The ky crafted (the market)

[genek]

Today was the last day of wholesale. I got to meet a fellow shopbotter who drove up to see the show. Our sales are about normal we have had a great two days of wholesales, and are ready for the two days of retail... Here are some photo's of our booth... If you are close drop in and see us.:)

[chiloquinruss]

I'd be really interested in what response you get from the doll house. I have two orders pending and I'm trying NOT to do the job because I'm sure they will be upset when I give them the final price! :) Anyhow, nice looking assortment of goodies. Do you also try and take orders on custom jobs as well at the shows? Russ

[myxpykalix]

Russ,
I have seen some doll houses set up for laser cutting like the one pictured that you could buy the patterns and just cut with the bot, and besides isn't your specialty making small houses?:D

Eugene nice booth. It looks like you have some turned objects also? Isn't it a good idea that you take a whole bunch of stuff so that even if you sell alot you won't look like you are low on stock? Good job and good luck let us know how you do as that might be a good indicator for others who may want to do some craft shows.

[genek]

Russ. The doll houses move slow... That is actually my wife's. We use it for shows i charge 125.00 just for the kit and 175.00 wholesale put together. These price are whole sale only... If i retail them the price is double...

Jack yes i have several turned items . I turn them on a dublication lathe.
I take enough to sale retail for two days. I also have stock under the tables and behind the curtian. Normally during retail days we see about 1,000 people in our booth at times we are backed out into the hall wih people waiting to buy itmes. During retail days i have 2 to 4 other people there helping just with sales.
Some of the turned items are spoons, tasting, dipping, pasta, and drain spoons.. They are turned on the lathe split WITH THE BAND SAW and dipped out with the cnc.\ this is one of the place i should have been using the cnc a long time ago...like i said in an earlier post.. I could kick my self in the rear for sitting on the cnc and not using it... It has cut my work time and load down to about a 1/3 of what it used to be.
Thanks for the comments.
I am hoping to win best booth this year.

[chiloquinruss]

Eugene, Jack,

The pricing for a GOOD dollhouse is very subjective and I'm very glad you are getting at least those kinds of prices. The pricing problem is like the Ikea furniture, the market is so diluted by the laser guys and their $59 doll houses. The last one I did I was lucky and got $250 and at that price it was not a money maker! The live steam hobby buildings I do run from $500 and up so there is a litlle money in them. The dollhouse stuff I do is by special request, I do NOT go out and seek that business. It is usually the wife or daughter of a fellow live steam hobbiest. Thanks again for the reply. Russ

[wmcghee]

I had the opportunity to go up to the show and meet Eugene. He had some really neat items and they were priced right. I spent a few minutes with him at his booth, and from what I saw his was the busiest booth there by far. I wish I could have talked longer to him but he kept getting pulled away by nagging customers;). I took a few of his items but he wouldn't take any money for them.

[genek]

Mr. Mcghee; today made yesturday look like it was totally dead... I had to call my mother and father in law to come and help... We sold out of all of the cutting boards and i will be luckY to have enough of the other items to get me half way through tomorrow.... We had all of our baskets full on start of the show, and boxes of each ready to replish with on the 2nd day.. We sold so much that now we do not have but half baskets and no reserve to pull from. We saw over 4,000 people from 10 am this morning till 8 p.m. Tonight... The ky crafted market people informed us at 2 today that they had already sold as many tickets as they had sold last year for all four days.... There was times that we were two deep and backed up down the isle five to ten dowm the isle..... This is the biggest crouwd that i have seen in the past 2 years...we picked up over 5 new comerical accounts (which is what i like) today alone...
I hope that this is going to be the norm for this year on all of our sales...\ the show was not free it cost 10.00 each to get in just to buy our product.. to set up it cost me over 1,200.00 to be able to set up ...this is booth, my lost time of production and decorations ect. i figure in on my booth cost my lost time of production... i currently ship to 14 states and i could be making products to ship during these shows i am losing time.

