Wood projects that can be easily sold for profit?

[Michael Yadfar]

I've had my own shop for a little over two years, and all I use it for is hobby purposes. I have a pretty well equipped shop, and most the stuff I do is build furniture out of rough sawn lumber using all wood joinery. I am not hurting for money by any means, but I just started looking into all the costs I put out and was thinking that maybe I can make some projects on the side and make enough just to make the hobby somewhat self funding.

I know for a fact the things I build now can't be sold for profit, because the coffee table I just built was about $350 in supplies alone. Factoring in the cost of the tools, the wear on the tools, energy used, shop space, and especially labor, I think I would have to charge at least $1,500 if I want a decent profit. Nobody would ever spend that when they can get a table that has a similar appearance from Ikea for $150.

I was thinking that smaller items would be the way to go, because I can keep them affordable and probably mass produce. I was thinking something that may be good is inlay cutting boards, but if someone happens to get sick while they're using it I can probably get sued. I can also maybe do small inlay boxes, which would be more involved, but still reasonable.

[John TenEyck]

You are going to get a lot of different replies and many of them might make sense. For me, I didn't want to do the craft show approach, didn't want to advertise, and absolutely didn't want to spend money on materials and storing stuff hoping that someone might buy it. I was lucky to find a small time house remodeler who needed someone who could do the occasional job for him doing specialized trim and mill work. I installed individual stair treads when he added tile for a new floor, for example, replicated some old style trim and installed it, built some custom cabinets or modified some stock ones to fill in a gap, etc. Things like that. I got paid for the work but more importantly, I got to meet the homeowners and they got to find out about me and the work I could do. In many cases, they called me back to build cabinets or furniture for them. And their friends saw what I did and some of them started calling me. It took 4 or 5 years, but I have more than enough work now to keep me as busy as I want, w/o advertising, and w/o ever spending money on something I don't know if I'll be able to sell.

John

[Cody Colston]

I think the biggest profit margin is in by-the-roadside, folksy/rustic items. I base that on what I see sell at the Canton, TX First Monday Tradesday held each month and it's a huge event. An item under $50 that is made from weathered pine, butt-jointed and stapled or drywall screwed together will sell like hotcakes there. If you screw on some metal decoration, they go faster and for more money. I've even had to chastise LOML for bringing that stuff home, reminding her that I can and will make something that looks 3 x better and will last 10x longer.

You are also right about the coffee table. One that is hand crafted from solid hardwood, that will last for at least two generations, get more beautiful with time and make a quality sound when one sets a cup on it is perceived as having an outrageous price while the Ikea version that will go to the junkpile in a very few years is considered "quality" and a bargain.

The fact is that there is no real need anymore for quality, hand-crafted furniture...not as furniture, anyway. A very few will appreciate that quality and aesthetics enough to pay a fair price for it but those customers are difficult to find.

[Irvin Gomez]

One that is hand crafted from solid hardwood, that will last for at least two generations, get more beautiful with time and make a quality sound when one sets a cup on it is perceived as having an outrageous price while the Ikea version that will go to the junkpile in a very few years is considered "quality" and a bargain.

The fact is that there is no real need anymore for quality, hand-crafted furniture...not as furniture, anyway. A very few will appreciate that quality and aesthetics enough to pay a fair price for it but those customers are difficult to find.

In all fairness (and this is coming from a hobbyist who fully understands it would be much cheaper to buy the things he makes!), the old furniture was made with the best tools available back then and it lasted more than one generation because, among other things, money was tight (the same reason the tradition of brides wearing their mother's wedding dress started). It HAD to last. The looks or nature of furniture was not optional - the 'industry' did the best it could.

Looks, strenght, materials and even manufacturing methods are optional today: you can buy IKEA quality (warts and all) or pay a lot of money for someone to mimic yesterday's work. Neither method is bad per se. Most people buy and most importantly, PERCEIVE and TREAT furniture as disposable, to be replaced a few years down the road. Even if they can afford the best, they still want to get brand new furniture with a totally different look every once in a while.

Times have changed. And so have people and taste. I think we live in wonderful times and don't particularly care much for the past - it's mostly an illusion about things that appeared better but were not...

[Jeff Heath]

Craftsmen who earn their living making furniture and cabinetry for sale are not selling the product to the IKEA crowd. Like with any business, you have to identify who and where your market is, and get yourself in front of them. It takes a lot of time, and a lot of effort. Many fantastic woodworkers exist that make absolutely stunning works of art, but cannot make a living doing it because they are lousy salesmen. Running a successful business of any kind means that you have to wear more than one hat. In many instances, you are the craftsman, the janitor, the accountant, and the salesman, just to name a few off the top of my head.

