Auctions, E-Bay, Others

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

OK lets try to wake this crowd up. I am looking to sell my wares some other way than craft fairs because I think this is going the way of bell bottomed pants yet I hear they are making a comeback. How else do you people sell your items and does it do well. If it does what makes it so. Has anyone done on-line auctions other than ebay??? Has anyone done these on-line malls?? If so how well does it do and what are the secrets?? I know people have their own web sites does this do well and how do you go about advertising your site???

Now there are no secrets that can't be shared right?? So let us get a topic on this going and help each other out. What do you all say??

[Woodbutcher68]

A lot of the shows around here are going juried to get rid of the imported "crafts". I don't have time for a website or online auctions.
I have some of my works in a local craft store. They charge me 20% commission or I could rent a space for $50.00/ month. I also have some bottle stoppers in two local wineries, again I give them 20%, so I marked my prices up another 33%.
I was approached at a show last weekend to put some items in the gift shop of the Northern Indiana Arts Association. They asked me what I wanted for each item and they mark it up 40%.
I'm thinking about putting bottlestoppers in some of the better liquor stores. There are also a couple of unique gift shops around.

[Servcman]

I have sold some items on commision to locally owned specialty shops. The outdoor type photo frames seem to go good at deer and turkey check in stations and there is one shop that specializes in native american items that has done me real good. The best place I found though was at work. Now we are not allowed to solicitate at work and I found this avenue quite by accident. My toolbox is 54" long and 30" deep and on the top lid along with the photos of my kids and dogs I started bringing in pieces of work and velcoing them to the inside of the lid. I started doing this just to put something different in my box then everyone else had, with the plans on rotating the items every 3 weeks or so. Well one thing lead to another and now it seems I have to put something new on there once every 2 weeks as people started coming up to me and asking if I would like to sell it. Now that Christmas time is here I have a hard time keeping anything there at all. I think it hit on the general blue collar type person that appreciates the handcrafted items but does not go out into stores or craft showsto look for them. Last year I sold over 50 Christmas ornaments and this year through word of mouth from those who bought previously I went well over 200 and had to start turning orders away. The pens also seem to be big this year I had about 15 turned and am down to 3 left. Of course I knocked some off the price I had seen others and myself put on items at craft shows but I think even at full price they wold sell.
Dennis