Market Analysis for Scroll Saw Projects popularity and profit

[Mike Crosa]

I receive a daily email from Steve Good and in todays email he presents an analysis of Scroll Saw items as to what is popular as well as a ton of information. I am not selling anything but found it fascinating and worth a read. the link is https://www.stevegood.com/growth.html

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Link does not work.

 

https://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/

Edited April 11 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[Mike Crosa]

IT DID NOT WORK FOR ME EITHER.  bUT IT WORKED YESTERDAY. Here is the link again.  https://www.stevedgood.com/growth.html if this doesn't work you can go to his blog and look up April 10th towards the bottom he has the link.

After posting, clicked on the link and it went to the the right place.

 

Edited April 11 by Mike Crosa
add info

[Bill WIlson]

I just scanned it briefly.  Interesting.  I wonder how the data was compiled?

[kmmcrafts]

1 hour ago, Bill WIlson said:

I just scanned it briefly.  Interesting.  I wonder how the data was compiled?

There are websites that you can go on that will show data like this and it's based off of sales per category etc. You can view any shop on etsy,amazon etc. and review the sellers most sold item or highest profit item since most sold doesn't mean highest profit etc.. even shows the monthly or yearly sales revenue etc.  You can even look up the data of page views per item etc. too.. Of course the site charges for a membership that isn't super cheap but it is nice to look to see how competitor shops are doing and maybe what is selling good and what isn't.. It can be mis-leading too because someone can really be paying all the profit back into advertising too so just because a shop is selling a crap ton of a certain item doesn't equate to you making the same thing and being able to even sell it, LOL

Anyway, it's possibly how the data for this is compiled or at least quite similar to this. 

[rjweb]

I would think that Steve used AI he seems to be into that big, RJ

[Mike Crosa]

I believe he did.

[Scrappile]

I was sort of surprised, toys did not rank higher.  I see a lot of them being built on different sights.  Maybe they are just on there way up.  

[DrPete]

I sure hope toys also are on the way up and people start making them.

There is nothing but plastic stuff that either breaks or doesn't engage brain.

I'll go for the engaging fun stuff made from good old mother nature every time.

[Wichman]

16 hours ago, Mike Crosa said:

IT DID NOT WORK FOR ME EITHER.  bUT IT WORKED YESTERDAY. Here is the link again.  https://www.stevedgood.com/growth.html if this doesn't work you can go to his blog and look up April 10th towards the bottom he has the link.

After posting, clicked on the link and it went to the the right place.

 

The first link doesn't have the d between Steve and good in the address. Some how it's a fake site. Can't be too careful these days.

[BadBob]

Apparently, no one bothers to read Steve's blog:

"A fair number of my readers either sell scroll saw craft items or would like to make some sales. I decided to do some research and try to determine the popular and profitable items sold over the last 5 years. I used Genspark AI to gather the data. It used sources like Etsy and other social media sites. It is a comprehensive analysis and gives a lot of detail, but there is also more to making sales than the numbers. From presentation to location, it all makes a difference. 

This report may not make you rich, but it can provide some useful information to help you start selling scroll saw crafts."

[barb.j.enders]

I read a fair bit of the article.  However, it never seems to correlate to what I notice in my market area.  I don't sell on any electronic platform.

[Mike Crosa]

I think with the over 100% tariff on China we may see an uptick on scroll sawn toys for sale.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

This is the idea of studys like that. They are geared toward the electronic platform as mentioned. They go by the Etsy and Ebay and other outlets that sell by way of mail. That is all well and good if that is your intentions too. But and found this to be true when I was sell at shows. You never know what will sell. One year an item maybe be big and the next not. Or go from one show to the next. I remember when things on a stick as I called them were the rage. You name it if it was on a stick and could be put in the ground or had a base it would sell. I watched as so called crafters made cut out items such as signs and all they were was a piece of flat wood painted with names or sayings painted on them. The next show you saw many people with the same stuff. I can mention a bunch of things like this. 

My thoughts are this. Make what you want. It will be more enjoyable. Try to make things that are not seen at shows all the time. I always tried to gear toward everyday life items and or job related items or sports items that people do for recreation. This way people can easily relate to those things. Also look at the area you are selling in, if it is a rural area or a country setting makes a difference. Is it a younger audience, or a charity type thing. You can not do that on web sites. You sell what you make and that is all. Again I have talked about being a good salesperson when dealing with people in front of you as opposed to posting photos and having your photos and description sell the item. I do not trust any of those surveys. You can have 5 people make toys and sell on line but one sells more. Why, maybe because their toys are more to the liking or the quality looks better but does that add to the numbers or take away from the total sales number according to those surveys. Many examples of things that sell depending on the market in that area. Take a scrollsawer and put him in a turners show and he will suffer and vise versa. I seen it many times. Also add the $$$$ as a reason for sales. This is the same thing as those lists in vendors catalogs as to prices of selling things they list. Maybe it will give you an idea of what is worth but will it really. Not all items are made the same with the same materials and things that carry the pricing. So beaware of those surveys. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

3 minutes ago, Mike Crosa said:

I think with the over 100% tariff on China we may see an uptick on scroll sawn toys for sale.

