Dilemma....

[madcap328]

We have a slight dilemma... Too many job offers to choose from. I know, a dilemma so many people would love to have. I think we're having such a hard time deciding because we don't want to work for someone else. I make jewelry and I absolutely love it. We want to go to the flea markets and sell it full time. It's just so unpredictable. And all of the job offers requires weekend work that prevents us from doing both. How could we jump into the flea market scene?? Should we even try?? Should we just take the steady paycheck job and count our blessings? Could we survive on the road with our flea market sales?? We just don't know what to do or how to go about doing it... And we need to decide fast...<br />Any input/suggestions/comments/feedback would be greatly appreciated!!<br />Thank YOU!!<br /><br />Madcap328<br />Madcap328.wordpress.com

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Wish I had an answer.&nbsp;Maybe someone else will ck in that has been successful. Someone a while back mentioned they resold boxes at a flea market.

 

[Guest]

Hi folks...Great you have several offers of work...you are right...lots of folks would love that choice...lol<br /><br />Can your guy take a job and let you do your craft? Would that be enough cash while you built your business????<br /><br />If not....<br /><br />Speaking as an old phart....one who spent a couple chapters of his life as a silversmith/goldsmith/bench jeweler....I would probably vote to take one of the jobs...<br /><br />A couple things come to mind about making a living with jewelry...first it depends on what you mean by making jewelry. Most folks these days mean when they say they make jewelry is that they work with beads. That is nice and some make some very attractive jewelry with beads, the thing is that there are millions of people doing that. <br /><br /><br id="tinymce" class="mceContentBody " />The positive side of that is that it sells for pretty low $ and it may move at a fleamarket. My experience with fleamarkets is that people want a bargain and most are looking for old stuff. It is hard enough making a living through handcrafts and it is really tough selling to that crowd.<br /><br />Craft fairs are better and if you have something that really catches people's eye and is reasonably priced, you may do well with it. <br /><br />The most money I saw come over a guy's table at a craft fair was a guy in Alaska who made the "Alaskan Four" animals.....moose, bear, Dall sheep caribou...out of dog hair harvested from his dog team....they were cute and under $10 each and tourists were snapping them up....I sold a couple little silver pieces and he sold hundreds of his little toy animals...I barely made table rent....discouraging and I was trying to begin a business...LOL<br /><br />So...to my point finally...what if you took a job that you&nbsp; like, preferably one that will leave you some energy for your self and build up&nbsp; your inventory while you worked. Maybe open an Etsy account....I don't know much about Etsy although I have looked on there some and liked it....<br /><br />Maybe Katie Twoknives will step in as I know she makes a significant portion of her income through her fiber-arts and not only sells at fairs, rondezvous, etc. but she has an Etsy presence...<br /><br />I don't mean to discourage but in an economy like ours today...art and crafts really take a hit. One of my closest friends is a successful artist, a painter, who now is the night clerk at a local hotel since sales have fallen off so much. <br /><br />I don't think I would put all my eggs in the craft basket unless you are an accomplished jeweler with a good history of sales.<br /><br />I definitely think you should continue....just don't set yourself up to fail.<br /><br />Best of everything,<br />Bri

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Yea Bri, before the poopoo hit the fan a few years back, I had bidding wars on my raven and horse&nbsp;paintings and gourds on ebay. It was nothing to have 2 or 3 painting going out at 300+ dollars a month and I also had the galleries doing well for me.I had art in 4 galleries (all closed now due to the economy). I have had to adjust to making smaller items that take little time. As wonderful as we artists are <img src="/images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif" alt="" align="absMiddle" border="0" />, it is a luxury and people who were well off could buy it. There are fewer of those people left now.<br />I do think madcap may do better at art and craft fairs but hey, if they do good at flea markets, maybe its time we set up at some ourselves. Personally, I struggle to sell in the 16 to 32 dollar range.<br /><strong><span style="color: #ff00ff;">Dragonfly</span></strong>

 

[Guest]

That's too bad Dragonfly. I see that your paintings are nice. The other end of the spectrum is to VERY good at your craft or art, put enormous prices on it&nbsp; and sell to the rich folks....they have always patronized artists...and they always have money.<br /><br />I had to laugh one day when I was at a big RV dealer in Las Cruces...I was looking at an old ratty motorcycle tent trailer in the boneyard there but as I passed the sales guys up front, I asked about how the high price of fuel had affected the sales of motorhomes....the guy just laughed and said "hey, if you can afford one of these"....and he pointed at a high end diesel pusher...."you aren't going to be concerned about the price of diesel!" We had a good laugh...<img src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br />Bri

 

[twokniveskatie]

Bri has some very good points. I rarely sell a hat at any kind of flea market setting. I have sold them out of the van in parking lots and along the highway in the artsy Mendocino California area. I rarely sell my stuff at most craft shows either. I do excellently at a local organic farmers market that caters to residents of a local university town with a neighboring huge medical center. These folks think nothing of spending $40 or $50 bucks for a hat. not too many of those on the road, at least that I've been able to hook up with.&nbsp;<br /><br />Etsy is great! I haven't had my shop running for quite a while cause I had so many back orders. I hope to reopen it in a few months, definitely before I am on the road again, and have a bit of inventory. I still owe hats to Dick and David. Gotta do them first!<br /><br />I think making it at a flea market has a lot to do with the price point and the&nbsp;location, as well as the item. When I was in Utah, I went to a flea market at one of the ski resorts in Park City, and sold some pricey hats even though it was off-season. But, again, the clientele was rich. I remember Mike and Heidi finding a neat street fair type market in San Diego but the booth fee was exorbitant.&nbsp;<br /><br />One of the vandwellers members shared her experience of sitting at parks and beaches working on her sewing projects. She kept a basket of stuff for sale next to her. People would be interested and ask questions, and she would tell them items in basket were available for a suggested donation of $xx. She sold quite a bit that way, but discretely. I have done the same....people are curious to watch me spin or knit, and I often show kids how to spin. Then they buy something to remember it by. I sold a ton of Lucets that way.&nbsp;<br /><br />Sorry for the ramble. Hope that helps.&nbsp;<br /><br />

 

[madcap328]

Thanks for all the input!! We have opted to take a job for now and see how it goes in the future with the jewels. I was kinda afraid I'd get the response I did but that's why I asked here cuz I knew I'd get honest, been there done that, responses. Hopefully it'll be in our future...someday...<br />Thanks again!!<br /><br />madcap328.wordpress.com

 

[Guest]

Good choice and the best in the future as you live and grow....<br />Bri

 

[twokniveskatie]

You may want to consider opening an etsy shop and get some of your work out there, maybe make a few bucks on the side, possibly grow a business that way.&nbsp;

 

[lampliter]

If you make and sell crafts; there's a website called festivalnet.com.<br />The basic membership is free.<br />It gives the location of craft shows.