Trying to sell $1500 coffee tables to the "everything is disposable" crowd will land you in bankruptcy court, if it's your only means of income. You have to know, first, how to identify where your target customer is, and then you have to know how to get yourself, and your product, in front of them. Once you've figured that out, the next step is to hone your sales ability. If you can't sell food to a starving man, then you're going to find yourself in trouble, once again.

The first sale is always the hardest, and eating rejection for breakfast is the only way, it seems, to get through it all and keep on pressing on. Unless you're independently wealthy, it's best not to quit your day job right way. A lot of beginning talented woodworkers, and craftsmen in other arena's, used to get themselves involved with galleries, architectural firms, and decorator's. Doing this, you could concentrate on the making of your product, and let them worry about selling it. Problem with that is you're sharing your profit, and a good portion of it, with the house.

Most businesses fail in the early stages, not because they're not good at what they do, but because they either are terrible at sales, or they do a poor job of identifying what, and where, their market truly is.

BTW, $1500 is extremely cheap for a quality, custom made sofa table, or display table, or curiosity table, or a set of end tables. You'll go broke trying to convince the ikea and walmart crowd to buy custom furniture. You have to be very good at what you do....woodworking, and you need to get yourself in front of the demographic that is sick and tired of the crap sold at those stores, and is looking to invest in a fine work of art. Something that they are proud to display in their home, and pass down to their kids for generations. Believe me when I tell you that they are out there. I made a pretty good living doing just that for almost 30 years. I was always a better salesman than I was a craftsman, but I was still pretty good at whacking wood together, too.

Now, I prefer to go fishing, or restore OWWM's, or crack open a log with my sawmill, just to see what's inside.

[johnny means]

The laws of economics dictate that nothing is easy to sell for profit.

[Irvin Gomez]

Craftsmen who earn their living making furniture and cabinetry for sale are not selling the product to the IKEA crowd. Like with any business, you have to identify who and where your market is, and get yourself in front of them. It takes a lot of time, and a lot of effort. Many fantastic woodworkers exist that make absolutely stunning works of art, but cannot make a living doing it because they are lousy salesmen. Running a successful business of any kind means that you have to wear more than one hat. In many instances, you are the craftsman, the janitor, the accountant, and the salesman, just to name a few off the top of my head.

Trying to sell $1500 coffee tables to the "everything is disposable" crowd will land you in bankruptcy court, if it's your only means of income. You have to know, first, how to identify where your target customer is, and then you have to know how to get yourself, and your product, in front of them. Once you've figured that out, the next step is to hone your sales ability. If you can't sell food to a starving man, then you're going to find yourself in trouble, once again.

The first sale is always the hardest, and eating rejection for breakfast is the only way, it seems, to get through it all and keep on pressing on. Unless you're independently wealthy, it's best not to quit your day job right way. A lot of beginning talented woodworkers, and craftsmen in other arena's, used to get themselves involved with galleries, architectural firms, and decorator's. Doing this, you could concentrate on the making of your product, and let them worry about selling it. Problem with that is you're sharing your profit, and a good portion of it, with the house.

Most businesses fail in the early stages, not because they're not good at what they do, but because they either are terrible at sales, or they do a poor job of identifying what, and where, their market truly is.

BTW, $1500 is extremely cheap for a quality, custom made sofa table, or display table, or curiosity table, or a set of end tables. You'll go broke trying to convince the ikea and walmart crowd to buy custom furniture. You have to be very good at what you do....woodworking, and you need to get yourself in front of the demographic that is sick and tired of the crap sold at those stores, and is looking to invest in a fine work of art. Something that they are proud to display in their home, and pass down to their kids for generations. Believe me when I tell you that they are out there. I made a pretty good living doing just that for almost 30 years. I was always a better salesman than I was a craftsman, but I was still pretty good at whacking wood together, too.

Now, I prefer to go fishing, or restore OWWM's, or crack open a log with my sawmill, just to see what's inside.

very good and valid points made there, but a few clarifications are in order:

1. It's not IKEA vs Custom Furniture. it's not Walmart Quality vs Krenov Quality. Most of the time it's Custom Furniture vs Custom-quality Furniture made at a significantly lower cost in sophisticated factories. It's almost impossible for the single operator to offer good enough value to smart buyers under those conditions.

