LeannB

My MIL and I have been talking about doing some sewing and using my little ten by ten pop up tent and maybe selling some stuff (shirts, skirts, etc) at local powwows. But looking at the economy right now....I'm wondering if it's a good idea! I've been getting ready for another sewing binge, spring cleaning my sewing area and organizing....and thinking! So I though I would post here---how are things selling for you, as folks preop for the new season? Is anything selling out there? Maybe I can get some feedback....but right now I'm thinking that folks are going to do good just to GET to events, with the price of gas being like it is.

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

creekfairy

you've brought up a VERY good point.
I myself have thought about selling some things I make but I just dont think it will sell very well right now because of the ecomony being in the toilet! And I cant just give the stuff away... I gotta make a little money off it. I was going to do the craft show but I dont think I'm gonna be ready for that.. I've decided to do custom/made to order pieces instead of trying to sell stuff at a powwow or wherever... but I need to find more people that need pieces made... but good luck!

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LeannB

Thanks---and good luck to you, too! Hopefully we can both find a way to do what we enjoy and still make money at it....!

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

BeadMan

Custom Orders, it is th eonly way to go. That's about all I have ever done, very seldom do I make something just to see if it sells. I think people are only buying what they want/need, and the chances of that being what you are offering is pretty slim.

WocusWoman

I vend several times a year, mostly here in Alaska. Boy, you have one thing right, the economy stinks. I sell all handmade, handbeaded items that my family makes ourselves and I always have the best stuff at the most reasonable prices. In the last year, my sales have dropped to half the normal amount, and to top it off, people are not buying my larger or pricier items. Makes me wonder if some of my sales were even worse my time, effort and table fee???

LeannB

That makes sense, butI'llhave to figure out howto do that. I suspect withshirts, the customer would have to pick out the fabric inperson. Or at least, that's what I would wantto do if I was picking out material!

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

LeannB

I have noticed the same thing with my pictures---something else I do on the side. Last year, everyone wanted the bigger, pricier pictures---this year, if anything sells at all, it's the tiny ones. Frustrating, isn't it?

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

creekfairy

someone on another forum I'm on told me about this website called Etsy... Etsy :: Your place to buy and sell all things handmade and I guess you can sell handmade things on there...kinda like ebay but its just for handmade things... there some native stuff... but to me some of the stuff is priced to high...but I guess its whatever a person is willing to pay

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LeannB

I have an etsy site for my pictures.... The Lion and Lamb Studio. But I have looked for NDN stuff there, and while there's alot of jewelry stuff, there aren't any powwow clothing items, :o/

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

spottedeagle

Some folks have good luck with ebay, some don't. There is also the trading post here on powwows.com

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The things you are doing today are the traditions of twenty-five years from now.
-Daryl Baldwin: Miami

LeannB

I was one of the folks that sold stuff on ebay until they announce the changes to their seller's policy, and I won't sell there anymore. It's a shame, I had some decent customers on ebay for my pictures, but the changes were getting scary. There USED to be alot of powwow clothing on ebay, but not nearly as much as there used to be---either theeconomy or theebay strike has done a number on the auctions. I've looked thru the tradining posts here---kool stuff!!!----but I've not investigated the selling angle. Good idea, thanks!

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

powwowbum49

LeannB

I am not sure where you live here in Indiana or which dances you attend, but you are not considering a few other factors. There are fees to set up as a vendor and you will also need to consider your gas to and from the dance. If you are not selling enough to cover these costs, then it may not be worth your time. Oh yeah...the Indiana dept of Revenue also shows up at events like powwows from time to time to make sure people selling are collecting or at least PAYING sales tax to the state for the items that they are able to sell. Odds are they will not show up at any of the dances you attend but I have seen them make an appearance...heck they hit the flee market in Gnawbone & Bargersville every year. (I am sure you are wondering by now ... I am in the hills of brown)

Beadman is right that custom orders are the way to go but you have to get known for your work to get those. I have not set up a booth in about 2 years and before that it was several years before that. I stay continually busy these days making parts of dance clothes for customers. When I first got started I did a lot of wholesale work selling to other vendors until my retail sales began to gain. I sold my work to place like Crazy Crow TP, Noc Bay TP, Steve Eagles TP, Jim Bond IT. As I set up at dances and I got a name out for doing certain kinds of work (especially roaches) I was able to move over to doing mostly retail. I make roaches, I do silver work, I do feather work and I make mocs. As well my wife makes mocs and sews in her spare time. There really isn't a lot I dont make that is part of a set of dance clothes.

If you ever want to vend at a powwow regularly you have to make something others don't want to make or do it faster and better than they can. The economy will effect sale to a degree...but powwowing is not something that most of us will be ignoring because gas went up...it went up years ago. I bought it less than 10 years ago for $0.68/gal and I am still going to powwows. I have gotten 10 new orders in the last month. If folk like your work...they will still order.

Good luck

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PB49

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Pablo Picasso


My comments are based on what I have been taught and my experiences over the years I have been around the circle. They should in no way be taken as gospel truths and are merely my opinions or attempts at passing on what I have learned while still learning more.

LeannB

Hi, neighbor!!! We live in Brown Country, too. We were thinking about some of the local events, like at Atterbury...just enough to test the water without too much of an outlay on fees or gas. Or at some in Ohio; there are several that we would attend anyway. We,ve done craft shows before, so YUP, we know about sales tax, etc. :oP

You are sooo right---you have to be different, have something that catches the customer's eyes. Not the same ole' same ole. And our things have to be a bit better known....ain't that the truth. And the gas thing? You're probably right there, too! LOL!

It sounds like you and you wife's work is beautiful!!!! I hope to see it sometime!
Leann

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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

powwowbum49

If you want to see my work just go to my member gallery here on the board and you can also look all the way through the "Yes I said the 'F' word" thread. I started that thread years ago so that people could show what they have Finished ... hense the F word. There is a lot of my work in there as well as in my gallery.

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PB49

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Pablo Picasso


My comments are based on what I have been taught and my experiences over the years I have been around the circle. They should in no way be taken as gospel truths and are merely my opinions or attempts at passing on what I have learned while still learning more.

BeadMan

A few years ago I made a pair of beaded tennis shoes. I didn't have a buyer, just did them for fun. I took them to a powwow and found a vendor with a decent table and looked friendly. I showed him the shoes and said I'm seeling for $250, if you sell them I'll give you 10% commission ($25). It is a good idea, no up front cost or fees for you, the vendor isn't out anything extra if he doesn't sell them, but he gets some cash if he does. Just a thought.

You could also try to team up with another trader and run a joint booth and split the fee cost.

LeannB

OHMYGOODNESS!!!! I justfigure