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

JimmyTheWig

Sugar_Coated_Owl wrote: »

I'm very disappointed in some of the posters on here. Instead of encouraging a young person to continue with a business idea it has pretty much been shattered from the start. If or when you have children I really hope you don't dash their hopes and dreams so quickly if they come to you with such an idea.

I think that people are shattering the idea because they don't see any way that the OP can make money from this.
Taking the people on this thread as a reasonable sample, the majority have said (in various shades of rudeness!) that it's not the sort of thing that they like. So whatever the quality, whatever the cost, whatever the marketing, the OP is not going to be attracting the majority of people.
Of the people who have said they like them, the vast majority have said that they would like to make them / like their children to make them for them. So again, no custom there.
Only one person that I am aware of has said that they would like to buy one. But they don't have any money. That's a potential market of 1 out of 46 people.

Good on the OP for having the desire to make some money.
Good on the OP for having better artistic skills than me.
Good on the OP for coming on here to ask for advice.

But I'd have to say that the only sensible advice would be to put that desire and those skills to use in a project that has a chance of working.

Sugar_Coated_Owl

Have you actually checked out sits such as Etsy where people do make and decorate this kind of thing?

JimmyTheWig

Me? No.
But I don't think the fact that there are others competing to sell to that 1 person in 46 helps.

Kepp

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

I think that people are shattering the idea because they don't see any way that the OP can make money from this.
Taking the people on this thread as a reasonable sample, the majority have said (in various shades of rudeness!) that it's not the sort of thing that they like. So whatever the quality, whatever the cost, whatever the marketing, the OP is not going to be attracting the majority of people.
Of the people who have said they like them, the vast majority have said that they would like to make them / like their children to make them for them. So again, no custom there.
Only one person that I am aware of has said that they would like to buy one. But they don't have any money. That's a potential market of 1 out of 46 people.

Good on the OP for having the desire to make some money.
Good on the OP for having better artistic skills than me.
Good on the OP for coming on here to ask for advice.

But I'd have to say that the only sensible advice would be to put that desire and those skills to use in a project that has a chance of working.

Sugar_Coated_Owl wrote: »

Have you actually checked out sits such as Etsy where people do make and decorate this kind of thing?

I think that JimmyTheWig makes a good point.

Yesterday when I was commenting I couldn't see the picture but I did look last night. I can't see this being an item that sells very well. That's not because it's 'tat' or the other derogatory terms that have been used but because it isn't polished enough.

It's also a limited approach to only sell one item, unless that item has mass appeal.

With crafts that's the hardest bit to find. I do craft fairs and am trying to get an Etsy shop going so I am fully in support of craft as a business and a way to make money. However, making things for friends and family that they love because you made them and selling them is two different things. When people pay they expect more.

For example, sew something for yourself to wear - it doesn't matter what it looks like on the back as only you will see it, sew it to sell, the back needs to look as good as the front does as someone has parted with money for your item.

A search of Etsy does show a market for rolling pins such as hand carved ones etc. The only shop I can see that sells decorated ones has only recently opened for business and has yet to make any sales. Only time will tell.

If you pick through the thread there has been some excellent advice posted on turning these into kits etc and how to market via blogging etc.

I don't think anyone should be rude about what someone else is doing, but the OP (if not scared away by now!) would do well to follow some of this advice. She is perfectly capable of doing this, but will may need to open herself up to a different approach.

Never has a rolling pin been so hotly debated! :rotfl:

JimmyTheWig

Could always market them in the DFW board...
"It's good to be handy with a rolling pin, when the landlord comes to call."

mildred1978

beccie wrote: »

That's a thing I've started to notice a lot recently - there's being honest and speaking your mind and then there's plain rudeness and the the two are being confused more and more.

Plus I hope that someone wouldn't really throw something that their child had made in the bin!

My 26 month old loves drawing. He probably colours 10 pieces of A4 paper a day, both sides. I have a big house but couldn't possibly consider keeping them all!!!

Some get sent to grannies and aunties etc, but a lot find their way into the recycle bin.

Kepp

mildred1978 wrote: »

My 26 month old loves drawing. He probably colours 10 pieces of A4 paper a day, both sides. I have a big house but couldn't possibly consider keeping them all!!!

Some get sent to grannies and aunties etc, but a lot find their way into the recycle bin.

I can understand that, and I don't suppose your son notices if he's drawing that many

I meant in response to the comment by PeteW - I'd hope if someone's child bought home a decorated rolling pin or the like that they had spent hours on that it would at least be displayed for a little while, not chucked straight in the bin.

PeteW

beccie wrote: »

I meant in response to the comment by PeteW - I'd hope if someone's child bought home a decorated rolling pin or the like that they had spent hours on that it would at least be displayed for a little while, not chucked straight in the bin.

Of course - my house is filled with tat the kids create! There's no wall space left in the kitchen because its completely covered in their paintings! There are few things I treasure more than my very first father's day card - despite the fact that it appears to depict a gollywog painted with what looks remarkably like human faeces...

But would I ever buy any kiddy-craft (is that politer than 'tat'?) stuff from an adult I'd never met over the internet? No, I wouldn't, and can anyone honestly say they would? I think the lack of sales speak for themselves.

It's great that you want to be a bit creative and try and make some money from it, but in my opinion you need to go back to the drawing board and think about what you could make that people might actually want in their homes.

Kepp

Then I do apologise - I read your comment as you would throw it straight in the bin and I thought that was a bit harsh! But if I have mis-read then I apologise.

However, it's not the things I produce that are being debated here!

I make things along a vintage inspired theme, that I have researched extensively and does sell.

Jade makes the rolling pins that we are talking about! Which I agreed are unlikely to sell.

Dasa

PeteW wrote: »

I think the answers as to why these aren't selling are already mentioned in this thread, but the OP has chosen to ignore them as people being 'horrible':

They serve no purpose. They are not functional, they are not attractive, they look like something that my 2 year old would bring home from pre-school, and even then I'd probably throw it in the bin! I can't imagine there is actually anyone in the world prepared to pay £4 for tat like this.

That's not being horrible, it's answering your question.

What's to misread about that?