How to Sell Crafts
Online and Offline

Home > Sell Crafts Online, Offline

How to Sell Crafts Online and Offline

By M. Kaye Hash

Selling arts and crafts online or offline can be a wonderful way to begin a home based business and to make some extra cash. There are many ways to sell arts and crafts whether on the internet or at places such as arts and crafts shows. It is important to learn the pros and cons of each to make a decision that will make the best business sense.

Arts and crafts shows are probably the most common place to sell crafts offline. Craft shows can be found in every state and most likely will be found nearby. Craft shows can be an expensive way to begin a home based business. A large quantity of products need to be made for shows because there is nothing worse than having a craft booth with ten items, unless of course it is the last day of the show and all of the other products have already sold.

Another way in which a craft show needs more start up cash than other avenues of selling arts and crafts online is due the cost of booth rental. While this is generally less expensive than the supplies to produce a craft, it can vary based on the size of the craft show, as well as the size and location of the booth at the craft show.

Flea markets are similar to arts and crafts shows but may be better for some people. Instead of renting a large booth to hold your crafts and having to sit at the booth for two or three days, a flea market allows a crafter to set up a booth, walk away and wait for someone else to collect the money. Flea market booths can be just as, or more expensive than craft shows but a crafter generally receives a booth for a month as opposed to a weekend and a much smaller booth, such as a shelf or two, can be rented instead of a ten foot square spot.

The difference between an arts and crafts show and a flea market can mostly be seen in the type of customer shopping the booths. The customer at an arts and crafts show is specifically there to shop for crafts while those at a flea market may also be looking for vintage or antiques. It is important to know the customer base when beginning a small business to gage what the monetary expectations should be. It may be that some people will find that three weekend craft shows a week will net the same as another who uses a flea market year round.

For a crafter who would like to see if their craft will sell but does not have the start up cash for a crafts show or a flea market booth then selling arts and crafts online may be the best choice. While craft shows take time and money to get started, a crafter can begin selling online with just one item.

The website chosen can make or break the crafters ability to sell arts and crafts online. One site may make one person a regular income while another never makes them a single sale. It is a good idea to try one or two websites or products on each site before giving up.

Before a crafter begins to sell arts and crafts online a little research can save a great amount of time and money. Different sites have different fees as well as often having a different customer base. All of these can impact a crafter’s sales. Also, a crafter should shop each site that they may use. A crafter should enjoy using the site they wish to sell on and make sure it is easy to navigate. If a site is unattractive or difficult to use for the crafter then it is likely that a customer will feel the same way.

There are numerous options online for those wishing to sell their arts and crafts. Some sites are constructed as online auctions while others are there to sell a crafter’s product at a set price. Each crafter should research the fees and style of each website to see which fits their business budget and the best. Some crafters may find that their product sells for more at an auction than with a set price while others may find that the opposite is true.

Another online option that may work for those who are a bit more technically savvy is to open an individual website or blog. This gives the crafter complete control and, though they have to pay for website fees such as hosting, they do not have to pay fees to sell their product. This is best for someone who already has a large customer base set up and not for those just starting out due to the amounts of traffic a larger site will receive.

Each crafter will have to test the waters to decide whether selling online or offline will work for them but with some research, trial and error, and patience, it is possible to start a viable arts and crafts business.

Next Article: Selling Crafts Online: Introducing Etsy

Infinite Freedom

My prayer is for a world so safe and abundant...
where all who love to sew are free to sew...
where all have the resources they need to sew...
and no strife or war can touch anyone who wants to sew.

Copyright 1997-2010 Infinite Freedom
www.infinitefreedom.com
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Map of Doll, Furniture Pattern Books
Map of Individual Doll Patterns | Map of Dolls, Ready-Made Clothes
Map of Patterns for Girls, Ladies | Map of Baby Quilt Books and Booklets
Map of Indidividual Quilt Patterns | Map of Miscellaneous Website Pages