Opinions on furniture...

[Okey Dokie]

Originally Posted by Gerania

I wasn't sure what the first piece was supposed to be. He made an art piece on stilts? LOL

When a kid shows you a picture they’re drawn and you have no idea what it is, ask “Tell me about your picture.” Ergo, in this case “tell me about your project.”

[PAhippo]

I like the headboard and, no, I don't live in a ski lodge or hunting cabin. But with the economy the way it is, practical is probably better. Meaning desks would probably be more likely to sell.


So would chairs I think, and maybe shelves for storing papers.


And don't forget kids' furniture. Scaled down versions of mom or dad's desk might sell.

[rfomd129]

I think the work you did is great and I particularly like the artwork on the headboard. The table looks like it's very sturdy and will last a long time. It could be a piece that is handed down within a family. Items like yours are unique and such a welcome relief from mass produced furniture - you just have to make sure that a person who appreciates it can see it.

Don't sell yourself short. You are talented and there are people who are willing to pay for unique, well crafted items. Can't wait to see the desk! Best of luck to you.

[ImmerLernen]

The pictures you posted don't give much of a sense of what you have there. If you are selling on-line (as opposed to in-person), you'll need some really good pictures and from all different angles.

[gentlearts]

Through Covid, or a bad economy, or good economy, there will still be people who don’t care what things cost, and can afford to buy.

As long as your work is high quality, and you know who your target market is, you should price your work so it is worth your while. Perhaps you don’t care about making money, because you just enjoy making it? Craftsmen seldom get paid for their time, but just enjoy breaking even, so they have money for material to make something new.

Find someone who is successful at doing what you want to do, and ask questions. I know a man who has been making furniture as a hobby for 30+ years. If I can find out how he prices things, I’ll pass it on.

I just asked his ex wife, and she said he figures cost of material, plus time, plus the cost of similar items retail.

The most important thing she said was that he gets more for his items at auction, even with the fees, than otherwise. He has sold $150. items for $400-$500. at auction. This also avoids any cost of shipping items, and it’s immediate. You do t have to let something sit in a shop for months before it sells.

[mic111]

I have bought similar furniture on eBay. My house is semi mountain style. If you use eco friendly finishes that would appeal to me as well as mentioning the wood type. Unfortunately I don’t need a headboard right now otherwise I would be interested.

All four of the mountain style pieces I bought were customizes based on pictures posted in the listing so offering that option may help attract more customers. One piece is as large as your headboard , large custom carved mantel, and shipped. The other three are all custom end tables with carving also shipped. All pieces use the same brand and name of stain even though they came from different sources. So offering to let the customer choose the stain is a good idea.

I don’t recall the shipping being prohibitive.