Stacey
|
How to sell last year's stuff without making it look like ..last year's stuff!?
I have a lot of stock left from last year and I'm doing an art/craft fair on 11th May. I'd like to use it to get rid of a lot of it to make room for the new stuff I'm doing. How can I do that without making it look like last year's leftovers?
|
MarkS
|
what sort of stuff?
are we talking wool/yarn or craft items?
Is it stuff that is obviously not new? ie moths, lost explorers, old testament prophets?
|
Stacey
|
Felt - have a look at the website 
|
marigold
|
Only you will know it's last year's left-overs - label last year's designs as "The SomethingOrOther Collection" and new stuff as "The SomethingElse Collection". If you can squeeze out another "Collection" or three so much the better (total of three or five, not an even number). Don't think in terms of old stuff and new stuff.
It'll help people choose too - first they decide which range they like best, then which item from that range to buy... Fewer choices = easier decision-making . Split products by colour/style/design motif/whatever and give them names - Cornish words, colours, anything you like...
|
Stacey
|
It's all a bit of a hotchpotch though - last year was spent churning out anything to see if it would sell (not a lot of it did  ) so it's hard to split it into collections or colours etc. None of the new stuff is ready to go out. I'm saving it until June.
|
MarkS
|
could you barter them ?
I think that it is always going to be tricky to get rid of a couple of items because you dont want to make a big deal out of them on the stall and detract from other things.
Also it isnt really hot water bottle time of year. How else could you present the bags?
|
Stacey
|
I don't have anythng else to put on the stand though - it will only be last years stuff at this show. The new stuff isn't going to be ready until June. I don't want to barter them - I need the money. Presentation isn't a problem - the stall will look fine. I'd like to reduce the prices to give them more of a chance of shifting but I don't know how to do that without making it look like stuff I'm trying to get rid of (which I am )
This is what the stall generally looks like now (give or take changes for site specific stuff)
|
marigold
|
| Stacey wrote: | | It's all a bit of a hotchpotch though - last year was spent churning out anything to see if it would sell (not a lot of it did ) so it's hard to split it into collections or colours etc. None of the new stuff is ready to go out. I'm saving it until June. |
If you really want to get rid of the stuff and aren't too fussy about price you could do things like giving a free soap with a bag or buy one get one half-price (vulgar tactics, but proven to be effective in supermarkets  ). And if you lower your prices (yes, I know about not selling artisan work for less than reasonable cost, but if you really want to get rid of the pieces...  ) don't admit it. Just mark the items at the new prices and think of what you have learned from the experience rather than the financial loss.
|
Stacey
|
| marigold wrote: | | Stacey wrote: | | It's all a bit of a hotchpotch though - last year was spent churning out anything to see if it would sell (not a lot of it did ) so it's hard to split it into collections or colours etc. None of the new stuff is ready to go out. I'm saving it until June. |
If you really want to get rid of the stuff and aren't too fussy about price you could do things like giving a free soap with a bag or buy one get one half-price (vulgar tactics, but proven to be effective in supermarkets ). And if you lower your prices (yes, I know about not selling artisan work for less than reasonable cost, but if you really want to get rid of the pieces... ) don't admit it. Just mark the items at the new prices and think of what you have learned from the experience rather than the financial loss. |
What worries me about that is when people come to my stall after June they'll have a shock. I want them to get a bargain but not to think that's what I do all the time. That's why I want them to know the prices have been reduced, I just can't think of a reason that doesn't sound like they're getting leftovers.
|
marigold
|
How likely are you to be selling to the same people in June?
Call it Early Season Discount?
|
Stacey
|
| marigold wrote: | How likely are you to be selling to the same people in June?
Call it Early Season Discount? |
Quite likely. Also if they go to the website looking for similar priced stuff. This first show is in cornwall and a group of us are renting a beach hut in Falmouth to sell our stuff in all summer - there's going to be a crossover of customers but I also quite often get return customers. I don't want to goive them a false impression of what I sell.
|
marigold
|
Might as well be utterly honest then and put up a big sign saying something on the lines of "Prices drastically reduced to clear stock ready for exciting new collection coming in June - last chance to buy from the much-loved 2007 collection" .
|
Stacey
|
I like that 
|
MarkS
|
Help save Cledry from the men in suits!
(you need a figure of a sheep like your logo and a stern tax inspector type man in a suit for the display)
It had to happen!
The business and marketing specialists are all telling us that we are seriously undercharging for the high quality work that we make and sell.
The items on the stall today were made before the suits got in and saw the price list. This is your chance to invest in our award wining feltcraft before the prices change.
Help Cledry lamb escape the suits!
|
Stacey
|
|
marigold
|
That's brilliant Mark!
|
MarkS
|
Buy Now or the sheep gets it!
|
ros
|
Stacey, I just had a look at your website after reading your post. ( managed to sort a difficult birthday pressy out whilst I was there, so thanks for that)
Couple of thoughts for you
I love the mug cosies and since they have sold out suggest that a few of those if you have a way of putting them together would attract stall custom.
have you considered knocking up a few ipod or phone covers? I think both of those would sell well at your beach hut stall/shop --brilliant idea by the way.
As for off-loading this years stock, "clearing to make way for a new collection" sounds like the way to go. It's honest, but sounds positive rather than negative end of line, IYKWIM
|
Stacey
|
Thanks ros 
I actually have loads more stock than I put on the website  I'm useless with the site but I haven't got the money to pay soemeone to sort it out I also flit about from thing to thing and I guess it would cost a fortune to get it updated every time I have a new 'thing'.
I like the idea of making way for a new collection.
|
ros
|
I would have thought that somewhere there would be someone who would be happy to have a Cledry page linked to their site and sell your craft for you - maybe for a commision? especially those hats
|
Stacey
|
What I need to do is get over my resentment of galleries charging 40 45% commission and just having a list of stockists - either that or having a set of stuff I only sell via the site and keeping it separate from the stock I sell at shows. Or both
|
Stacey
|
Well, I've just been and updated the site and there's virutally nothing left. I don't know whether to laugh or cry
Here's how not to run a sucessful internet based business
Do you think it would pay me to put a message on the front page that says that though there's not a lot left there's an exciting new Summer collection coming? Or should I just hide my face in shame?
|
sean
|
Put up a message about he summer collection. Then hide your face in shame.
|
toggle
|
if you can give a date when the summer collection is due, put that up and use 3 times more adjectives than necessary to describe it.
put up a couple of closeup/clipped down photos of it, so someone can see colours, but not see what it is.
|
