Selling your work via the internet?

[John Shillabeer]

Does anyone have experience to share about selling woodturnings through sites like Etsy?

My daughter says it is very popular among her group of art glass makers for selling beads and other small items of jewellery.

However, I am sceptical about it working for turnings,regardless of price point.

Your thoughts?

Thanks John

 

[Bill Boehme]

Send a PM to Odie to make sure that he sees this thread. He sells bowls, it's not a living, but it pays for his woodturning hobby plus a little extra if I recall correctly what he has said about it.

 

[Odie]

Howdy John.......(thanks Bill)

www.etsy.com/

Etsy is an international online arts and crafts marketplace. For woodturning, the competition is stiff......a search for "wood bowl" will have about 20,000 hits +/-. I have been on there for about 18 months, and am averaging about 2.7 sales per month. I think the only way to make any money at it, is to find some way to make a name for yourself.....then you can raise your prices to be commensurate with the time and expense involved. Most people do this by promoting themselves on social networks like Facebook. I don't, but might at some future date. So far, I'm relying on being found on an Etsy search, and customer satisfaction. I've had some success in getting repeat customers.

I'm not a production turner, and my production rate is barely more than I sell.....such a snob about perfection, that I'll bet for most of my offerings, I might make five bucks an hour for my time! My higher priced items are the exception to that, but from what I can tell, it seems that most buyers are looking to purchase in the $50-100 range. My best guess is female purchasers outnumber males by about a 2/1 margin.....maybe higher.

Etsy is going through some "growing pains" right now, as the site has become an IPO a couple months ago.....lots of changes lately, and I'm finding that I'm getting less views of my shop than I was before all the changes. Hoping things will settle down a bit when the "adjustment" stabilizes itself.

In the past, my bowls were in several art galleries, but I'm no longer doing that. I really like that I maintain possession of my turnings, and don't pay 40-50% in commissions. On Etsy, you only pay a twenty cent fee for a 3 month listing, and IIRC, a 1.5% commission.....such a deal! The trouble is that a buyer only sees a photograph of your bowls, and has to decide whether to make the purchase on that basis. (Thanks to Bill and John for helping me get some decent photos.....I was, and still am such a difficult student because I literally hate cameras!)

The "eccentricoldguy" link below will bring you to my Etsy shop.

ko

 

[Charlie Knighton]

are you tired of the mesquite piece or is that a misprint, Odie????????????

good stuff

 

[Odie]

are you tired of the mesquite piece or is that a misprint, Odie????????????

good stuff

Hiya Charlie.......

Well, if I see some nice unique Texas Mesquite that catches my attention, I might do another. Mesquite is pretty plain looking wood, so I wouldn't be interested in doing any more.....unless the perfect piece comes along. It's unfortunate about that piece, because it cracked up badly on me. It's my fault, because I wasn't paying attention to the roughed out bowl, and by the time I noticed, about 75% of the volume of the block was ruined.

I purchased that one, because of the wormy character in it....but, lost most all of it! 🙁

Not a misprint.......I'm just trying to recover my expenses on that one.

ko

 

[Bill Boehme]

.... Etsy is going through some "growing pains" right now, as the site has become an IPO a couple months ago.....lots of changes lately, and I'm finding that I'm getting less views of my shop than I was before all the changes. Hoping things will settle down a bit when the "adjustment" stabilizes itself.....

I hope things go well on Etsy. Going public is sometimes a good way to make a business go bad, especially if they get the "experts" on board to make Etsy more profitable.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Hiya Charlie.......

Well, if I see some nice unique Texas Mesquite that catches my attention, I might do another. Mesquite is pretty plain looking wood, so I wouldn't be interested in doing any more.....unless the perfect piece comes along. It's unfortunate about that piece, because it cracked up badly on me. It's my fault, because I wasn't paying attention to the roughed out bowl, and by the time I noticed, about 75% of the volume of the block was ruined.

I purchased that one, because of the wormy character in it....but, lost most all of it! 🙁

Not a misprint.......I'm just trying to recover my expenses on that one.

ko

Was that the so called South American Black Mesquite? I have heard of it, but from what you say, I suspect that it isn't related to the real deal. It certainly appears to be different from what grows here.

My turning stock of Texas mesquite is pretty low right now (no green wood), but I have a lot of rough sawn mesquite lumber that I need to joint and plane -- I guess that I am just waiting for the right inspiration. My prize piece is a natural edge cross section of mesquite stump about three feet in diameter and two inches thick. It appears to be from a cluster of several mesquite trees that grew together and it has lots of beautiful grain.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Kelly, I think you have been holding out on us. Those bowls on ETSY look great. Good color and form.

 

[Odie]

I hope things go well on Etsy. Going public is sometimes a good way to make a business go bad, especially if they get the "experts" on board to make Etsy more profitable.

I'm a bit worried about that, but if a stock offering doesn't work out for Etsy, there are other places on the web. I got wind that Amazon is thinking about starting a "handmade" section. A few of the other Etsy sellers got an email that suggested they might. I didn't get that email though....even though I do have an Amazon account.......😕

Was that the so called South American Black Mesquite? I have heard of it, but from what you say, I suspect that it isn't related to the real deal. It certainly appears to be different from what grows here.

My turning stock of Texas mesquite is pretty low right now (no green wood), but I have a lot of rough sawn mesquite lumber that I need to joint and plane -- I guess that I am just waiting for the right inspiration. My prize piece is a natural edge cross section of mesquite stump about three feet in diameter and two inches thick. It appears to be from a cluster of several mesquite trees that grew together and it has lots of beautiful grain.

Yes, there is one Black Mesquite from SA, and one Texas Mesquite in my Etsy shop right now. Haven't turned much of either, but appears they are very different species.

Kelly, I think you have been holding out on us. Those bowls on ETSY look great. Good color and form.

Hey, thank you, Gerald.....😀

Not everything I do will go to my AAW gallery, but many of those have been on there at one time, or another. My AAW gallery is full, so each time I add a bowl, I have to delete a bowl. Most of the time, I don't bother, unless I come up with something I think is of interest, or different, or worthy of a description. Most of the shapes I do, I've done before......but, I'm always experimenting!

ko

 

[Brent Wells]

I'm a bit worried about that, but if a stock offering doesn't work out for Etsy, there are other places on the web. I got wind that Amazon is thinking about starting a "handmade" section. A few of the other Etsy sellers got an email that suggested they might. I didn't get that email though....even though I do have an Amazon account.......😕



My wife received an invite for Handmade by Amazon. She has been using etsy for years but has not been happy with them for the last year or so. We were interested in Amazon but does not seem practical for us. You have to apply and then join. There is a $39.99 monthly fee (waived until August 2016), 12% off of each sale goes to Amazon and it looks like there is a $.50 charge on each sale also. I like that they filter who applies since anyone can set up shop on Etsy and you are seeing a lot more non hand made products on there. The problem is the $40 monthly fee. It is fine if you are a full time turner making a living off of it, but someone like me who just sells the occasional piece to restock wood pile of get a fancy new tool it is not cost affective.

 

[John Shillabeer]

Hi All
Thanks for the advice, specially from Odie.

Food for thought, but obviously not a slam dunk decision.

John

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Kelly, I think you have been holding out on us. Those bowls on ETSY look great. Good color and form.

Gerald, I agree. His bowls are really nice. I like his shop name too. 🙂