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Most crocheters, at some point in their crochet journey, will wonder if they should sell their creations.
With cooler weather rolling in and holiday craft show signage popping up all over town, you might start thinking about the possibility of making some extra money with, or even building a business around, this awesome talent you have.
But how do you know if selling is worth your time?
And if you decide it is worth your time, how do you find your target market? Is it your family and friends? Or strangers perusing craft shows? Or online shoppers in their pajamas?
Before I pivoted my business to become a designer, I sold my creations… and I’ve tried it all. So to help you sort some of this out, I’ve listed 4 of the most popular ways to get started selling your creations (friends and family, craft fairs, facebook, and artisan sites), along with some of the positives and negatives I believe come with each market, and tips to help you decide which one is the path for you.
Here we go!
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Market #1: Friends and Family
This is a really, really common place to start a selling journey… which is why everyone’s doing it!
Think about how many of your friends have started a home business over the past decade. You know who they are, because they’ve been taught to start building their business on – you guessed it – family and friends.
Positive: If you have a supportive family and friend base, this is an easy and encouraging place to start! Chances are, they’ve already been bugging you to make them something. If they truly support you, they’ll understand when you excitedly tell them you are starting a business and can make them that item for XX amount.
Negative: It may be a great place to start, but no matter how supportive they are, you cannot sustain a business on orders from family and friends. They may be the ones who know you best and love you most, but it’s not their responsibility to keep you in business. And, side note, no one wants the awkwardness that comes when a family member never gets around to paying you.
The Verdict: Should you sell to friends and family? If you constantly have people you know hitting you up for your latest creations, then YES! But remember, don’t rely on this as a long-term business solution.
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Market #2: Craft Fairs
Ahh… craft fairs! Some crafters swear by them and even boast of making a living with them; others have nothing but disappointing experiences. (I could do a whole blog post on craft fairs alone, but I’ll save that for another time.)
To sell in this market, you need to have built up an inventory of products. It can be lots of fun, but labor-intensive. Here are the pros and cons:
Positive: Craft fairs are social events, and sales-minded people love the interaction with potential customers.
Negative: Finding the right craft fairs to participate in can take some serious research; otherwise you might spend many, many hours building up an inventory and end up barely selling enough to cover your table fee.
The Verdict: Should you sell at craft fairs? If you already have more crocheted creations than you know what to do with, you’re confident that the people attending the show are your target market (hint: not bargain hunters), and you love customer interaction, then YES! Otherwise, craft fairs can be a bit of a shot in the dark, and that’s a lot of time to put into something that doesn’t make you much money in the end.
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Market #3: Facebook
Local buy/sell/swap groups have popped up all over Facebook, and chances are, your town has one. Facebook introduced its own official version with “Facebook Marketplace” in 2016.
Positive: Selling in a local Facebook group can be a quick way to earn some cash. You can sell made-to-order (alleviating the need to build up a time-consuming inventory), and if no one responds to your sale post, you haven’t lost anything.
Negative: Selling locally online is often where you have the most potential for failed transactions and disappearing customers. Unlike with craft fairs (where the transaction and delivery of goods is instant) and Etsy (which protects sellers by charging customers up front), you are on your own in this market and will need to put your own safeguards in place so that you don’t end up with finished items and no payment.
Verdict: Should you sell on Facebook marketplaces? This can be a great place to collect orders, as long as you’re willing to come up with a plan to protect yourself from people who ask you to make something and never pay up. (I am a huge advocate of taking money up front!)
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Market #4: Artisan Sites (Etsy, etc.)
Crafting has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years, enabling Etsy to become a household name. The way Etsy has developed as a platform (the good, the bad and the ugly) could also be a whole other blog post, but as it stands, Etsy remains a way for crafters to potentially reach a global market that they never could have found on their own.
Positive: For the most part, people shopping on Etsy aren’t bargain-hunting. They know they’re on an artisan site and are usually prepared to spend accordingly. They also know that art takes time, so selling your creations made-to-order (meaning you don’t make it until someone purchases it) is common.
Negative: The sheer volume of sellers on Etsy can feel completely overwhelming, and in order to compete in those search engines, care has to be taken to ensure that your product listings are beautifully photographed and well-described. There is a wealth of information out there about how to show up in Etsy searches, but it’s a time-consuming learning curve that Etsy doesn’t make any easier with its frequent operation changes.
The Verdict: Should you sell on Etsy? An Etsy shop is easy to set up, and if you sell made-to-order, you don’t need to build up an inventory. If that sounds good to you and you’re willing to do a little research on listing visibility, then selling on Etsy (or similar platforms) might be perfect for you!
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I’m going to leave you with one last thought; something I truly believe is so important for crafters to understand. Say it with me:
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Bargain hunters are not my target market.
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No matter where you decide to sell, stop trying to turn bargain hunters into high paying customers. Don’t waste negative energy wondering why someone doesn’t want to pay what your creation is worth; instead, go out and find someone who does. (They’re out there, I promise!)
Best wishes in your selling journey!
P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment your questions, experiences, or tips below!