Phone stand

[Jim Finn]

After getting the idea from this forum, I made my first phone stand and after showing it to my friend he wanted it.  I gave it to him and am working on more.  Made of 3/8" cedar.

[meflick]

I like that one Jim. Can I ask what price you plan to sell them for? I know @Denny Knappen also made some and put in his shop As well. Maybe he can share what he is selling them for as well. What I have seen online, they sell for $20-$25 (or listed for that anyway. )

I bought both  the sets from online and showed them here before. Enjoyed making them and then started designing my own. I need to get photos of them to share. I have given several away, and people always ask about them. I keep tossing around idea of trying to sell some or not. considering an Etsy shop. Kevin, @kmmcraftshas planted the seed. Just trying to decide if I really want to go there. also, trying to decide exactly what I would sell in shop. I also do other craft type items and tossing around ideas in my head. Need to decide and “get off the pot” as my dad used to say. It’s the whole shipping that keeps me hesitant. Maybe some of you guys who ship can give some helpful info.on that. I was considering starting with a local show this Fall at a college homecoming and talking to a local store that sells handmade items and going from there. Just need to take the plunge.

[daveww1]

very nice job

[kmmcrafts]

Nice phone stand,  I like the design better on these than the tablet stands I used to make.. Though the ones I made was collapsible for two reasons I can think of is.. easier shipping and easier for people to pack and take on a vacation.. Just a thought for those that maybe try to sell these... toy around with a design to make it compact.. The phone ones are not nearly as large as the tablet ones I had made in the past.. I got my tablet designs from Steve Good.. I stopped selling them because I had issues getting them to sit level.. either the board was cupped or my cutting was off.. and I didn't want to sell a teeter totter, LOL  I would think the phone stand being smaller in size might make it easier to make with the collapsible style..   

Melanie, @meflick If you start a etsy shop this is a good time of the year to get in on it.. the holiday shopping will be kicking up and usually an uptick in sales start once the back to school stuff is done and summer vacations stop taking up everyone's extra cash.. Then all heck breaks loose the week of Thanksgiving and hold on from there to the years end... Don't ponder too much longer,  People that start selling during the off season get discouraged and many leave.. especially for the new shops that haven't built up a following yet.. it'll be crickets for most shops during the off season for the first few years.. Lot's of shops are only open in the fall.. then they let their stuff expire until next season.. How big are these? I could maybe give some shipping tips.. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

If you check out the Business forum here you may find useful info if starting a business. I think Kevin and I have given some useful thoughts and he more-so he because he does the online thing. Here is a topic I started some time ago about shipping. Will tell you this, if you are going to do it do not go at it half-hearted. Go all the way or you will lose interest real fast because sales will not be there. Put the effort into it and reap the rewards. 

https://www.scrollsawvillage.com/forums/topic/34397-shipping/

[Denny Knappen]

4 hours ago, meflick said:

I like that one Jim. Can I ask what price you plan to sell them for? I know @Denny Knappen also made some and put in his shop As well. Maybe he can share what he is selling them for as well. What I have seen online, they sell for $20-$25 (or listed for that anyway. )

I bought both  the sets from online and showed them here before. Enjoyed making them and then started designing my own. I need to get photos of them to share. I have given several away, and people always ask about them. I keep tossing around idea of trying to sell some or not. considering an Etsy shop. Kevin, @kmmcraftshas planted the seed. Just trying to decide if I really want to go there. also, trying to decide exactly what I would sell in shop. I also do other craft type items and tossing around ideas in my head. Need to decide and “get off the pot” as my dad used to say. It’s the whole shipping that keeps me hesitant. Maybe some of you guys who ship can give some helpful info.on that. I was considering starting with a local show this Fall at a college homecoming and talking to a local store that sells handmade items and going from there. Just need to take the plunge.

Melanie, I have them listed for $15.  Maybe thirty minutes to complete and use up scraps.

