Sell your products or service on a Custom Woodworking auction

[TerryT]

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[dougmsbbs]

I would have to say I'm interested, curious, and just a little bit skeptical.

How would this be better than Ebay? Of course, as large as Ebay is it's easy for your item to get lost in the crowd. So I would guess that if you could get the word out that it's THE place for wood carvings you'll not find anywhere else it just may work. You'll be faced with the problem of getting large enough to get enough eyeballs to make it worth while, and not having the money to advertise to grow large enough to pay for it all.

Other sites that cater to crafts and one of a kind items, like Etsy.com, have that problem. Typically, you have to leave items up for some time, often months, before they are sold. But they also get higher prices than you normally see on Ebay, sometimes considerably so..

Hmmm....

Just might have to give it a shot! What can it hurt, right?

[dougmsbbs]

No, no, Terry! I was not saying anything but I'm a bit skeptical that we could get enough people to the site. If I implied anything else, I'm very sorry! Never meant to criticize you or the idea.

One place where people could go to for woodcrafts is a great idea, if, as you said, we could get people there. If you go ahead with it, I'm thinking about listing a couple of my wood mugs. If they sell, fine. If not, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

But you're right, you need items listed to give people a reason to go there. No items, no people. No people, no sales.

[cestout]

Questions. How would the money - payments - be handled? How about shipping? Sounds like a good idea - not to get lost in a gigantic site. Only people looking for this kind of stuff would be there, and if they were looking for this kind of stuff, they would know where to go.
Clint

[ktjwilliams]

Sounds very interesting !! Could make a couple extra sales,, and if not,, Oh well and move on... My e-mail is ktj.williams@verizon.net ... When it gets off the ground give me a heads-up...

[Digitalwoodshop]

Sad to say except for a few niche markets like signs and a few high end projects there is not much of a market for this stuff now. I am giving up the Craft stuff for the year or longer and I am in Tourist County.... There is little tolerance for craft stuff in the average visitor in my area from NYC or Philly. The cost of GAS alone is kicking most of the businesses here in the butt.... Many are seeing the effects in smaller purchases and less customers. Restaurants are taking the hit here big time... People are opting to make meals at home....

What is really going on here is that we have all the greatest Ice Sculpture and Ice Cube makers here and you are asking them to pull together to sell Ice in Alaska.... in the Winter.... Sad, that is how I see it.... WE applaud your efforts to pull us together for a money making adventure. Unfortunately now is not the time....

No need to get angry because Ice is not selling in Alaska in the winter....

Thanks for your effort.

AL

[gregsolano]

I would post some items but lately I can't make them fast enough. No I am not getting rich but since I work full time and CW is my hobby I can only devote about 8 hours a week to carving. I have sold several items and referrals have kept me busy ever since. All simple stuff, clocks, benches, Candle's and religious stuff. Average charge per item $40-50. I am at least paying for the investment in the CW a few months ago and getting to do my hobby for a small profit. I am probably under charging but making about $15 an hour so I am ok with that for now. If I get a few extra things made I will put them up on the auction site just to help it get off the ground. Right now I have nothing made, several items in need of sanding and finishing but they are sold.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Well, you might be right Al, infact you probably are. The economy went to crap and things are bad. That's when you have to try the hardest, not give up. I know a couple of people that are staying pretty busy doing signs and stuff. You just have to change your marketing strategy.


Yes, signs are a very strong point for the CW... I now have 14 to do for the development where I make signs for Home Owners, The Office for new Homes, and the Realtor that gives them for a house warming gift with HIS logo on them. I charge him $50.00 each Wholesale but don't make much money from them considering I paint them 3 times after primer between the base coat then the letters 3 times. I charge $85.00 Retail plus $10.00 per pattern usually 2 bears. Plus I install and offer posts.

