Is selling your items worht it?

I have been working more and more with making clothes and bags and just funky little things I love coming up with ideas and my mommy dearest has been helping me sew. I am getting ready to go to college in the fall and I am jobless so I was thinking about trying to sell my creations especially around my school and online but I was wondering how hard it is, and if it is worth it? I figured this would be a good place to ask b/c you guys are so creative!

Thanks you guys

 

I make clothes to sell mainly to buy more fabric and sew my familys clothes. I can't say I make a whole lot of money. You really need to build up a customer base. Make quality clothing that doesnt fall apart. etc. Then people will come back and pay more for quality. Just look at www.phunkybrewster.com she is an awesome seamstress and makes great stuff. She also charges what they are worth. Then look at ebay under hippie patchwork and see how low some people will go to get their clothing out there.

 

no. you willnever make minnimum wage selling stuff you sew. but there are different approaches that can make make your craftiness profitable. i find that if i have a job and am selling stuff, i end up livin off the crafty money and saving my checks. or if you make a ton of stuff and sell it all in one day, like at bonnaroo or something, then although you didnt make minimum wage, you will have all the money, all at once. i sell alot of necklaces when im backpacking, and its really better for just meeting people, cus if i sell one all im gonna do is have a cup of coffee, lunch, and a beer, and hopefully have enough money for another cup of coffee. but when i sell ten of them at a show or festival, then i have my food and drinks and 100bux.

 

I've never sold anything, not yet anyway. I've had alot of people interested in the thing's I make for myself and my boyfriend though. I want to start selling some of my stuff, for a little extra money, and just for the joy of letting someone else pimp something I personally made with a great deal of love and time. If someone else had a bag of mine, or a peice of clothing from me, and they loved that item, that would make me happy.
I'm sure alot of people do make a good amount of money selling their goods. Flutterbybutterfly, phreaky boutique, and snake mountain all make their clothes with a great deal of care and detail, making their items sturdy and strong, lasting a long time.
They've been great inspirtation for me.
I wish you luck selling your stuff. Got any pictures of anything you've made?

 

I sell my clothing online. I started off selling on ebay like in 1999 and built up a little following. I am still not making a ton of money. I do it because I love sewing and creating. When you do start selling your goods you have to make sure you are making quality items. If you just started sewing and your mom is still helping you you may not be ready to sell your items. If you do not have a serger yet I would invest in one of them. Setting up a website and selling on ebay is not hard. It is just hard to get your name out there.


Have fun sewing!! It is addicting isn't it

 

Id say yes.... I sell mine... There are only so many patchwork dresses one person can own... But i love to keep making new things... So i get to enjoy making a billion dress and selling them so i dont need 4 closets... I also work it into my price... base of $9-10 and hour... but im very careful about it... if the phone rings and im sewing i pay attention to that and dont count that time as working.. there can be alot of discractions.. and 3 hours of sewing may have only been 1 3/4 hours of actual sewing time... so dont count it as three hours... But it can be very profitable

 

I am apprenticed to a woman who makes and sells Rennaisance clothing for plus sized women, brocade and leather corsets, hawaiian shirts, and cool hats. We do sci-fi conventions and usually make around 2000 bucks per show. Which is pretty good as far as conventions go. We also show at special events for the Goth scene here in St. Louis. Most of her money comes from special orders. The ladies at Torrid give out her card when someone comes in asking about corsets, we have gotten several sales through them.

You could try consigning your stuff to a local hippie or appropriate store for your stuff. Word of mouth is great... make up bussiness cards and give stacks to your friends. I like the college paper idea... as well a message boards at colleges. You could also take ads out in your local free papers. We have several here in St. Louis that I know of...

I think selling your art is totally worth it. It might not make you loads of money, and it might just have to be an on the side thing, but as long as you enjoy doing it it is worth it.

 

you always meet cool people selling your stoof.. sure you might not make a LOT of money... but you'll have some really cool experiences... and for me, thats more than money is worth

 

It's all about having something origional or really fly. My wire wraps for example sell faster than I can make them. And at an average of over $100 per, I've been doing pretty good. Networking is key as well as not being afraid to put yourself out there. Have faith in your wares and sell them with authority and you could do well.

 

I used to work with my dad selling crafts and while it wasn't super profitable, he did make some money. If you're going to be somewhere where your crafts won't sell in person, the internet works really well. Working the craft fairs allows you to connect with people; even if they don't buy your stuff then they'll remember you for the next time. My dad had people calling up to two years after he had shut down his business. He also sold on-line and it allowed him to get more exposure. A lot of fairs take place on weekends and during the summer so it won't interfere with class. Once you get to college, really check out some of the student groups. At my school we used to have a lot of artists donate work for different group auctions and then they would get exposure. One girl made pillows and the auction eventually led to her getting a commission from the campus bookstore.

 

The main problem with selling while you are in college is having the time to make a lot of stuff. I started up in college, but could not really make a lot of things ~ I was able to sell my stuff online, but did not really have a big following because I could not add enough things to my site. After college I started up full time ~ you can definitely make money, but it is hard, and you will not make that much to start off with. I usually recommend having a regular or part time job when you start & then just work really hard at the sewing when you are off. I had a part time job at school too & really was just sewing for fun.

 

i have been selling for a few years now on and off and to put a smile on someone face for a reasonable price makes it worth it on my side. besides i always make enuff to buy new fabric and put gas in my car =)