2. In order to overcome the advantages of a big operation, the single operator or small shop has to be exceptionally good. As in truly extraordinary. 99% of woodworkers never reach that level. And even then, the public has to decide it likes the work: as is the case in painting, music, photography and all sorts of artistic endeavors, success is determined by the "unwashed masses", not the experts.

3. It's not a matter of being a good salesman (but it helps, of course!). You have to be PERCEIVED as being exceptionally good at what you do.

4. You have to be realistic and know when or when not chase a certain dream. Success is - more often than people think - avoiding errors of judgement by keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.

5. A LOT of old furniture just looks objectively....old and ugly! I'd say most old furniture was sturdy, but ugly. But then again, taste changes. Virtually nobody paints in the style of DaVinci anymore...

6. There's great artistic value in some (not all, of course) totally modern (or even futuristic) looking furniture

7. Most people buy furniture not thinking of passing it down to future generations. They just buy what they like and can afford.

[Brian W Smith]

That 350 is more than our material cost for a period correct,late 18th century sideboard.

[Michael Yadfar]

I think my point is being misunderstood. I'm not looking to do this as a job, or even a side job, I'm just looking for some pocket change to support the hobby. Also, the table I mentioned was not built to be sold, it was built for my parents. This is completely unrelated to the question, but when I graduated high school I wanted to be a custom furniture maker. I chose to opt out of that, because there are other things I enjoy that make easier money, so I chose college. I know a hardwood table and an Ikea table aren't even comparisons, but that's what 95 percent of the demand is. The points made about business skills are true, it really is tough. I've found in my short career that you can't really judge a book by it's cover either. I work landscaping on the side, and my two biggest paying customers were a divorced lady with no money, and a guy with a falling apart house. On the same note, I've worked for rich people that payed me like dirt. With the furniture industry, you're right, it's all about the way people view things. One person may highly value a well built table, and the other may just view it as something to set their drinks down on. Unfortunately, when you look at society, more people are going for cost and efficiency rather than quality. Just look at how everything is being outsourced and mom and pop businesses are being overtaken by corporations.

Off with my ramble and back to the question, I'm just looking for some quick selling items. Like a birdhouse, I can get a piece of plywood for $20, make it into 20 simple birdhouses, and sell them for say $20 each. That's no fun, but it's an example. I don't even necessarily have to sell anything either, it's just a concept.

[Dan Masshardt]

Cheese slicer boards are a hit.

[Dan Hahr]

Cutting boards and boxes would probably sell well anywhere. I'd skip the inlay part, as it would run the price up past most would want to play. Use food safe wood and glue and quit worrying about getting sued.

Another thing might be a variety of wood toys. Rubber band guns, trains, swords, magic wands, etc. all sell well at craft shops.

Dan

[Andrew Hughes]

I like making boxes small ones are easer to sell.And store they start adding up quick.
I really enjoy making that's my bliss.

[Irvin Gomez]

I'm not looking to do this as a job, or even a side job, I'm just looking for some pocket change to support the hobby.

I'm just looking for some quick selling items. Like a birdhouse, I can get a piece of plywood for $20, make it into 20 simple birdhouses, and sell them for say $20 each. That's no fun, but it's an example. I don't even necessarily have to sell anything either, it's just a concept.

Cheaper items are impossible for a woodworker to create at a profit. Just go to any upscale home store and you will literally find all sorts of great-looking wooden items selling for 5, 10, 20, 40 bucks. I dare any woodworker on earth to create cutting $40 boards for profit that can compete with similarly priced items coming out of a Chinese (or American) factory.

Look at these bird houses on Amazon. Can you produce something similar in quality and price and still show a profit?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Bird+house+wooden

Sorry if my posts appear negative; I'm just trying to offer objective observations. Maybe I'm totally wrong, but I don't see how it is possible for the average woodworker to compete with factories.

[Rich Riddle]

I have seen lots of folks selling their tools after trying to make a go at a living based on woodworking. My dad says he makes about $5 an hour when he sells toys but he does it for a hobby. You almost need a niche market item.

[Bruce Wrenn]

If being sued is your worry, form a corp, which owns NOTHING other than inventory. Pay yourself all the profits. Lease your shop and tools to corp. Buy insurance, which is a lot cheaper than you think. Do all banking in corp account, including cutting your check. If you (corp) get sued, all they can take are corp's assets, of which there are none. SOP in many situations.

