Stream of Consciousness Saturday – June 28, 2025
It can sometimes be a frustrating part of the craft that people pick up and greatly admire a piece of work, but then move on. If it happened enough with a certain category of items, you discontinue the line. That’s what happened with the boxes I used to make. Despite lots of effort and much admiration from potential clients, they were slow movers, and they eventually lost their share of table space to items that moved.
I thought the designs were neat and useful, but when you are trying to make back your booth fees and manage a profit, table space is given over to items that sell. At first, I thought it was placement. So I made efforts to give plugs to the product with better placement. The result? More people are picking them up, and admiring them, but no more sales.
I still find myself occasionally drawing up plans for small chests, boxes and such. I think they are great, and I use a number at home, but I never follow through. I do enough speculative stuff already to play around with more.
Here ars some designs of boxes and chests I’ve made an sold at boat shows:
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Fabulous boxes and designs Lou. Trying to price where you get at least a bit for you labour as well as materials doesn’t leave much margin does it?
That was exactly the problem as I realized after a bit of time trying to sell them.
Exactly! Yesterday in my defardelization process, I found a bunch of tiny canvases I’d made into Christmas ornaments. I thought they’d be good sellers at a craft/art show, but they weren’t, not even at $5 each. I was about to put them on Etsy but decided my time was worth more to me than the possible sales would be. SO when the local thrift store has it’s Christmas display, they might make a little money from them. Pricing is tricky.
It is so disappointing when you almost give work away and still no one wants it. That is disheartening
Yep. You just have to get over it. I actually learned to stop caring.
It’d true you can’t take it too personally. They did make nice gifts.
I would probably have bought a leaf box. 😀
You have the problem nicely detailed, Martha. Pricing is very tricky.
Other artists said I had them underpriced. A lot of it is the market. My market was in Del Norte and mostly retired people. I sold more on Etsy but now shipping is prohibitive and I’m no longer a young and sprightly 60 something with time to spare. 🤣
Spritly, 60 something? I’d love to be sixty again!
Me too. OH well here we are and grateful for it. 😀
That is a shame. I am drawn to the small things in displays. That little compass rose box is a beauty.
I think these are beautiful, Lou. I love the leaf boxes especially.
The are a lot of fun to do, too.
Love these. All! Perhaps a Christmas gift shop for your items on Pinterest or Etsy?
I’ve seen Etsy start to decline with so much actually appearing to be made abroad or mass produced to look handmade that I eventually decided against it. Still thinking through the process. I’d prefer a shop or gallery setting.
Just beautiful <3