell for.
Determine if you could make the craft for 50 percent or less of the selling price. If
the answer is yes, then you can probably make and sell these crafts for a profit.
QVC is a great place to start your research. They purchase items in large quantity at
wholesale prices to list and sell on TV and on their website. QVC has been broadcasting on
TV since 1986 so they have come to have good judgment about what sells and what doesn't.
Another place to research crafts to make and sell is ebay.com. Go to their home page
and scroll through the "categories" and click on "crafts." Now drill down and click on
"handcrafted & finished pieces".
The next step is to go further down the left hand sidebar links and select "preferences."
From there, choose "completed listings." At the time of this writing, eBay showed me
more than 17,000 listings of handcrafted and finished pieces; all of them a source of
ideas for crafts to make and sell.
eBay lets you sort the listings by price, so you can learn even more. What you are
looking for is ideas for crafts to make and sell that are already selling and to ask
yourself if this is a craft you would want to spend time making.
You also want to note the number of bids for each craft listing because this tells you
if there is a demand.
And finally, look at the closing price to discover how much people are willing to pay
for crafts like those you want to make and sell. Write down the closing prices these craft
items sell for. Can you make and sell the crafts for 50 percent or less of the closing auction
price. If so, you will most likely be able to make and sell these crafts for a profit.
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