[Dan Masshardt]

Cheaper items are impossible for a woodworker to create at a profit. Just go to any upscale home store and you will literally find all sorts of great-looking wooden items selling for 5, 10, 20, 40 bucks. I dare any woodworker on earth to create cutting $40 boards for profit that can compete with similarly priced items coming out of a Chinese (or American) factory. Look at these bird houses on Amazon. Can you produce something similar in quality and price and still show a profit? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Bird+house+wooden Sorry if my posts appear negative; I'm just trying to offer objective observations. Maybe I'm totally wrong, but I don't see how it is possible for the average woodworker to compete with factories.

Those little cheese slicer boards sell quickly at $40 to $50 dollars with a basic 2 wood lamination. You can glue up a section and cut 4 slicer boards off it easily. The kit is $5. Or you can use scrap wood.

If you already have wood planed for furniture making or their projects it's a great easy use.

[Myk Rian]

I have my own design for a 3' tall lighthouse. I get $100 for them. I have also sold a couple mailbox posts/mounts. Another $100 each.
Haven't made either one in a couple years, but there is a market.
Want to upscale it? Tool chests go for $500-$800 depending on style. Downscale? Pull toys for the kids. $15-$30.
All kinds of possibilities.

[Jim Finn]

335145
I like making boxes small ones are easer to sell.And store they start adding up quick.
I really enjoy making that's my bliss.

This is what I do also. I enjoy it. I do some custom boxes but most I mass produce. I sell mine at a local farmers market. Could not earn a living at it but it does more than fund my hobby/addiction. Images and letter is maple inlaid into cedar.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Michael, if you don't mind mass production, I have had good luck finding a niche and manufacturing items to fill a very specific need. The way I did it was to look around every place I went for simple wooden items that can be mass produced .. even component parts. Everything made of wood must be made somehow by somebody. I have been in business for myself doing this for 15 years and I'm never lacking for orders. My main competition is probably in China but I have the advantage of reliability, quality work, flexibility and quick response.

Another advantage of this tack is there's no wasting shop time selling at a flea market or advertising. Once you sell your brand it's all about re-orders.

Good luck.

[Bob Varney]

I think you need to figure out something that uses all your scrap left over from other projects. That can be made with little time and goods(sand paper, finish, ect.).

Bob

[Michelle Rich]

my best sellers are cuttingboards under 50.00 (made from leftovers from furniture) and turned bowls.

[Irvin Gomez]

Those little cheese slicer boards sell quickly at $40 to $50 dollars with a basic 2 wood lamination. You can glue up a section and cut 4 slicer boards off it easily. The kit is $5. Or you can use scrap wood.

If you already have wood planed for furniture making or their projects it's a great easy use.

$15-20 at Amazon

$15 here:http://www.wayfair.com/Fox-Run-Craftsmen-Wooden-Cheese-Slicer-4178-FRU1053.html


$20 at Target.

http://www.target.com/p/wood-and-metal-cheese-tray-with-slicer/-/A-10396416

Honestly, I can't see a real $40-50 market for this product. Or profit for anyone other than a huge factory making thousands of them at a total cost of $5 per item, including packaging. How long would it take a very good woodworker to create one of these units, including gluing, cutting, sanding, finishing, assembling, testing and packaging? If the answer is "over 20 minutes", it means he/she would be better off driving a Uber car...

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I was kinda in the same mind thought as the OP when I got serious about wood working and my tool collection started to grow out of control (according to the wife).

I have an folder on my facebook page that I post all my woodworking projects under. After awhile, my projects started getting really good and lots of friends started to take notice. A few would send me messages asking me how much this and that cost me to make and how much I would charge them to make something similar.

I started off making a cutting board for a friend, a few more for family, than it went onto dining tables for this and that person. They all told their friends and now I can't keep up with them and having to turn a few down or giving others long lead time (months). I basically have a bunch of people who now have me as their "go-to" person for custom furniture. They find pictures of stuff they like and text them to me asking if I could "recreate" it.

I'm currently working on a table for a big green egg right now. My cost, $350 final sales price.... $1500. Estimated time to build = 15 hours. That brings me to about $76 an hour and I'm happy with that.

I have a friend who's family is very wealthy and they have my number on speed dial. Most times I don't even need to quote them on the things they want built. They'll text me a picture of a small night stand and say "can you build this for me out of so and so wood for $1500 ea. and I need 2"? I take a quick look and think to myself, that's $150 in material. SOLD AND DONE!! All this was due to be posting stuff on my FB page, otherwise they would have never known I did this kind of stuff (their words).

I have a full time office job so all my woodworking is done either after work or during weekends when I can find help watching my 16 month old son. I'm not looking to quite my day job any time soon but I can say that I've made good money on the side building things for people. Enough to allow me to grow my tool inventory and even dip into the green cool-aid party (festool).

