I want you to stop for a moment and ponder why you sell your crafts.
I’m sure many of the answers have some common threads, to make money, to make room for more creations, to share with others. But what I would suggest is that the real reason most crafters sell their wares is because it simply feels good. When someone pulls money out of their pocket and exchanges it for something you’ve made it’s like getting a gold star from your kindergarten teacher. I think most of us start by selling to family and friends but there is always that little voice that says “They just bought from you because they felt obligated”. So you take the next step and start selling online or at shows. When you sell your craft to strangers that’s the ultimate approval that your work was worth what you were asking.
So here’s the dark side of that rush, you start to make bad decisions to get that next selling fix. Do you go to craft shows with the hope of just breaking even? Do you know how much the materials in your product cost? Are you pricing all your products with almost no profit just because you want to sell? I have people on a regular basis ask me to review their Etsy store and sometimes I find items for $5 or less. My thought when I see an item like this is what could this crafter make for the same amount of time and material cost that would generate a larger profit. If you’re going to make art to sell shouldn’t you make items people will buy? Is that a silly question? Think about it, how many zillion ideas are bouncing around in your head of projects you’d like to make? How about taking all those ideas you want to make and asking which would return the biggest profit for your time. Lets face it everybody only has so much time, why not maximize your profit for your time.
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I sell my art because I love to create, I can’t imagine not creating, I like to share my creations with others, and I need to eat.
I may be an exception in one way, though. I don’t strictly *need* to sell a lot; my husband has a good job and we do fine on his salary. My income gives us some extra to save. So I have the luxury of creating what I love, what my Muse comes up with, without worrying too much over if others will like it. (But it does make me happy when they do like it.)
I also will not undersell my time and talent; I can afford to enjoy my sculptures for a while until the right buyer comes along.
If there came a day when we had to rely on my income for food and shelter, we might be in trouble.
But meanwhile, I would not trade my “job” for the world. When I think of “profit,” I think of more than just money. My biggest profit is the enjoyment and fulfillment I get when I create, and when my creations make someone else smile.
I sell for different reasons but mostly it is therapy for me to create and design items. I feel relaxed when i sew and i enjoy hearing from customers how pleased they are with their purchase or how they were proud to give it as a gift. It does pay for itself and the little bit of extra money is nice.
I do like having my business and i enjoy what i make- i would like to see it grow more once my little ones are in preschool but for right now i am happy with my business.
I became a craft junky about 8 years ago, but I found my passion last year when i started creating jewelry. It did start with giving it as gifts, and then I decided to try to turn it into a business. I started with my first craft show last year, and I started selling on Etsy in April of this year. I do my best to stay competitive but also to not undersell my product or time. I would love nothing more than to become a self-supporting artisan, but up until now, I pretty much just turn whatever profit I make back into the business.
I love to create and that’s how I started to sell. This is a timely post for me to read because I’m in the middle of reevaluating what I sell.
I’m glad I found your site (through twitter - thanks for adding me
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I love to create. This post sounds just like me. Family told me I should start selling what I make (probably because they have somuch from me already) and I started. I have a group of people at my mom’s work who ask me to come back to their craft fair every year.
The biggest thrill is exactly that, selling and seeing someone’s face light up because they love your work. My biggest thrill was when someone wanted my product so bad they had to STEAL it! I was torn, need the money for it, but proud it was so coveted.
You’re so right. My biggest seller by far is the willy warmer in my OTHER shop, naughtyknits.etsy.com and yet it sells mostly on ebay. Confused? I am. Why do I persist in listing it on etsy, why do I bother knitting anything else? Maybe my main motivation isn’t money after all!
I agree with you. People around might like what we make but will they like it enough to spend their money for it?
I see from a slightly different perspective. I am a crafter, but a crafter for myself and not for business purposes. So when I need something I frequently get it at markets or through Etsy. I LOVE to give handcrafted items because for me, even though I didn’t make them, they have a story - a connection. And because it is the direction I would like to see the world shopping experience heading. And as for the mention of $5 items, DON”T underprice just to sell. If I see something priced that cheap I’ll often skip right over looking at it because I just assume it’s junk.
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