CORNHUSKS DOLLS FOR FUN AND PROFIT

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

While you're thinking about outlets, don't overlook the possibility of selling from your own house. A woman in a small town near us keeps her kitchen window, overlooking a narrow street, filled with homey-looking arrangements of the articles she makes. People watch for her changing displays, and she enjoys a steady stream of small but regular sales (and many special orders).

PRESENTATION

You'll offer only your best work for sale, of course . . . but even so, the way in which your dolls are presented may have a lot to do with how many find homes. That is, your wares will look more appealing if they're neatly laid out or set up in a box or basket that protects them from dust and crushing yet leaves them clearly visible. I wouldn't seal my products in plastic casing, though, since people like to touch and inspect handmade articles.

If you have your own display shelf or a sturdy branch embedded in plaster in a pot or can, you can stand or hang your creations as you wish them shown. You might even offer to do a window arrangement for any shop owner who handles your line.

When you sell dolls yourself (say, maybe, at a craft fair), display one of each kind on the table and keep duplicates in a carton beside you. If your productions are "scarecrow people"-see the sidebar with this article-you're unlikely to have two of a kind anyhow . . . and your customers will enjoy the happy confusion as each searches for a character on his or her own special wavelength.

PRICES

A fair price for your dolls-one that gives the customer a good buy and you a reasonable return for your work-depends on several factors . . . first, the cost of making each item. Although the expense for materials will be very little, you still should know the exact figure.

A second consideration is your time. The first few tries will be slow going, but after you get into the swing of the craft you'll work more quickly. We average about one doll every half hour when we're really working on them.

Then there's the matter of location. Around here, cornhusk dolls sell for $3.00 to $4.00 each at craft fairs, gift shops, and farm markets in city stores, far from cornfields and other sources of natural crafts materials, they should command a higher price. (Remember, by the way, that selling direct to the customer will save you the cost of the dealer's commission . . . but will also give you a lower volume.) All these factors-together with your own feeling about what the dolls are worth-should be kept in mind when you set your charges.

RECORDS

No elaborate record system is necessary for a small sideline like this one . . . but if you keep track of what you spend for supplies, when and where you pick husks what kind of dolls you make, when and where you sell them, and what prices they bring, you'll discover a pattern that will help you plan and concentrate your efforts most effectively.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print