I just delivered the KUHN cut out sign letter job today... They will mount them to the building after painting. If I were to do them again I would skip the CW... It did a really nice job.... But I also ran the letters out in Corel Draw on my Vinyl Plotter with paper and a pen rather than a knife. They can use the scaled print out to arrange the letters for mounting. To do it next time, I would cut the vinyl letters and stick them on a piece of PVC Board and with a Scroll Saw or Jig Saw cut them by hand and sand them. It would have taken about the same time...

Then there is the $3K in Fire Tags behind me that I need to print..... And about a dozen Accountability Boards.....

Have been working with my buddy on Marketing and have been cleaning up my Website. I deleted a few old pages.... Imagine my shock when I ran the weekly "Accountability Tag" search in Images and Websites and found that the first 4 finds for MY tags now had the 404 Broken Link Error.... I had Deleted the very same images that had been responsible for bringing 98% of my business to me in a Search....

I quickly fixed that and added the pages back but at the bottom just so they work.... I was Physically ILL that night leaving the shop knowing that I had SHOT MYSELF IN THE FOOT..... Deleting the pages.... I was very happy to get them working again the next day....

Plus I have another PVC sign to do for a new Township Play Ground..... LOTS of WORK..... I visited my Craft Stuff at this KUHN store that has been there since last August with Zero Sales....

Time is money.... The first few years I spent many long hours with the Craft Stuff and made very little money for my time but I kept going as it kept the lights on in the shop.... Bearley... I had the least loss in the business last year ever and will for the first time this year post a profit for the year IF things keep going as well as they have.... When you throw in the 5 and 7 year equipment depreciation, Material and Marketing Cost, Lights, Heat, Phone.... It all adds up and running it as a full up business, I know the number in income for the year that when I reach it, I need to start sending 30% of what I make each Quarter for Taxes.... That number is soon approching...

Granted, the Service Fees for the Wood Wisdom Auction would be a Expense item for me as will be Commission Checks that I offer anyone that is willing to push my items as a Factory Direct Independent Contractor Salesman.... A big word for No Benefits and you get paid only AFTER the Sale a Commission and After $300.00 in paid Commission you now start paying 30% of that in TAXES.... Because for ME to Claim it makes a paper trail to YOU.... Now for the Hobbiest.... I believe that you can make up to $2K in Craft Hobby Sales before you need to pay Uncle Sam.... Don't Quote me on that..... Then on the Sales side.... You need to collect and pay Sales Tax.... When was the last time you had a Craft Show person say.... Plus Sales Tax.... Well, I know 10 miles away on the other side of the Delaware River in New York State the Sales Tax Police or what ever they are called did visit a Eagle Fest type Craft Show looking for Sales Tax Certificates.... I gave up my NY Sales Tax and don't do shows there anymore. NY Nags you for Tax and fine you $50.00 for late returns even if Zero is due.... I will stick to PA..... I even passed up on a Fire Show in New Jersey as I don't have a NJ Tax ID... And Boots on the Ground at a show displaying products you are required to have a Tax ID.... Then there is PA USE TAX.... Lets say I bought a $200.00 Laptop computer on eBay to replace one in my business that Smoked.... When I pay my next Sales Tax Collected for my Business I will need to also add $12.00 to the USE TAX for this cycle to pay the 6% Tax that PA lost out on for my Internet Purchase for the Business..... Same with a Nail Gun I bought for the Business on eBay.... Every item that I purchase needs to be recorded and evaluated as to do I need to pay Use Tax.... Use Tax is not new... It has been around for years.... It is with the proliferation of the easy purchase on the Internet and States paying closer attention to lost sources of revenue.

So many Rules.... so little time....

AL

[henry1]

Can you show a picture of your signs would love to see them if you can
Henry

[henry1]

Just went to your website and seen what you were doing great stuff

[jaroot]

Thought I'd give it a try but can't seem to get past the username/password. I get logged in and then attempt to place an item up for auction then do a "preview" of the item and the program says that I've entered the wrong log on info.