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

Sugar_Coated_Owl

You can give honest feedback without being rude and condescending.

soolin

Sugar_Coated_Owl wrote: »

I think you should create a facebook page for your crafts and learn to 'network' it's really good once you get the hang of it. You will meet lots of other craft-minded people and get to see what they make too which might inspire you.

Facebook selling pages is a growing trend- I am linked in to several local selling networks- as well as to etsy and folksy and get dozens of new sites and stores through every day. They are all saying the same thing though, nothing sells. The only market out there is for edible items, or things that have a short life- not for painted nicknacks.

Incidentally I no longer sell craft items but am still linked into the markets and forums as I sell items that crafters need or want- now that is a good market if you get the right items- stuff that can't be bought from a normal high street craft shop.

POPPYOSCAR

soolin wrote: »

I have a great deal of experience with craft items but I am not naive, the market is saturated, I can see more than a dozen 'craft sites' advertised in my facebook selling page today alone- all showing a high level of skill- but with no real customer base.

Every man and ther dog makes things to sell, the trick is to find something unusual that people actually want, and the things I see selling are things that have a use , rather than just decorative bits and bobs.

Obviously I didn't realise that such comments are not considered useful, but I do fail to see how everyone saying 'ooh they are lovely' is any more helpful when the OP has admitted they do not sell.

"It is not what you say but the way that you say it" and I think it only applies to one poster here(and that is not you btw).

Do not think many have said 'ooh they are lovely', most have been honest but in a reasoned way.

PasturesNew

A product needs to be marketed. Putting it onto any site gives it an opportunity to be randomly found, but in order to sell your product you really need to do some marketing to say "look at these... you can buy them here"

Have you got your mates to "like" it on facebook, for example? Have you done any promotion at all? You can't simply rely on the site audience to provide you with sales, you have to bring people to your page/product.

The fact is: anybody can make something and bung it up somewhere. Beyond that you have to "talk the talk". Promote it, put links in any forum signature spaces you belong to (not on MSE though), let people know. Use some free classifieds.

And then .... find other places to advertise it - see what/where works for you.

Work on your craft skills, your photographic representation, your wording, your marketing. Big it up.... and shout it out loud.

If all that fails, nobody wants your stuff..... but you've learnt some new skills to be able to market the next thing you try.

POPPYOSCAR

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Yes, ignore them. It's not as if you wanted honest feedback eh?

Oh



hang on a minute.....

Nothing wrong with genuine feedback but no need for a certain poster to be so rude about it.

Sugar_Coated_Owl

Handmade things are very popular at the moment and especially with Christmas only 5 months away people will soon be putting in their orders. I do agree that perhaps you need to diversify.

meg72

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

[/B]

I think with some people that is the idea>

Best to ignore them.

Absolutely.

somethingcorporate

Product / price seem fairly standard I would say, the only issue you have are placement and access to market.

You obviously have not picked a good route as of yet, I would not travel to pick up a £4 item, it is simply not worth it. You'll need to take your wares to a craft fair. Have you talked to any local crafty / artsy shops? they may want to take a few on sale or return.

You need to turn this whole concept on its head and think about if you were buying the product you are selling where would you expect to go to get one...?

PasturesNew

Sugar_Coated_Owl wrote: »

...especially with Christmas only 5 months away ...

Oh shut up ... we've not had summer yet!!

Sugar_Coated_Owl

lol I said the dreaded C word.