Tuesday, November 29, 2011

To Sale or Not To Sale!!!

My goal when I embarked on the online craft path was to make what I love and share. My family (few females) are probably sick of receiving my creations and now, unless they ask, they get nothing made by me. (Right now I am making the boys hats with beards attached...who knew that would be a request?)
I have always been thrilled to sell my work as it is a type of positive validation. As Sally Field said "They like me. They really like me!"
Of course earning some extra money has been wonderful if only to feed my supply addiction and stash. So I think I have always priced fairly. I'm not looking to rip off anyone but entice by design, good pricing and heart.
Then there are holiday sales....a not so positive experience for me over the years but I didn't want to be left out so I joined those promotions. Selling scarves in July kind of yells for a price reduction and I've done it. Not to great success,though. 
Back to school, Halloween and then Cyber Monday and I see fellow crafters marking down their creative endeavors by 15-20-30 even 40%!!!! I'm confused so I posted a query on Facebook.
Responses varied but many agreed that their prices were fair and marking them down was a hurtful loss. And, like my experience, they really didn't work. I understand the desire to drum up business, get positive feedback or move older pieces but the profit margin for many is so slight, a sale hurts.
I say, do what you love, love what you do and don't devalue yourself. Does that mean I'll never have a sale or a discount or free shipping? Maybe. Maybe not. But I don't think I'll allow myself to follow the big box pack....I'm not in that league and don't want to be. I don't have items in the $100+ range, far from it and although more sales are always welcome, I will not devalue myself just for a sale.

Here's my latest...price firm!!!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Re-using,Re-purposing,Re-cycling

I don't know if it's the nature of a crafter combined with the needs of a teacher that encourages saving and thinking "Someday I'll use that" and whatever 'it' is gets stashed and saved.
As an elementary school teacher, I was always collecting what appeared at first glance, some useless items....egg cartons (of course), Crystal Light plastic containers, swizzle sticks and chop sticks and so much more.
If old clothes were clean and in good shape, they were donated. If not, they were saved for the fabric and certainly the buttons.
In my quest to use what I have, I am beginning to make a dent in the stash pile...yippee!The boys want hats with beards attached and I have ALL the yarn I need here in the house...yay!

This snow man is on fabric that was a shirt and the eyes are broken straight pins! The buttons are vintage.










This magnetic pin holder was made with an advertising magnet and again, a piece of discarded farbric from a shirt.
And lastly, of the recent projects, a felted cuff from a hot washed wool sweater...not planned!
So in the long run I am pleased with all the stuffing and stashing and storing of stuff and am happy they now have new lives! Now what can I make with that.......?!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Trends

I find it so interesting to see what sells and what doesn't, especially at shows where you have a concentrated block of sales in a definite time period...well, hopefully!
The first time I sold 9 sets of wash cloths at a show I thought I had the new pet rock!

The first show this season was a scarf and bookmark show....oodles. Yay, terrific.

The 2nd show 2 weeks later,in roughly the same area, no scarves at all but handwarmers and bookmarks.
Now I did have the other odd item here and there-some barrettes, a pin or 2, a tapemeasure but the scarves and handwarmers were the hits and the bookmarks. Now some may say, it's getting cool, tis the season for those sales and that is true but I have a new and different viewpoint. I'm thinking people,in this tense economy, are purchasing the practical. The needed. The useful. Not the decorative little doo-dad that may become a dust collector. Maybe they'll buy those closer to the holidays when gifts are really needed but I'm sensing a shying away from that stuff. Maybe marketing and promoting have to be steered in that direction. What do you think?

Anyway, here's a useful, little doo-dad I just listed. I can't help myself!
And oh, after 2 shows, just 3 sets of wash cloths!