Like others have said, it all comes down to whose willing to pay for what. I have friends on my FB page who thought I was crazy for wanting over 2 grand for a dining table when they can buy one similar for $600 at world market. While others would gladly pay more knowing it's hand crafted and made of solid wood instead of MDF core with veneers and would last them forever.

[Dan Masshardt]

There absolutely is a market. They sell very well I know several others who sell them at craft shows well in the range I mentioned.

As a matter of fact last fall I sold all I had and took orders for more.

There are several factors but two of them are the handcrafted aspect as well as the different species of wood that can offer more unique configuration ls than the bland single species in the links.

This way of thinking also says why would anyone buy a $50 or $100 pen when they could have a $1 Bic. I sell plenty of these pens too.

[Cody Colston]

$15-20 at Amazon

$15 here:http://www.wayfair.com/Fox-Run-Craftsmen-Wooden-Cheese-Slicer-4178-FRU1053.html


$20 at Target.

http://www.target.com/p/wood-and-metal-cheese-tray-with-slicer/-/A-10396416

Honestly, I can't see a real $40-50 market for this product. Or profit for anyone other than a huge factory making thousands of them at a total cost of $5 per item, including packaging. How long would it take a very good woodworker to create one of these units, including gluing, cutting, sanding, finishing, assembling, testing and packaging? If the answer is "over 20 minutes", it means he/she would be better off driving a Uber car...

That is a fact if one is trying to make a living from selling hand-crafted items. However, the OP is simply trying to make his woodworking hobby self-funding. In that regard, one can't really figure the cost of the time involved. Simple craft items can be made with inexpensive materials and if set up in a "production mode" they can be made relatively quickly. (note the relatively description). It's not like putting 100 hrs into a fine furniture piece and then trying to sell it for profit.

The real question is if one will be satisfied making cheap, craft items. For me, the answer is no. I tried it and found no satisfaction in the process even though I was selling enough to fund my hobby.

[Prashun Patel]

I struggle with this too, as a hobbyist. I think there are a couple ways to make $$:

1) do plywood cabinets or built-ins and buy your molding. Then your job is largely cutting, assembly, and finishing; no acclimating and milling. There are quick ways to do all that stuff. So, while your material costs go up a little, the time goes way down. The only evidence I have for this is the 3-4 entertainment/cabinets I did this way. In the end it was straightforward, and my time/$$ made it way more worth it than to buy anything or pay anyone else.

2) build a brand for yourself and make studio furniture. Then you can tap into a higher end market where people value and can pay for artistry and crafstmanship.

3) make slab tables. This fad may die, but for now, these pieces are relatively straightforward to make, and can command high prices.

[Ben Silver]

That is a fact if one is trying to make a living from selling hand-crafted items. However, the OP is simply trying to make his woodworking hobby self-funding. In that regard, one can't really figure the cost of the time involved. Simple craft items can be made with inexpensive materials and if set up in a "production mode" they can be made relatively quickly. (note the relatively description). It's not like putting 100 hrs into a fine furniture piece and then trying to sell it for profit.

The real question is if one will be satisfied making cheap, craft items. For me, the answer is no. I tried it and found no satisfaction in the process even though I was selling enough to fund my hobby.

If it cannot fund the rest of the hobby, that is the better tools and materials for making other items, then there is no point. It isn't a hobby, it is a second job that you don't like.

[Dan Masshardt]

Making items is only half the equation of course. You have to have an outlet to sell them in or market them. Consignment, word of mouth, orders, craft shows, online... Just making things is only part of of.


One reason that I think it's cool to make smaller projects is that what's extra or doesn't sell is great for personal gifts.

Your family and friends who know that you are a woodworker might never get a dining table or dresser from you as a gift, but smaller items are a way to share your passion with them in a smaller way.

AND the money you save buying regular gifts can go for more tools. And once your spouse starts requesting items, you can tell her/him that you need a new tool to make it. ;-)

Buying custom furniture is probably mostly about the end owner purchasing.

Small items is all about gifts. People are looking for nice, unique gifts. That's a big part of the reason small wood projects can sell for halfway decent money.

[Jim Becker]

I think it's a mistake to think that folks will not pay $1500 for a well crafted coffee table...you just have to identify the right folks. ;) Case in point, I've built not quite a dozen high-end tack trunks for equestrians over the past 6 years or so and depending on the design, wood species and hardware choices, I've gotten as much as $1500 for...what is essentially a fancy box. (I've also kept it low-key because I honestly do not want to earn money from this...I only took the commissions because it combined two of my wonderful avocations and I enjoyed making the folks smile)

One of our members here, who's local to me and been a friend for years, retired not long ago and has been regularly getting nice commissioned work for high-quality furniture and cabinetry work. If I ever get to retire someday, I might consider doing that kind of thing myself where I can choose the work I want to do and only make it for the kind of folks who will actually appreciate...and pay...for it.

