MAD MAX Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 I was just curious about what everyone does with what they make? I keep a few things but I mostly give it away, Don't seem to be able to sell anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 If I want to sell things I make things that sell. It's a matter of knowing your market and charging what the market will bear. charge too little and folk will go to a big box store and buy mig welded bent rod. You have to charge enough to make folk think it's worth buying. So what are you making and where are you "selling" or showing it? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Keep, or give away as gifts to friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Once in a while I'll make an item "to order" ... but most of it is given away, ... or intended for my own use. Since the "Office" is already "cluttered-to-capacity", ... I'm not sure what I'll do with the Harpoon I just finished, ... but I always wanted one ..... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalmangeler Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Sell it. If an item is of good quality and is presented in good locations and priced fair it will sell sometimes the item will see more realestate than I plan then it becomes an item that is not going to be a production item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 I keep one of everything I make as a sample or for display and sell the rest. You get to know the market after a while and you know the things that sell instantly and those that sit on the shelf. And undoubtedly, from the tourism market perspective at least, the things that sell well are those items which the visitor actually sees being forged. They take home a memento of the place, but also of the experience. And of course, it's nice to give stuff away as well. The blokes at the railway might like a few rail spike bottle openers or coat hooks. Next thing you know, a bucketful of rail spikes turns up at your forge. Make some horse shoe wall hooks for the equestrian people and you'll never run short of old horse shoes again. Your mechanic would appreciate a little sculpture with the ball bearings he gave you ... and so on. What goes around comes around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 It's funny what people find "attractive". Of all the esoteric "stuff" hanging around the Shop, the thing that gets commented on the most, is a replica "Bear Trap". . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 I use it, mainly tools/tooling. But at some point, my production will exceed my requirements......if I work fast enough or live that long! I have made the odd item for others once in a while, the last I remember making was a simple wood fire poker which reminds me, I still haven't finished his log tongs...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beammeupscotty Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 I eat mine. I don't like to share.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAD MAX Posted January 9, 2016 Author Share Posted January 9, 2016 22 hours ago, Frosty said: If I want to sell things I make things that sell. It's a matter of knowing your market and charging what the market will bear. charge too little and folk will go to a big box store and buy mig welded bent rod. You have to charge enough to make folk think it's worth buying. So what are you making and where are you "selling" or showing it? Frosty The Lucky. I mostly make Tomahawks, Knives, and such. I make spatulas and spoons witch I have sold a very few of. A sample of my tomahawks are pictured in the tomahawk and ax section. Actually I dont try to sell very hard, Never have, I was just curious about other smiths. I don't really know any others near me so I put it on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Aaaaargh!! Disappearing post again. Long reply too. Frustration level is ^^^^^^^^. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Ausfire, always copy before submitting the post. Easy to paste it back in the field if it doesn't go through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yahoo2 Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 If you want to do a long reply Ausfire, write it in notepad or similar software, save it and cut and paste it in to the box. something needs to be in the reply box before the paste option appears, so I hit the space bar a couple of times, right click the mouse and paste it in. sometimes it will still not work but at least the content is saved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 I mostly make things I need but some are gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 9 hours ago, MAD MAX said: Actually I dont try to sell very hard, Never have, I was just curious about other smiths. I don't really know any others near me so I put it on here. I don't have to sell hard either. I am extremely fortunate in that my forge is in the same complex as our retail outlet. A constant stream of tourists and no commission fees ... doesn't get better than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 I try not to make anything someone wants, been quite successful at that, I avoid sales as it will cause zoning, tax and liability problems I don't need any longer, been there done that. In truth most of what the end product is is worthy of the recycling pile. I do make some nails that always seem to find a pocket to leave in. Coat hooks and other assorted hooks make nice gifts. I practice a lot of ways of doing things. they say practice make perfect and I hoping to be perfect in my next life. I do make coat racks out of RR Spikes but no forging is done unless I need to straighten one, mostly woodworking. I make them for friends for special events esp. wedding gifts, house warming or retirement gifts. Just did a 6' long one for a new 2 million $ horse stabling facility. Owner got sick of jackets and helmets ending up on his new floor of the tack room. Hinting he would like a second one. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 I've sold and I've given away and hands down, no contest I much prefer giving stuff away. Thankfully I don't need smithin' as an income source. Also it's easier to suck at something and give the stuff away than to suck at it and charge! LOL! Maybe when I grow up some day to be a REAL Smith I'll get back to chargin' for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borntoolate Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 I forge for personal needs and use first. Second for Gifts. And mixed in somewhere between zero and second I forge because I can... and I enjoy doing/trying new things. And sometimes it just feels good to hit something with a hammer and have your way with metal! I have never sold anything but a couple or three times I have been rewarded with a gift card for doing replication or special request work. I have a day job and so don't think too much about selling. But maybe one day when I retire I might pursue that as one minor source of income. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 I make things to sell! If you really want to sell those things that you can make, then look at what will sell. Frosty is right on " If I want to sell things I make things that sell. It's a matter of knowing your market and charging what the market will bear. charge too little and folk will go to a big box store and buy mig welded bent rod. You have to charge enough to make folk think it's worth buying". I make things that sell, but few of those things are the typical "Blacksmith" types of items. I don't sell many sell many fireplace items but I do sell lots of yard art focused on the region that I live in. I don't sell many trivets but I do sell a lot of things that women want for modern kitchens. Frosty is absolutely correct, know your market. Charging the right amount is critical, if its too cheap then it won't get the correct recognition because its "cheap"! Randy McDaniels told me this past summer that you must price your products so that their value is recognized. At the same time you better be making items that display the value that they are worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayshore Forge Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 I just started smithing, but I found that they make great Christmas gifts. I'm a college student so money is tight for gifts, but time over break was plentiful to make everyone a gift. Gifts ranged from bottle openers to fire pokers to vine bottle holders to split crosses, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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