I do not thinks so at all because the toys I see woodworkers make or scrollers are too basic blocks of wood. They do not sell that. Unless you are talking wood blocks and things like that. They sell electronic toys that are big sellers. 

[kmmcrafts]

8 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

You can have 5 people make toys and sell on line but one sells more. Why, maybe because their toys are more to the liking or the quality looks better but does that add to the numbers or take away from the total sales number according to those surveys. 

Because selling on a venue such as Etsy where they get a percentage of the sale.. IF you and I had the same items listed and you sold some before I did Etsy will push the product that sold first up in the search so when people search for said item since you sold one and I didn't etsy will show your product over mine because your sold so people liked it more than mine.. This is why it's important to have good photos, and a title that people might search for to find said item. When putting a listing up it is good to really push that item with paid ads or getting a big social media following that might like to see the items you make so when you post on social sites they get interested and go to the link you posted.. IF a item gets a lot of page clicks also helps boost in the search.. Selling online used to be just list it and people would buy.. now days there is Soooo much stuff online selling that you compete more for the search rank than anything else.. once a item gets multiple sales it soon becomes ranked on the first page when someone searches.. Etsy will push items that sell to the top because showing things that sell is what makes their money.. Really hard to sell one off unique pieces on these sites like this..

Getting several orders on a particular item within the first few weeks is pretty important.. for getting Etsy and like sites to rank your item higher in the search results.. Most people when online shopping will only look 2-4 pages out of several pages for a item before they try searching using different phrases or words to find what they're looking for. 

Best way to describe this is maybe at a in person show two people selling same items.. one person is near the entrance where everyone walks past and the other is way at the other end of the building.. that first person likely will sell more.. Online same thing but you're competing for search rankings and the way to rank is by getting sales on those items.. good reviews and having an established shop also helps.. If your etsy shop has 4000 sales and 5 star rating and my store had 50 sales with 5 stars yours would rank better so they show your product before they show mine because yours likely sell since your shop has so many more orders..   

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I know nothing about sales on etsy or any other site so have to take your word but I do know sales in person and the idea of first seen is not always the case. Many times people will walk a show and scan the show and return to best options. I know this because I did shows for over 35 years. Also many times it is the sales person and I keep saying this and it is so true. You need to be a sales person not on a web site. Your photos and descriptions is what sells the product. I say this alot but it is true. I have seen people selling and all they are doing is sitting down with their phones in their faces. The product better be fantastic if it is going to sell itself. At shows very easy to sell one of a kind. I did it for years. Then there is the following. yes you may get that on sites but it is a huge factor in the selling in person world. One other huge factor just like web sites the amount of looks is valuable but so is the amount of customers at the table play a role. I have seen all the tricks and all the excuses and all the ploys to get sales, to walk away from sales and so forth. over 35 years doing them you seen it all. 

 Quality should play a roll in not only purchasing but also making. You want the best in both cases. Sometimes people do not know what they are looking at so that is where the sales part comes in. Try that on a web site. 

My point of me posting to this was to not get into this silly war about selling on line or in person. But this survey was taken with regards to on line sales. It is the only way they possibly can track things like this. But it does not in my eyes say what sells best. I do not make toys but will outsell a toy maker at times, so what does that prove. Now I sell pens that cost $200 and up so I can outsell a toy maker with less sales easily. What does that prove. Just making my point. No way to compare apples to apples in Steve's survey. Is it amount or is it $$$'s I say take the survey for what you want to see out of it. 

Just wanted to add the other half of what I edited for here as well.

Edited April 13 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

8 minutes ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I know nothing about sales on etsy or any other site so have to take your word but I do know sales in person and the idea of first seen is not always the case. Many times people will walk a show and scan the show and return to best options. I know this because I did shows for over 35 years. Also many times it is the sales person and I keep saying this and it is so true. You need to be a sales person not on a web site. Your photos and descriptions is what sells the product. I say this alot but it is true. I have seen people selling and all they are doing is sitting down with their phones in their faces. The product better be fantastic if it is going to sell itself. At shows very easy to sell one of a kind. I did it for years. Then there is the following. yes you may get that on sites but it is a huge factor in the selling in person world. One other huge factor just like web sites the amount of looks is valuable but so is the amount of customers at the table play a role. I have seen all the tricks and all the excuses and all the ploys to get sales, to walk away from sales and so forth. over 35 years doing them you seen it all.  Quality should play a roll in not only purchasing but also making. You want the best in both cases. Sometimes people do not know what they are looking at so that is where the sales part comes in. Try that on a web site. 