russ i know what you mean about the laser people.... I would prefer to get 250.00 wholesale for un=assembled and 350.00 for assembled... But the jokers that do not know how to price and price to low hurts us all. They do not take into account that at sometime the equipment will need to be worked on or replaced. And when they price that low they end up going out of business. I price material times 2 plus labor plus 20 percent overhead on all my product that i do not have to lower to be close to someone that does not know how to price. I can not get some of my competion to see yes you can make something for dbl your cost.. But that does not allow for mistakes, repaire of equipment your electricity. Ect... We are not carpenters that does not have a brick and morter building to maintain and equipment that cost thousands of dollors... Some of my cnc bits cost more than one or two of a carpenters tools...
I think everyone who is going into business needs to learn how to price first.. Then start his business latter.
I will not lower my price to the point where i am to marginal to make money.. I drop that line untill that person goes out of business.. Then bring it back after it has gone dead .... Each year i come up with new things to make and drop items that i have been copied in until it has died back down to where i can get what i need out of it... We should not be giving our work and time away for free. This is not a hoppy for me...
Thanks for bringing that point up.

[Ajcoholic]

Business is a funny thing. Having taken over the family woodworking business when I was in my early 20's (I am 41 now) I have learned a lot about trying to deliver a higher end/higher quality product then what is normally seen.

The thing you have to do, is set your prices at a point where you have ALL your expenses paid, your material is making you money and youre putting a fair wage into your pocket.

If someone else is undercutting you - stand your ground. You can't lower your prices, to a point where your business is not able to function. Just can't happen!

Use your product, and good honest salesmanship, and educate your potential customers why they should buy your stuff. SOme times it is many things that they dont see (like said tooling) that add to the cost, and I always try and educate people why things cost what they do.

Good luck in the future with your sales.

AJC

[myxpykalix]

Eugene,
It might be a sign that the economy is starting to come back or the realization that things will be changing for the better after November:eek:

What was your best selling item?

[genek]

Jack we totaly sold out of cutting boards... Took over 20 of each, then our next biggest movement was the flip flop tops... Took around 200 of them came home with 7... They sale at 3.00 each. I have .05 cents in each.
Sold the bistro table and stools.. Had a nursing school wanting pricing on 25 of the skeletons... Sold out of honey dippers. Had a order placed for 5,000 skittle pins. Another order of 300 honey dippers from a chain store. (by the way i was two timeS higher than a forigen made one, but the buyer from the store said that my product was made and looked much better than the import he was getting.... May be a sign that chain stores are coming back to american made. I do know that the same show last year. That this year we did more the first day than we did for the whole show last year. May be another sign not sure... Will be able to judge it more at our next big wholesale show.
A large chain that imports almost all of their product came through the show.. They took some pictures before i noticed them and could stop them. I hope they send that product over seas and have a few million made... I have applied for a patent. And have copyrighted the design... I will wait till they get every store pacKed with it before i let the attorney go after them...... I WILL TEACH THEM TO COPY AMERICAN MADE PRODUCTS AND SEND IT OT CHINA....To me that was rude i notified the show sponcers and i am not sure what they told them.. But i do know they left shortly after that.

WE PICKED UP OVER 10 NEW WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS, WILL NOT KNOW WHAT THE TRUE TOTAL IS TILL I LOG PRODUCT BACK INTO THE WAREHOUSE.. WHEN I DO A SHOW. I RUN A INVOICE OF ITEMS I TAKE. AND AFTER THE SHOW REMOVE THE UN SOLD PRODUCT ... THIS GIVES ME THE TRUE COUNT.. I DO NOT TAKE THAT LIST WITH ME.. WILL BE FRIDAY BEFORE I GET THE FULL TOTAL...

[myxpykalix]

I would be interested to see your grand total! That's encouraging.

If the guy was serious about copying your product all they would have to do is buy one taker it home and take a picture, so there isn't much you could do there.
What the heck is a "flip flop top"? I think i know...you turn it on the lathe and because of the way its made it flips over and spins on its stem? I have seen others make those in our woodturning club.
I'm happy for you that you had a good show:D

[genek]

your are right about the flip flop top... on the other if they copy me and it is close i can burn them alive.. i have a copyright on the design and i have applied for the patent. on it... this is not a routine item... over seas i can not do anything but state side i can make them pull all the product and pay me rolity on what has sold...
and i will burn them if they do..