But as you identify, there are pitfalls to taking your hobby and turning it into a business, even part time and incidental. Insurance is one of them. And marketing "stuff" is another challenge, especially determining what your market actually is and what/how things might be sold. I'm not saying this to discourage you; rather, I'm just pointing out that you need to have your "ducks in a row" across multiple things.

[Bill Ryall]

What about a non-traditional/specialty product or exploring commercial markets?

I have largely given up on the crafty stuff and custom furniture as a source of income. The bulk of my WW income comes from specialty commercial stuff. My full-time job is as a broadcast engineer- I design, build and maintain radio stations. Several years ago, I built the furniture for a broadcast studio for the previous owner of my company and it was a hit. I now have a handful of clients that keep me as busy as I want to be. My WW addiction has become an actual profitable sideline. The backbone is studio furniture, but I also do things like copy stands, prize wheels, promotional games, etc. I have also developed a line of specialty products for another niche market that is gaining traction and will be profitable soon. During slow periods, I build small furniture, folk toys and other little things, mostly using up the scrap generated from the bigger commercial jobs. I have found I can't keep the toys in stock. They go as fast as I can make them, especially around the holidays.

[John K Jordan]

maybe I can make some projects on the side and make enough just to make the hobby somewhat self funding.

Michael, I don't do much flat work so I can't suggest anything there. But are you good at woodturning?

I usually just make things to give away but I've sold thousands of dollars of these "magic wands" and some other closely related things. I discovered people have no problem paying $40 for a pretty stick.

335179

And the right people have no problem paying $200 for the right piece of wood but you don't usually run into them at the flea market.

JKJ

[roger wiegand]

My to-do list is so long I can't even imagine having time to build stuff for other people, but here are a couple of thoughts. 1) watch Etsy to see what sells and at what kind of prices. 2) target specific seasonal markets-- eg Christmas markets with ornaments, jigsaw stuff, etc 3) target hobbies-- particularly ones of interest to you-- reel seats for fly-fishing rods, fly tying tables, fly boxes, custom nets, wader hangers, fancy turned wooden zingers, and more would all appeal to fly fishermen, for example. Our local garden center sells absurdly expensive ($300-500) bird feeders and bird houses that are whimsical and clever, presumably made by someone local out of scrap and bright paint. 4) Make something of particular local interest-- there's a cottage industry in MA for cranberry rakes. No one uses them, but they sell like hotcakes to the tourists.

I think it's all about creating a "unique competitive advantage"-- if you can become the go-to guy for something, even if the niche is relatively small, you can do just fine. If you're the 342nd person making very similar cutting boards, not so much. Pick a market segment and then make something distinctive for it.

[Joe Jensen]

Here are my thoughts on this. I've been an avid woodworker for 40 years. I'n high school I took a few commissions for family friends doing custom built-in furniture pieces. In college I built a very nice pair of audio speakers and I was able to turn two passions, audio and WW into a nice side business. Back then in the early 1980s I sold 10 pairs of speakers for between $2500 and $3500 a pair. My cost for the wood, drivers and crossover parts was around $700. That was really fun because I loved both things.

I didn't take any commission work for over 30 years. A few years ago my wife convinced me to take a commission from a friend who needed a custom built in console cabinet for a home theater room. The catch was it had to match the finish on the other cabinets in the room. The stain was a custom tint but they had the leftover stain so I agreed to build what was basically an 8 foot kitchen lower cabinet for $2800. I decided to rigorously track every minute spent. They lived 1 hour from my house so I wanted to keep the trips there down to one to measure and one to install. Driving 30 min each way to get materials, the time to select material, pay and load. Time spent ordering hinges, etc. The build was very straight forward. But the finishing was a disaster. Even though I had the leftover stain professionally shaken I didn't realize that there was 1" of solidified solids at the bottom so the color was off. I ended up spending several extra hours custom tinting to get the color right. In the end with lots of planning I made $50 an hour not counting the miles on my truck, the use of my shop, and no consideration for insurance. And this was for a basic cabinet at a high price. If I consider the 150 miles of driving and the other overhead of the shop I probably would have made $25-30 an hour. And that was not counting any time spent bidding and hunting for jobs.