My point of me posting to this was to not get into this silly war about selling on line or in person. But this survey was taken with regards to on line sales. It is the only way they possibly can track things like this. But it does not in my eyes say what sells best. I do not make toys but will outsell a toy maker at times, so what does that prove. Now I sell pens that cost $200 and up so I can outsell a toy maker with less sales easily. What does that prove. Just making my point. No way to compare apples to apples in Steve's survey. Is it amount or is it $$$'s I say take the survey for what you want to see out of it. 

I guess I messed up and wanted to edit my post above but wound up replying to myself. 

Edited April 13 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[kmmcrafts]

On 4/12/2025 at 9:51 PM, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I know nothing about sales on etsy or any other site so have to take your word but I do know sales in person and the idea of first seen is not always the case. Many times people will walk a show and scan the show and return to best options. I know this because I did shows for over 35 years. Also many times it is the sales person and I keep saying this and it is so true. You need to be a sales person not on a web site. Your photos and descriptions is what sells the product. I say this alot but it is true. I have seen people selling and all they are doing is sitting down with their phones in their faces. The product better be fantastic if it is going to sell itself. At shows very easy to sell one of a kind. I did it for years. Then there is the following. yes you may get that on sites but it is a huge factor in the selling in person world. One other huge factor just like web sites the amount of looks is valuable but so is the amount of customers at the table play a role. I have seen all the tricks and all the excuses and all the ploys to get sales, to walk away from sales and so forth. over 35 years doing them you seen it all. 

 Quality should play a roll in not only purchasing but also making. You want the best in both cases. Sometimes people do not know what they are looking at so that is where the sales part comes in. Try that on a web site. 

My point of me posting to this was to not get into this silly war about selling on line or in person. But this survey was taken with regards to on line sales. It is the only way they possibly can track things like this. But it does not in my eyes say what sells best. I do not make toys but will outsell a toy maker at times, so what does that prove. Now I sell pens that cost $200 and up so I can outsell a toy maker with less sales easily. What does that prove. Just making my point. No way to compare apples to apples in Steve's survey. Is it amount or is it $$$'s I say take the survey for what you want to see out of it. 

Just wanted to add the other half of what I edited for here as well.

35 years you probably talk people into buying stuff they don't even have interest in, LOL...

I sold at craft shows for about 15 years before I ever was into crafts, as I manned shows for the crafts my father made.. I did a few dozen shows when I got into the crafts thing but the schedules of most of the shows didn't jive with me because of having to take along my 3 (very young at the time) kids. Then someone turned me onto Etsy and Artfire so I started out selling on Artfire then moved over to Etsy. I've not mastered selling at shows or online but I've been able to make this my main income since 2007.. Not rich either, LOL

This topic of sales growth for scrolled goods going up is kind of a joke really.. such as personalized signs going up 285%.. Makes me wonder how many sold in the past.. Anything personalized in the past 10 years has been a bigger hit than anything not personalized.. Most scrollers don't like messing with personalized things because it requires design / pattern making. Personalized signs have probably always been popular, but finding people to make them at a reasonable price wasn't... which also brings up the topic of are these scrolled signs becoming popular because some laser and cnc guys say they're scrolled instead of lasered. I'd be pretty tough for a scroller to turn good profits when directly competing with the laser cnc signs.. Scroll saws have their place where they're more practical to make certain things that the lasers and cnc's can't do and their is a lot of stuff these machines cannot do efficiently but I wouldn't think personalized signs would be in that line-up.  

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

•  

 

 

Edited April 14 by JTTHECLOCKMAN
Have no idea what happened

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

35 years you probably talk people into buying stuff they don't even have interest in, LOL...

 

I doubt that but if it was a sale they had their input. Probably made many sales by helping people decide. I know the fruit baskets I make many people could not decide weather a large one or smaller one would be right for them. Also the color choices. But that is what a sales person does. I still believe though the amount of scrollers has dropped over the years and the surveys can not justify that. Personalizing things has always been a positive thing in sales because of the obvious. But there always was and still is a market for the unusual and that is what we try to sell. The things not found in stores like Walmarts and Hobby Lobbies of the world. Our society has become so fast paced that people just do not have the time for crafting any more. I stayed away from personalizing and the few times I did it did not mean huge sales. Many ways to personalize items and have seen them done at shows in front of people. A good friend of mine and her and her sister went to alot of the shows I did so I did see first hand her sales.  She made kids bibs and a few other things but the bibs were a huge hit each and every show and she would get lots of orders. She could sell hundreds at one show. They all had names on them. All she had was a blue design for boys and pink for girls and kept that same design for many years and still does from what I know. But they were all hand sewn. Simple design so she could make them easily. She would have different names on all of them and tried keeping up with the ever changing list of names. That was a lucrative business for sure. She had a gold mine. But again shows caught up with them and moved apart and business is run by only one of the sisters who moved to Florida. Finding that one thing can make a world of difference in sales. I could never just make one thing. I have a very active mind and like to make new and different things. That worked for me in my sales. I reached a broader audience. I would hope the scrolling world is making a come back but just do not see it.