What
are the best selling crafts that will sell? How do you know
what's really hot? You can research craft buying trends from reading
magazines like The Crafts Report and Sunshine Artist
which feature industry news frequently.
A
challenge with relying on trend information for the best selling crafts,
however, is that by the time you, the artist or crafts person learn
what's "in," the trend is already peaking and on its way "out."
The
trend issue becomes confusing if you take what you hear or read as gospel.
Popularity can be seasonal, geographic and/or demographic to name a
few qualifications. Be cautious when evaluating news about hot selling
crafts. For instance, be aware that . . .
Crafts
related to gardening will be more popular in Spring months.
Christmas
craft sales will swell the three months before December.
Craft
sales will be higher in tourist areas than metropolitan shops.
Seniors purchase
more toys as gifts than young adults.
Many
craft artists say they don't care about the nationally best selling
crafts because to do so would make them manufacturers, not artists.
A friend of mine has grown an exceptionally good business selling her
wearable art to stores in tourist areas. If she stopped creating her
original designs in favor of constantly pursuing the best selling crafts,
she would quickly be out of a business she enjoys and find herself on
the endless road of chasing after the next hot trend.
There's nothing wrong with being a manufacturer if that's your thing,
but let's not confuse that with art or craft. Mass production involves
mass marketing of products -- this is opposite to the nature of those
who sell what they make through artistic inspiration.
The popularity of well made craft, regardless of the medium, is the
attractiveness to the consumer of owning a piece made by the craft person.
This has always been the draw for thousands of customers of hand made
craftwork.
Several craft industry leaders were asked what they expected to be the
"best selling crafts" one year. Not one named a hot selling craft, although
one did say that glass art may have reached its ceiling.
See the full article.
The
industry experts seemed to agree that the real trend is the Internet
and how it will affect your ability to sell. If you aren't already selling
on the Web, learn more to
sell crafts online.
If you really want to know what are the popular best selling crafts,
wear or display something you have made and keep track of how many people
ask you where you got it!
One
big attraction for those who buy and collect arts and crafts is the
originality of such work. Given that there is and will be for a very
long time, a market for handmade items, below is a suggested list of
consumer products that can be handcrafted. Craftwork is divided into
categories of use.
That’s
over 120 items from a partial list. Of course, it’s impractical to try
to make and sell this many different craft items yourself. For a one-person
crafts business, it’s more reasonable to concentrate on one or two markets
and a focused line of craft products aimed at particular buyers. If
you try to make too many different items, or try to sell to those who
don’t want your products, you dissipate your momentum and waste time
and money.
Craft
Media:
Here's
a list of a few of the kinds of crafting media:
The
practical approach is to find a few arts crafts items that sell well
and concentrate on building a ‘bread and butter line.’ Choose crafts
that sell steadily to earn the money to stay in business from month
to month.
Once
you have established that wonderful menu of income-producing handmade
crafts, you can expand into other craftwork and develop new designs.
If you are the type of person can adjust to working with employees,
hire others to produce or do the finishing process. You'll soon be creating
your own line of best selling crafts.
About
the Author
James Dillehay, author of seven books, is a nationally recognized expert
on marketing arts and crafts. Artist, entrepreneur, and educator, his
guides have been recommended in Family Circle, The Crafts Report,
Better Homes & Gardens, Sunshine Artist, Ceramics Monthly,
and more. James has appeared as a featured guest on HGTV's popular The
Carol Duvall Show and he is a member of the advisory boards to ArtisanStreet.com
and The National Craft Association. This article is copyrighted and
excerpted from James Dillehay's The
Basic Guide to Selling Arts & Crafts.
About
the Author