Jim Finn Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 I had a small sale today. In an out of the way place, and not a whole lot of shoppers, but I did manage to sell fourteen cedar boxes with images inlaid into the hinged lids. I also sold a custom order for two more. Not a whole lot of shoppers there but still well worth my effort. I only took boxes with me today because it was an inside sale with only two six foot tables to display my stuff. I left my wooden stars at home. I have only one more show scheduled this year but I am still looking for any others that may pop up nearby. WayneMahler, oneleggimp, tomsteve and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryEA Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Good news JIm, way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Sounds like a successful day Jim. I love the boxes you make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Congrats Jim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneMahler Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Congrats Jim Any day your in the black is a good day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 I had a small sale today. In an out of the way place, and not a whole lot of shoppers, but I did manage to sell fourteen cedar boxes with images inlaid into the hinged lids. I also sold a custom order for two more. Not a whole lot of shoppers there but still well worth my effort. I only took boxes with me today because it was an inside sale with only two six foot tables to display my stuff. I left my wooden stars at home. I have only one more show scheduled this year but I am still looking for any others that may pop up nearby. No sales pitch needed Your art work sells them selves! Good for you! :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatie Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Thats great Jim, happy for you. Marg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Scroller Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 The Great box sale Jim, always good to rein the pennies in. Roly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Finn Posted November 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Thanks for the kind words. There were eleven other vendors there and I know I out sold them all. Two of them were wood workers. Mostly rustic stuff, which is popular here in West Texas, I think. One guy had $100 items and one had a lot of over priced crosses, in my opinion. I have found it hard to sell $100 items at a craft show, at least it had been for me when I used to try. Mostly cash sales for me. only three credit sales this time. We were there for only four hours so all I brought with me were my boxes. One of the vendors there, is a friend of mine that I give my scrap images from my inlays. She uses them in some of her art work.(I am happy to help her get started doing sales like this). She is an artist and has finally figured out how to make smaller items in the $20 range. She had a good day also. Over $200 she said. My wife had a fairly good day also, selling her crocheted items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatie Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 Sounds as if people were out to buy and not just look. :thumbs: Marg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted November 15, 2015 Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 Jim, I don't think it would be possible for you to have a bummer sale with the beautiful boxes you make. And your prices are outstanding too. You the man Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted November 15, 2015 Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 It sounds like you had a good sale. Your boxes will sell themselves you just have to go and collect the money's. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawdust1 Posted November 15, 2015 Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 Have you ever posted a picture of your boxes? You have great compliments on your boxes and was wondering what they looked like. Glad you did well at show. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Smith Posted November 15, 2015 Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 I had a small sale today. In an out of the way place, and not a whole lot of shoppers, but I did manage to sell fourteen cedar boxes with images inlaid into the hinged lids. I also sold a custom order for two more. Not a whole lot of shoppers there but still well worth my effort. I only took boxes with me today because it was an inside sale with only two six foot tables to display my stuff. I left my wooden stars at home. I have only one more show scheduled this year but I am still looking for any others that may pop up nearby. The boxes are beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Finn Posted November 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 Thank you all for the kind comments. The reason I post like this is to encourage others to sell what they make. I am not here to brag. (much) <grin> Bob: here is a photo of some of my boxes on display at one of my twenty sales this summer. Travis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordster Posted November 15, 2015 Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 Way to go Jim...boxes look great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimW Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Wow, they are some real nice boxes Jim. You have a nice display also, no wonder you made those sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Nice boxes . how do you figure the prices.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Finn Posted November 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Prices? Experience ,trial and error. Seven years ago I started ,making small boxes from scraps I had. I sold those plain boxes for $5. Then I started making larger ones with hinged lids for $8 and I applied some cutouts to the surface. I had success selling all of them so I got more serious in the manufacture of boxes and tried putting inlaid images on the lids. I started charging $14 for these boxes and still sold a ton of them. I then got a credit card machine and sold even more. All along a friend of mine kept telling me to charge $20 but I resisted. He suggested that I just try it with a few. They sold just as fast as the $14 ones did. Trial and error led me to this$20 price. If I were in a more affluent area I might get more for my boxes. I have about $2 in total materials in a box that takes me two hours to complete ready for sale. I make them 10-20 at a time. Even with my good sales numbers and relatively low price I still cannot sell them as fast as I can make them. This is why I keep trying other items to make I have plenty of time to experiment. I spend 30-40 hours a week in my work/play shop. My selling season is almost over and I have about 200 boxes made and ready to sell. Almost enough for all of next year. Bfreeman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 I have a sale today and then 3 more I don't know if I will have enough for 3 more sales, My experiences this year is $450 and I have sold $600 so i am good I have about $700 to sell at 4 shows I have gathered up every thing I could sell and I do have about 2 weeks to work in the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvickers Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 (edited) Jim I'm a newbie to the group and pretty much a newbie to wood working. But I'm excited about your story. BTW I was once from that area Idalou and Petersburg is where my grandparents lived and I still have cousins in Lubbock so I'm very aware of your local economy. I appreciate your comments about your pricing but where do you purchase your cedar and other materials to keep your cost to $2.00 per box ? Another question have you ever done anything with mesquite? There seems to be an abundance of that I get from my families ranches outside of Dickens. Thanks for any guidance, David Edited December 21, 2015 by dvickers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Finn Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 dvickers; I get my cedar in Sanger TX at "woods of misson sawmill". It is about 20 miles north of Denton. They do not always have it there so I call ahead before making the five hour drive. I buy it by the truckload. I fill my pick-up with their culls and seconds (1"x6"x96") about once every 9-10 months. I have to cut around some flaws but I get the cedar at a discount that way. I just make small items so this is not a problem for me. I resaw all the 1"x6" x96" rough cedar to 1/2 a board and plane to 3/8". when I have some that comes out a bit thinner I use it for bottoms of my boxes where it does not matter. My boxes use 6"x8" x3/8" top and bottom and 1 3/4" X 3/8" for the sides. This uses about 1/3 of a board foot/box . Hinges and screws I buy by the thousand, or more, so they cost me $.40 per box .http://craft-inc.myshopify.com/products/l262-largel-decorative-hinge is where I get them About $.50 for inlayed basswood or maple (Bought locally). A little for glue and finish brings my cost to about $2. Even double that ($4) would be ok. I am not trying to earn a living doing woodwork. I am just funding my hobby. The little mesquite I run into I have used as an inlay material. If I had more I would make the boxes of it. It is sure a pretty wood and folks here like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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