How to Sell Your Craftssubmitted on 6 December 2013
An Article by UK Crafts Directory
Most people making hand-crafted items do it for the enjoyment, having found a hobby that suits them. Some people are happy to make their items and then keep them or else give them as presents, but other crafters want to sell them, and this article looks at ways of doing it.
There are numerous craft fairs around the country, mainly organised at a local level in village halls, community centres etc. by groups such as the WI, PTAs, and charity organisations, though some larger craft fairs are professionally organised. In most cases you will need to take a table to stand your products on, and whatever you need to display them at their best.
You may need to book your place in advance and pay a small fee. On arrival you will have time to get set up before the doors open to your prospective customers. You may find that there are other people selling similar items so make your stand look as good as you can. Also try to get talking to people looking at your stall. Many people enjoy selling at a craft fair and look forward to a day out while others find them an ordeal, especially if business is slow.
Depending on what you are trying to sell, you can approach local gift shops, boutiques and galleries and ask if they would be interested in selling your items on a commission basis. This makes their shop look better-stocked without them having to pay out in advance. However you must be happy with the shop and it's owner, and it is worth entering into a formal contract to ensure that you get paid.
You can sell your products on Etsy and Folksy, both of which are websites specialising in hand-crafted goods. Etsy is the larger of the two and is an American site which charges a listing fee of $0.20 USD, about 15 pence, for fourth months for each item advertised and takes commission of 3.5% on each sale. Folksy is the British version, and you can either pay a listing fee of 15 pence + vat for each item for 120 days or pay a one-off fee of £45 to list as many items as you want for a year. You will also be charged commission of 6% + vat on each sale.
You can also try selling online using E-bay, but you will be battling against a lot of other sellers and may have trouble getting found.
The final option is to open your own shop on the internet. You will have various fees to pay for your site and for hosting, which may be charged annually or monthly/quarterly, but will be able to advertise as many items as you like. It may take some time to get established and you will need to learn about search-engine optimisation and the various ways of getting your shop found, but you might enjoy the challenge.
The best way to sell your products is probably a combination of the above, using craft fairs to advertise your business and as an opportunity to give out cards with your website and Etsy/Folksy addresses. This is a way of keeping in touch with people who have purchased your items and perhaps making a sale to those who didn't buy from you on the day.
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