Augmenting the cost of tools...

[RegionalChaos]

Howdy all,

I was recently pondering how to help augment the cost of tools I have been acquiring. I started smithing a little more then a year ago. Since that time I have been slowly gathering tools and building my shop space. I haven't really gone nuts or anything buying tools (though it is easy too if you want!), instead I generally wait until I have a reason to buy (or make) a tool before acquiring it. But boy do some things add up quickly. Picking up a few sets of tongs, a box of rivets, some new band saw blades (oh yea, a band saw too!), that 25$ railroad monkey wrench from the flea market I just couldn't pass up, 20$ in scrap steel every few weeks or so, etc., etc., sure adds up. I think I have done a pretty good job only getting what I think I can immediately put to use, but I still know I have sunk a lot of money into it. And there is so much more I would like to be able to do or get.

So my question is this. What is a good way to start making a little bit of money back from smithing? I'm wondering what other people have done, and what kind of success they have had. I know that I can make certain basic items well enough that I imagine they would sell (if there is a market for it to tap into). Things like S-hooks, pot rack hooks, plant hangers, etc. And I am working on getting the drill down for other items, like trivets and sign brackets, etc.. I haven't made nails, but imagine I could make them fine with a little practice. I know I am not that far away from these items being decent quality. But I also have a day job, and a family. I'm not trying to be a full time blacksmith.

In the future I would like to be able to sell sign brackets to businesses at 250-300$ a pop. (I am just guestimating a price there..) But I'm not quite there yet, and won't be for a little while. What I'd like, is to be able to sell some simple items as I have them available to sell. I don't want to feel rushed to make 20 hooks by such and such a date, when I know I have a new baby, a wife and 3 other kids that may demand my time, indefinitely and without notice.

So... Should I set up a website and post my inventory when I have it? How successful have others been doing this? Should I try to sell them on ebay? or etsy? What about approaching local hardware stores with some of the items? Flea markets? Saturday markets? Farmer's markets? Ren Faire? Have people had any luck with these?

Personally, I was thinking about stockpiling my inventory all year, then getting a booth at a holiday market. Only I hear our local holiday market charges several hundred dollars for a booth, which would likely eat any money I might actually make... We have a Saturday market, but aside from the time commitment, I would have to start out as a wandering street vendor. You work your way up to getting a booth. It seems like custom forged work might be a little heavy to carry around with me. I have a friend that does this, but he only brings in 20-30$ a day, and it runs until 3 or 4 pm. I don't really want to sacrifice most of my Saturday for 20 or 30 bucks...

Anyway, I'm open to any and all ideas. I've been kicking this around in my head for a few weeks now...

[KevinD]

There is a local "home decor" shop that has S-hooks, trivets, nails/spikes, candle holders for sale. They have a display with the smiths name and the city where he lives.

I don't know if they are on consignment or what kind of arrangement he has with the store but it certainly got my attention...

[Thomas Dean]

This is what I do, YMMV.
1) I went to our local museum last fall and left my card. (they are cheap and I think well worth the money and you can print your own if you have computer skills!) The "Head Lady in charge" was very excited and asked if I would be interested in demo-ing at their Christmas open house in Dec. Yep, did that and got several good calls from it. Was asked to do it again and I will be there this Sat. I do have some items made up to sale, that was one thing I did wrong last year, no inventory.

2) I took some steak turners to work with me a few yrs back and still get orders for them. Last yr a friend ordered 9 at one time for Christmas gifts, the day before we got off for Christmas! (I was busy that night!) Yes, I do get bored with making a bunch of the same thing but the $$ is good.

3) Have some pictures of your work. Doesn't have to be professionally done but they do need to look nice. This will generate ideas with a customer..."Wow, do you think you can do this n such to one of those?" I have done several different "this n suches" to some items because of pictures.

When you price your work, charge enough to make it worth your while. Otherwise you are cheapening all hand forged workand some folks will not buy it if it is priced too cheaply. They want to tell their friends how much they paid for it! go figure....

Look through the BP section here, TONS of good ideas and you can alway tweak some simple item and make it uniquely yours.

Good luck, hope I haven't bored you but, you did ask....

[fat pete]

I am not good enuff yet t go to market but some people have suggested to me I should sell stuff....I say well yea I would love to ....I personally do not feel comfortable selling some of the stuff I have....I can always do better, is how I think. However people have offered me actual money for some of the stuff I have made....coat racks is one I have made 3.5 of them the 1 isnt finished but they have found there way out of my shop up on someones wall. One is in my home and I hate it cause I can do way better now...lol....so I agree and been told the same by many smiths Thomas Deans post....you gotta charge them way more than what they could buy junk from home depot or walmart....my buddy is waiting for me to give him an inventory of items he can put in his home center, kind of a hardware store,.....i gotta get beyond some of my critisism of my stuff cause i wont sell anything unless it is approved by qc...me... the other thing is the common person doesnt notice what you consider a fault in your work....weird thing....I was a sales person the majority of my life...figure that

[jeep4x4greg]

Originally Posted by fat pete

I am not good enuff yet to go to market but some people have suggested to me I should sell stuff....

It doesnt need to be good just label it as "rustic" or "old fashioned"

[RegionalChaos]

Thanks for the feed back guys. Its exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks!

Thomas, I'll have to brainstorm and come up with a business / forge / website name. RegionalChaos doesn't really work, and Chaos Forging isn't as professional sounding as I'd like, Eugene Ironworks is available as a domain name, but I'm planning on moving in a few years... I'll have to work on that one... I've thought about putting cards together but didn't want to until I was really ready to market stuff..

[Finnr]

Originally Posted by jeep4x4greg

It doesnt need to be good just label it as "rustic" or "old fashioned"

Even rustic or old fashioned items should display pride of workmanship and the skill of the maker if you want continued sales.
Finnr

[fat pete]

It doesnt need to be good just label it as "rustic" or "old fashioned"

I was just at a craft thing and there was a blacksmith there selling "rustic" " Antique period items" I would have taken his stuff and tossed it let alone buy it....

[tbrforge]

Gifts to friends get my name noticed (works also) business line for phone, gotta have a phone eh slightly higher than private line, not much though, that also gets you a free listing in the yellow pages.

I also donate items to silent auctions for fund raisers. This is good for tax time also. The fund raisers get exposure to the people who can and will buy.

A table at a flea market? (costs 5 bucks in Athens) course you don't want to try and sell high dollar stuff there, maybe just a piece or two. Stick with small inexpensive projects.

Antique shops have been very nice in putting stuff out on commission. I've also sold fireplace sets to a local fireplace specialty shop.

craigs list? I've advertised works and labor there with some returns

The list isn't as short as you would think.

[Mende]

You should try to target some privately owned decor shops. . .the kind that sell incense and polished river rocks and sand blasted glass and stuff like that ...

Women especially will buy anything if it looks like there was a lot of work put into it and there are a lot of hammer marks on it. ..the whole HANDMADE thing is big right now.
The work can't have obvious welds ( regular, not forge welds those are nice) or material that's been left as it came from the steel-works.

Make stuff look like you shaped them from a meteor in the fire of a volcano under the light of the moon and quenched it in dragon tears. . .( I hope you understand what I'm trying 2 say here.)

Also pictures and a website would make you look a bit more official..
Get a fake beard or mustache ( if u don't have one) and take a picture of yourself wearing an apron behind an anvil with something red hot it ure tongs. .and a hige hammer. . .( wearing your apron without a shirt and being a shinny with sweat and coal dust may bring you more than just customers. .but you say ure married..so .