I decided that I want to keep my hobby as a hobby and I will do other things that pay way better.

[Glenn de Souza]

Doing commission work basically involves having a boss. Since you're the one taking the money, the client is the boss, and depending on their personality and understanding of the process, you have them in the passenger seat along the ride with you in a manner of speaking. This isn't always a bad thing, but it definitely adds a dynamic that would not be present if you were say, selling giftware at an arts and crafts fair.

Sometimes it can be a bad thing to have a client, especially if they end up dissatisfied for whatever reason. My advice would be to go out of your way to set expectations clearly, and have a signed, detailed, written quote for reference. Just like marketing, this type of communication and transaction management is a skill unto itself, completely independent of your woodworking skill.

It may be less risk to go the giftware route, and identify a tchotchke that you can sell at a healthy mark-up to people who are basically impulse buying it on the spot. Take the cheese slicer for example. If you are at a craft show or farmer's market and have an array of $30 or $40 cheese slicers in exotic woods that captivate people to buy on the spot, they usually won't have the ability or inclination to price compare to the $15 less sexy version from Target or Amazon. They pay, throw it in their bag and take it home. Done. No collection issues either.

[Steve Peterson]

I agree with most of the posters here. If you are trying to compete on price, then you have to compete with mass produced junk from China. You can only compete with Walmart and Ikea if you are willing to work for a dollar an hour.

The best way to make money in this market is to produce the absolute highest quality and sell at much higher prices. Think of art gallery prices.

Steve

[Michael Yadfar]

My thought process on the smaller items was based off my way of thinking, and I would also have a place to sell them at my families produce market. There's a certain price range in my head where even if it's more money than I want to spend, it's still not a killer on the wallet. So let's say I can buy a cutting board for $10 and I saw one at a store for $30, then I say "well, it's only $30". I actually did get an offer once for cabinetry, but the issue is that my shop is very small. Right now I work out of a 15'x9' shop, and I can only pull one machine out to use at a time, and I store my wood in the house. Even building my tables is a struggle due to lack of size, and lack of efficiency by needing to move tools around all the time. Something else I guess I have to consider is the lack of fun. I do it as a hobby because I enjoy it, but I might not enjoy mass produced items

[Pat Barry]

Per the OP's question and later clarification, he's not intending to make this a livelihood, more of a hobby that helps pay for itself. Therefore, to me, one question is are you going to use scraps to make things that you can sell, in which case the cheese slicer is a good example - you can make these and sell them for $40 maybe $50 and not worry about trying to compete with Walmart because what you are after is selling at a flea market / roadside stand / craft show / etc - not high volume, not something you are going to try and market so much as just sell in spontaneous transactions. You need to be selling something that is relatively inexpensive and not something you can find mass produced. For that, I believe, you need a hook. Something unique that causes someone to say "I want that" - not causes them to say "I might want something like that but it costs too much so I'm going to do some google shopping for it".

EX: I'll give you an idea if you happen to be from Wisconsin - make the cheese board in the shape of the state of Wisconsin - the uniqueness of this will be the hook to a spontaneous sale. guaranteed.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is a niche of customers in a target category that have $ and don't mind spending it so they are willing to pay for the perceived luxury of that item - take the horse tack boxes described above. That's a small market of people that have $ (mostly) and don't mind spending it. So you don't need to sell a lot to make a tidy return on your efforts and materials. Maybe they want something custom and personalized.

[Patrick Curry]

I have some experience and and second hand knowledge in the (wholesale) gift line business. First of all you have to put Amazon out of your mind. That's site is not your competition- forget about it.

Your handmade items are being displayed at a quaint gift shop where ladies and gentlemen are looking for thoughtful gift ideas. The retailers are looking for something unique & hand-crafted. Locally made is a bonus but not necessary. (I'm based in Louisville but have sold items through gift shops in 7-8 different states.).

If if you can personalize the item that's even better. Examples are the town's name. If you're in to cutting boards router it out into the shape of the state for example. I used to sand blast and that opened up endless possibilities (used Adobe to create resists or patterns).


Gifts that could be purchased for men are always desirable.

[Joe Jensen]

Another thought...My first paying gig was making wood shapes with routed edges for Tole Painting. We had a family friend who taught classes and the wood shapes she was selling were very roughly finished. I ended up becoming her supplier because I would better finish them. At 14 or 15 I was making 20-30 a week. That got pretty boring pretty quickly and it was only a few hours a week. Do you really want to spend a big chunk of your time making the same simple things that you could more cheaply source from Asia? I do not.

