http://theplace4moms.com/handmade-crocheted/
How to Sell Your Handmade Crocheted Items?
All crochet enthusiasts,
It doesn’t take much time for a crocheter to have a collection of all those handmade crocheted items. There are only so many that can be used for gifting or for personal use. You can’t keep gifting crocheted articles to the same person again and again, unless what you crochet every time is really exquisite.
It’s not surprising then that in no time, crocheters’ cupboards, drawers, storage areas and homes start overflowing with crocheted items. Spouse and kids too start complaining of seeing everything crocheted all over the place. Why not put them up for sale, and make some money and name? Family members too will stop bickering and start appreciating your revenue generating abilities. But where do you begin?
Follow the guidelines below to find an outlet for your creations:
• Be excellent at what you crochet. Even if you crochet only placemats, avoid cutting corners. People prefer to buy quality products. Don’t you? So why offer poor quality stuff? Make sure, what you crochet is tasteful, sturdy, useful, durable and well finished without any frazzled yarn ends or frayed edges of the lining peeping out.
• Survey the market to determine the appropriate price for your goods. If you price your goods too low, they run the risk of being considered poor quality. Exorbitantly priced goods scare away many people. Know the price of similar goods available in the market. Work out the price based on money spent on supplies, time involved in crocheting and expenditure of other resources such as electricity.
Complexity of the pattern too is a deciding factor when working out the price. A simple afghan done in dc should be much more reasonably priced compared to a multicolored afghan crocheted in a flower motif.
Also factor in the type of platform when computing the price. A high-end store such as Macy’s will obviously call for a higher price tag, whereas selling the goods in a mall will require reasonable labeling.
Eventually, you should be comfortable with the price you associate with your crocheted products.
• Explore all avenues for “product placement”, just a fancy term for selling your goods. Contact your local yarn store, thrift store, needlecraft classes, craft fairs, crochet guilds, and any other similar associations. Start teaching the craft at community colleges or talk about it at the local radio station.
Guidelines about selling crocheted items in craft shows are given at http://www.ehow.com/how_2086529_sell-crochet-items-craft-show.html.
Make effective fliers (read marketing collateral or brochure) describing your skill, products and rates and use them to spread the word around through your family, relatives and friends. Never under estimate the power of word-of-mouth publicity.
Go online. Make your presence felt through a web page, which is just an online version of the flier. eBay is a great platform to sell goods online, especially if you want quick results without much fanfare. Those on a shoestring budget or just wanting to gauge the response without spending too many bucks on preparation should try doing the web page themselves. You can also take the help of someone known proficient in web hosting. Take professional help after getting established.
• Advertise aggressively. Remember, there are buyers of all kinds of products. All you have to do is find them. You have to take your products to prospective buyers. You have to inform them of the special features of your products. Do you promote green crochet by using 100% natural fiber yarn? May be you always deliver the goods on time? Or, you make custom patterns. Do you specialize in crocheting vintage patterns?
The point is to identify key features of your crocheted items and advertise about them. Exchange links with web sites such as:
http://www.amomswork.com/mompack
http://www.crochetnmore.com/123links3.htm
http://www.knitting-crochet.com/link/hanmadcraforsal.html
http://crochet.about.com
• Treat your customers with patience and utmost care.
• Be fair in your dealings and prompt in delivering the goods.
Selling crocheted items is akin to any other business. You will find way too many guidelines about running the business. Do what you feel is right and works for you. Perseverance, sincerity and dedication will help you establish a thriving business.
All the best.
About the Author
Amber Green, the author of this article has been a writer in a craft magazine for over 10 years. Now she keeps a blog and writes crochet related books and articles. Go to her blog to find out more free tips and techniques to liven up your crochet.
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