i have been buying mini rolling pins and decorating them, but they wont sell

Sugar_Coated_Owl

Well instead of setting up a workshop the OP could make a little kit and sell it. Buy a mini rolling pin, some embellishments and paint, wrap in some pretty cellophane and there you go.

vernell

I just thought Id throw an idea into the pot....I gave birth to our first baby in December and on some of our gifts were personalsed wooden tags/plaques. One was painted blue, was heart shaped with a message on and had a smal button & bow on it, another had our sons name with a train painted on it and my favourite was a large letter H (sond initial) with a caterpillar climbing up it (not a real one, obviously).

Whilst mini ornamental rolling pins may be seen as 'tat', these tags seemed almost classy as they seemed personal and unique so maybe try your hand at something more versatile rather than just the pins??

Good luck

Sugar_Coated_Owl

Look here. There is a market for this type of thing.

Sambucus_Nigra

Sugar_Coated_Owl wrote: »

Look here. There is a market for this type of thing.

I'm not saying there isn't a market for well made hand made stuff.

Sugar_Coated_Owl

So we are disagreeing because...?

POPPYOSCAR

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

And neither do you! But so far - no sales. Hence asking on here what's wrong.

And not liking it when people are open and honest about it.

We can agree to disagree and the OP is free to continue making kitchen rolling pins.

But recommending setting up a training company to train people to make things which you yourself can't sell is very bad advice indeed.

I disagree in this instance.

It is not about the finished product, it is the making of it.When my daughter went to the parties at the pottery painting no one showed them what to do they were just allowed to choose a piece of blank pottery and given the paints to paint it with.What training is needed for that I wonder?

I have had a party at my own home for the children where I went out and bought a load of craft stuff and left them to it. Children can be very creative without instruction.

There is even a holiday company now where you can go as a family and they have craft things to do.

Sambucus_Nigra

Sugar_Coated_Owl wrote: »

So we are disagreeing because...?

Who knows!

I don't think there is a business in personalised kitchen rolling pins, maybe pocket money but nothing that's going to enable early retirement. I think telling her to train people is completely OTT advice and I'm blunt!

I know loads of unbelievably talented crafters who make gorgeous stuff and they continually battle to make any alternative income. It's a hard market out there and it doesn't come by easily.

Sugar_Coated_Owl

I think with the right marketing/promotion it could be successful. The OP does something similar to what I do but I must admit I'm a perfectionist. I'd gladly give the OP some advice on marketing/promotion if she wants. Blogging is where it's at right now.

Sambucus_Nigra

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

I disagree.

It is not about the finished product, it is the making of it.When my daughter went to the parties at the pottery painting no one showed them what to do they were just allowed to choose a piece of blank pottery and given the paints to paint it with.What training is needed for that I wonder?

I have had a party at my own home for the children where I went out and bought a load of craft stuff and left them to it. Children can be very creative without instruction.

There is even a holiday company now where you can go as a family and they have craft things to do.

Did the pottery company lure you in with badly painted pottery on the walls?

I've just googled 'paint a pot' and the ads on the first website that came up are selling their workshops with well made and well finished products.

http://www.paint-a-pot.co.uk/special-events.html

If they put badly made products up there, do you think they would sell their workshops?

miss_marsters

There is a HUGE market of facebook for these types of items, but if anyone buys them who knows...

Found here:
http://www.facebook.com/sendinthetroops
http://en-gb.facebook.com/UKMUMSWHOMAKE?v=wall

As well as countless others

But for the most part people sell these things as hobbies alongside other jobs or as SAHP's making some extra cash.

There are good and bad sellers (i have bought things myself) but to be fair many dont know anything about business really.

To make money you need to be niche, cheap (and probably lose money!) or excellent craftmanship