Online Store for NCWW?

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Rick M

New User
Rick
An online store has merit but you'd want to start small and scale up. Start off with maybe 2 or 3 products: coffee mugs and stickers are easy, take little space and are easy to ship. Later you can add t-shirts or embroidered golf shirts which take up more space. Then when all that is running smoothly, consider selling member contributed projects.
 

smallboat

smallboat
Corporate Member
I have no idea what the logistics would entail but I like the idea of a place where we can sell the items we make and share the proceeds with NCWW.

Interested to see where this thread goes.
 

thsb

New User
Tim
Have we ever had a one day event that included people selling things that they made? i would think it could be combined with an outreach event, food, etc... so that there are multiple benefits.

the sellers could designate how much of their sale would go to NCWW.

i would help plan something like that for durham if there was interest.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
Since we have an outreach event in Walnut Cove in May would that be a good time to have a small test for sales of donated items?
Walnut Cove and actually all of Stokes County is rather poor due to Tobacco decline, it was mostly poor farmers going way back.

If you can sell here you can sell anywhere.

I would suggest small items like jewelry boxes, cutting boards, simple bowls, shelves, toys, etc...
 

Rick M

New User
Rick
I can make some shirts, I already make the business cards and have the logo. I can even mail shirts. We'd just have to discuss the logistics.
-- Rick M
 

Jeremy Scuteri

Moderator
Jeremy
I can make some shirts, I already make the business cards and have the logo. I can even mail shirts. We'd just have to discuss the logistics.
-- Rick M

Awesome. Do you have your own screen printing equipment or are you referring to the design of the shirts?
 

Berta

Berta
Corporate Member
I am also thinking we could purchase cups, shirts, some stuff and bring it to the picnic for sale.
 

woodworkingshop.com

Coleman
User
Have we ever had a one day event that included people selling things that they made? i would think it could be combined with an outreach event, food, etc... so that there are multiple benefits.

the sellers could designate how much of their sale would go to NCWW.

i would help plan something like that for durham if there was interest.

Klingspor's Extravaganza in October can be a place to sell your handmade projects if you like. We are always looking for ways to expand the show and some of the carvers are already selling carvings. Just a thought!


Coleman
 

mayszs

New User
Zack
Has anyone considered using Amazon handmade?
I have an account, though I haven't set it up yet, but I know inventory stocking, packing and shipping can be done through Amazon's warehousing/distribution system.
 

CDPeters

Master of None
Chris
Coleman, thanks for that generous offer. We will work on making that happen.

Perhaps the board might consider having a person coordinate an NCWW sales table at the Extravaganza (and other similar events) who could receive items made by members who cannot attend but who have donated an item or items for sale to benefit NCWW.

I for one would be willing to donate one or more items for such an event to be sold - 100% of proceeds to benefit NCWW.

I get the sense this is the sort of thing that Mike had in mind when he suggested the concept of a store. NCWW "bling" might be a feasible part of a store, but then you have to deal with a vendor, worry about inventory etc. - not to mention the "margin" might be much thinner. Kinda like the Cafe Press thing - not a whole lot of return.

My $0.02 worth...
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
Yes, Chris. This is very much what I have in mind. Thank you for offering an item for the event.
 

Rick M

New User
Rick
not to mention the "margin" might be much thinner. Kinda like the Cafe Press thing - not a whole lot of return.

My $0.02 worth...

Best bet for merchandise might be to buy right before the picnic and sell it there.

Selling donated projects is a great idea if there is a plan on how, where, and to whom it will be sold (chest of drawers, ahem). I will happily donate something. I've never been to the Hickory Extravaganza but isn't it all woodworkers? What kind of things sell well there?
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
$2500 is a reasonable price for a chest of drawers. I think some people got overly excited and were hoping for too much more which dirtied the water.

I still count that as a success.
 

Rick M

New User
Rick
Wasn't trying to reopen old wounds. I believe the average consumer buys expensive things mostly because of the marketing around them and not because of the skill or time involved in making them. Sad but true.

Seems like people are up for doing this, so far we have ...

Online:
Two people volunteered to run an online store. Or there have been suggestions of Amazon Handmade and Etsy; the latter allows both handmade and merchandise. I think Amazon Handmade only allows handmade and there is an application involved. Etsy seems like an obvious choice to me. But you will still need to market it or things will sit in the store, costing money and not generating sales. The good thing is with lots of people involved, there should be lots of people helping promote it.

Offline suggestions:

Outreach at Walnut Cove: "jewelry boxes, cutting boards, simple bowls, shelves, toys, etc..." And there was a comment this is a poor county so things need to be priced accordingly.

Hickory Extravaganza: <what are the recommended products for this event?>
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
"No place to sell nothing we have that nobody will buy"

Just getting all the negative comments out of the way...
 

mayszs

New User
Zack
Wasn't trying to reopen old wounds. I believe the average consumer buys expensive things mostly because of the marketing around them and not because of the skill or time involved in making them. Sad but true.

Seems like people are up for doing this, so far we have ...

Online:
Two people volunteered to run an online store. Or there have been suggestions of Amazon Handmade and Etsy; the latter allows both handmade and merchandise. I think Amazon Handmade only allows handmade and there is an application involved. Etsy seems like an obvious choice to me. But you will still need to market it or things will sit in the store, costing money and not generating sales. The good thing is with lots of people involved, there should be lots of people helping promote it.

Offline suggestions:

Outreach at Walnut Cove: "jewelry boxes, cutting boards, simple bowls, shelves, toys, etc..." And there was a comment this is a poor county so things need to be priced accordingly.

Hickory Extravaganza: <what are="" the="" recommended="" products="" for="" this="" event?="">

WRT Amazon Handmade you are correct. The product must be handmade and thier is an application.
The advantage is that Amazon is fantastic as a virtual marketplace with a huge consumer base.
The application process was relatively simple focusing on the products you intend to sell and examples of similar work.
There isn't a need for a separate shopping cart or CC processing system.
Etsy really is a fantastic way to sell products as well but I preferred the restrictions on Amazon in that you aren't trying to compete with similar looking but mass produced items. </what>
 
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