[Jon Endres]

Been giving this subject some serious consideration as I am in the process of building and setting up a new shop for future retirement. I want to segue right into enough work and money to fund my hobby, not necessarily to make a living on. Around here I think the key will be diversification. Portable sawmill to produce my own lumber, so that cost is negligible in my mind unless I have to pay for logs. Various flea markets, craft shows and community events where a cheap table or booth with small crafts on it will do fairly well. Think basic wooden bowls, rolling pins, birdhouses, cutting boards etc. Have a flyer saying that I will consider custom work. I also have a few furniture stores around who will sell items on commission, but I'm not looking to build dining tables or cabinets, I'd like to put a large wooden bowl or a vase on someone else's table and get $100 for it when the shopper turns over the bowl and sees that it's for sale. Turning stock comes out of the firewood pile for me. A kitchen's worth of cabinets here and there, maybe a few smaller pieces of custom furniture, I'll be all set. I have a short attention span so I don't want to be worrying about my projects - I want to head to the shop, crank out a piece of two, and then quit for the day or a week if I choose to. Right now I could make a living just making cheap crap out of knotty pine boards and selling it at the craft fairs. Rustic is all the rage, and it's usually slapped together from rough boards with staples or a few nails if you're lucky.

[John Sincerbeaux]

If I were only interested in "making a few extra bucks" in woodworking, I would make unique items that catered to a unique target. I would cater to women who are expecting. Or women who ride horses. I have been in baby stores and have been amazed at the prices they want for the cutesie little wooden items such a letters painted in pastels or with butterflies etc. Baby cribs or toys etc all play into the passions and emotions of an expecting mother and or her friends and family. Young girls who ride horses love those trunks that they need for all their riding gear. Learn to make those and inlay a horse and the rider's initials and you will make a very good profit.
But, I would propose that any woodworker challenge themselves to the point of truly realizing their potential not only as a woodworker but as a craftsman and artist. Compete in a WW show or competition. Try to get your work in galleries. To me, that makes your time in your shop infinently more fun and satisfying. And who knows, you might just make "some extra money"😄

[John K Jordan]

.... who ride horses...

The customized tack trunk is a great idea. Carve or inlay the rider's name or the horse's name. I think even a well-crafted wooden sign with the horse's name for the barn would sell, maybe even a bunch at a high end stable where horses are boarded. Mounting blocks, grooming totes,...


Someone not familiar with the extent of this market might be amazed at what people would pay for something unique. A person (nearly every one female!) who spends $75,000 for a competition horse and $1000 for a riding jacket will think NOTHING of spending a lot of money on impulse for something special. I have "accidentally" made thousands of dollars this way without even trying which does help pay for the hobby. These people, and there are a lot of them, live in a different world. The problem is finding and connecting with them, which takes some research or a lucky accident.

JKJ

[Michael Dye]

Back in the early 90's, I flew EMS helicopters in Spokane,WA. Because we had such a great schedule, I had a lot of free time on my hands. Being a woodworker of moderate skills, I used that time to build cabinets for friends, friends of theirs, and so on. It was a very profitable business for me, and one that I enjoyed very much. I had, being an A&P mechanic, parlayed my maintenance skills into another business overhauling old woodworking machinery with my brother. So, needless to say, I had a very nice, well equipped shop. Now comes the hitch.

The big box stores came into existence, beginning with Ernst Hardware, which became Eagle Hardware. I would, from time to time, need to go there for something. I was always amazed to see the cabinets they carried on the floor, and the quality of those cabinets. Glue applied from 3 feet away, plastic hinges, thumbtacks that doubled as nails............you get the picture. I had a couple of potential clients who, upon receipt of my proposals for complete cabinet systems, were completely shocked by the bids. One even went so far as to say that "why should I pay you $17,000 for a cabinet overhaul when I can go to Eagle and buy the exact same thing for $1500?" The other exclaimed that I was doing this as a hobby and didn't need to make the profits that a commercial cabinetmaker needed. Needless to say, those relationships ended quickly.

The long and short of it is, find your niche. Geographically speaking, every city has a history that you can tap into for your ideas. From 5' lighthouses (tried it, didn't do too bad) to custom baby bassinets, to workbenches and cutting boards. I've tried most of them and still get a thrill out of everything I make. Now, my 18 year old son has begun to explore his imagination and we are building custom electric guitars. Who would have thought? Good luck.

[Steve Kinnaird]

I was deeply involved in the saltwater aquarium hobby.
I made good money building custom aquarium stands and canopies.
I also made sumps out of acrylic. Easier than wood work :)