[meflick]

Thanks guys Kevin, John, and Denny for input. I have about 40-50 cut of different things. I have given a few of them away. Some from scrollersonline patterns, some I developed myself. I posted some of the ones I did previously from scrollersonline patterns but hadn’t shown the ones I developed as I was trying to decide about giving the patterns away or trying a shop. I will try to post photos of those later. Nothing extraordinary about them - just silhouettes of animals and couple other ideas I had.  Still need to get them all photographed. John, I have been following those threads and discussions in the  business sub-forum and appreciate all that everyone has shared there. Kevin, size wise, they vary a little but roughly the bases are no more than 5” x 3-4” and  generally under 5”. I have some with square/rectangular bases and some with oval bases.

[Jim Finn]

Thanks for the kind comments and input.  T As to price: I live in a low income and low cost of living area and I sell at our local farmers market, so the price needs to be low in order to sell. The wood is scraps, so no cost there. I can make this in about six minutes. I plan to offer it for $6. It is well worth $10 though. I sell all my stuff pretty cheap in order to move a lot of it. This means I get to do my self funding hobby and don’t need to just burn the stuff I make. I spend about forty hours a week in my workshop so I go through a lot of wood. Much of what I make I give away. (Toys for local hospitals and other charities) Some of the other phone holders I am making, I am using images already made by me when doing inlays. I have been giving/throwing away those so this is another way to use them.

[meflick]

Jim, thanks for sharing. I understand about the low income and low cost of living BUT since you are just starting to offer them, try the $10 each first and see how they sell. If they don’t right away, you can then drop your price. While I know you sell what little you do sell to pay for your hobby and the wood for the projects, $10 is still a steal of a deal and I would think no one question that price.

[kmmcrafts]

Curiosity got me so I bought a cat and the owl patterns from Sue Mey.. Just going to make these for my daughter as she is moving into her dorm in a couple weeks..  Gluing up the cat one right now... Not a bad little project and some good use for scraps..  

[Jim Finn]

1 hour ago, meflick said:

Jim, thanks for sharing. I understand about the low income and low cost of living BUT since you are just starting to offer them, try the $10 each first and see how they sell. If they don’t right away, you can then drop your price. While I know you sell what little you do sell to pay for your hobby and the wood for the projects, $10 is still a steal of a deal and I would think no one question that price.

Lets  see...,  at making ten  per hour at $10 each would mean $100 per hour to glue a few pieces of wood together...  Sound fair?

[meflick]

2 hours ago, Jim Finn said:

Lets  see...,  at making ten  per hour at $10 each would mean $100 per hour to glue a few pieces of wood together...  Sound fair?

Yes, it seems fair because it’s not just gluing them up, it’s cutting them out, sanding before or after, applying the finish and more. I have looked at these in various places, $10 is about half or less of what I see them selling for. Denny said he is selling them for $15 and they are selling. Sometimes you make more on some things then others which helps to balance out the books at the end.  There are plenty of things sold for alot more then the “cost” to make them. I see nothing wrong with charging what the market will pay and I think most would think $10 was still a “deal.”

[Jim Finn]

I have altered the stand a bit in order to be able to charge the phone while in the stand.

[rjweb]

Jim smart thinking, RJ 

[oldhudson]

Nice project. I think the cedar works really well with the the Southwestern motif.

[meflick]

Nice addition Jim. I just turn my phone upside down so the charge cord is on the top.  

[Jim Finn]

On 8/8/2019 at 9:34 PM, meflick said:

Yes, it seems fair because it’s not just gluing them up, it’s cutting them out, sanding before or after, applying the finish and more. I have looked at these in various places, $10 is about half or less of what I see them selling for. Denny said he is selling them for $15 and they are selling. Sometimes you make more on some things then others which helps to balance out the books at the end.  There are plenty of things sold for alot more then the “cost” to make them. I see nothing wrong with charging what the market will pay and I think most would think $10 was still a “deal.”

OK,  You have convinced me.  I will try offering them for $10 and see how it goes.  Thanks.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

3 hours ago, Jim Finn said:

OK,  You have convinced me.  I will try offering them for $10 and see how it goes.  Thanks.

$10 is a very fair price for that. That is probably what I would start with too. Today's $10 is like yesterday's $5 There is more time in them than you think.  

[meflick]

3 hours ago, Jim Finn said:

OK,  You have convinced me.  I will try offering them for $10 and see how it goes.  Thanks.

Glad to hear.  I hope they sell well for you. Let us know.

[Jim Finn]

Offered  twelve of these phone stands for sale today for $10 and sold two.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

23 hours ago, Jim Finn said:

Offered  twelve of these phone stands for sale today for $10 and sold two.

Means absolutely nothing I am afraid. Could be not many people were looking for a phone stand. Who knows if you sold for $6 you would have sold 4. Would be $4 richer and 2 stands less. You will drive yourself crazy pricing things and trying to figure out potential customers especially at a show. Good luck with further sales. 

[meflick]

I wouldn’t call one day a successor failure for them at that price.

[kmmcrafts]

I agree with Melanie... When selling online ( I assume somewhat the same with events ) you cannot determine if something is a hit or not until you offer the product for a good 6 - 12 months.. It's my opinion that anything can and will sell at most any selling price... it's more about getting the item and the price point seen to the right group of people.. That part there is hard to do at events... but much easier with online selling to target a specific group..

Something folks selling at events could do is to show products off that you make online via social media, and message boards much like I do but you'd need to target a local area.. then mention you'll be at "******" event selling them if anyone has interest.. It's called self promoting.. You can't always count on the show organizers to bring you the right buyers for your products.. Just as you cannot expect the buyers to be already on Etsy or any other site waiting for your products either..

I may be wrong... but I doubt many event sellers help themselves and other sellers of events by promoting their items themselves.. I know that most people who try selling online do not so why would a seller of an event do it..             

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Again Kevin with the comparison of on line sales and show sales A show is as only as good as the sponsor. Advertising of the show can be done many more ways than years ago now with today's social media platforms. Years ago it was newspapers and fliers. But what happens is a show can get and make a name for itself and it becomes an event. Every crafter there has a hand in helping promote a show and getting the word out. Weather it is through self promoting or just overall promoting the fact there is a good craft show with lots of neat crafters. I guess on line selling is somewhat the same in that there are crafters of all genre and customers can browse from their homes. It takes the owner of the site to promote his site too. There is no way for either promoter to bring the right buyer to the site weather show or on line because who is to say the right buyer is. All you can do is promote what is available. You can not force someone to buy things. Promoter can not promote a particular seller but can promote various genre of what can be had such as woodworking, sewing, paintings and such. General categories.  It can be promoted with brand names if there are some that partake in shows or on-line sales at a site. 

But again I have to stress to you , the main difference between selling at a show and on line is twofold.The interaction with a real live person can not be duplicated on line!!!! Also the fact that the show is a one day or couple day event as with on line it is a 365 day 24 hour a day event. Means the world because of the eyes you have to see your product. People shopping at shows are mainly impulse buying. People on line are targeting shoppers. Big difference. 

People doing shows will many times have cards made up with the list of events they attend so that customers can make plans. This has been going on since the inception of shows. It works great if you do both shows and on line sales and that is the best of both worlds. Not many people do this because of the work involved. You have to remember many people do this as a hobby and not full time and if retired still do it as a hobby. Not many people are young and energetic to do all the work it takes to do both and hobbies are dying. 

Now I am not going to ruin another thread with going down the same path about differences between shows and online sales. But there are similarities but also some stark differences and leave it at that. 

As for Jim and his sales just chalk it up to another show and move on. As I said chasing that perfect price point is impossible. Chasing that perfect selling item is impossible. Chasing that best selling tactic is impossible. Be happy and enjoy what you are doing while you can and all else will fall into play. 

[rustynail]

On 8/10/2019 at 10:55 AM, Jim Finn said:

I have altered the stand a bit in order to be able to charge the phone while in the stand.

 

Jim I like the new design .... great job.