Selling Items??

I’m curious about selling the items I make, but most online selling scares me. I am most likely just going to sell items at my local farmers market. But, I was wondering if Ribblr has an option where I can sell my items on here.

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Ribblr doesn’t currently have this options, but many designers sell on Etsy (although I don’t suggest setting up an account with them right now for they have significantly increased their sell fees). But I hope Ribblr has this option in the future - they’re relatively new and still coming out with updates! :hugs: Hope this helps!
:orange_heart:Nicole

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@NoKittenAroundStudio is right, you cannot sell finished makes on Ribblr… yet :wink:

What are you particularly nervous about? I’m sure we can all help!

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I sell on Etsy. I’m mad about the seller fees, maybe you can make a website with a free domain.

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Redbubble could work but I’m not sure about the fees

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The main thing I am worried about when it comes to selling online is having to make my items so quick when people buy them. Having to make each individual order seems more stressful than just making however many I can and selling it in person.

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I’d suggest Etsy for selling items! I’ve done pretty well on there

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I find that most people are understanding with how long it takes and are willing to wait, if your listing a specific plushie maybe make two or three and wait to see if they sell online and if it’s custom orders then prioritize who ordered first

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I agree with @Asher ! Also some people make a bunch of one thing and put it up on Etsy how many they have of a certain thing : ) Hope this helps @MadeByMari !

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@MadeByMari if you don’t already maybe make an Instagram crochet account that’s defiantly helped my business a lot

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is that a hint

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Most customers are willing to wait for some time since they understand it takes time to make handmade products. I have gotten a few orders and all of them are happy to wait. I have come across customers who want the item in only 3 days! Also if you are doing a custom order I recommend asking for half the money before and the rest after the item is made. Many people have ghosted me in custom orders! :rage:

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oh my i feel you I bet theres a lot of pressure when making the plushie and then not wanting to pay for it is worse

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Yes! Ask for 50% of the money up front! That means they really want it.

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A lot of times on Etsy, kids are messaging me and we discuss the whole order but then they ask their parents and the parents say no. It’s better to ask parents first then discuss orders

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:zipper_mouth_face:

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There are a few ways to mitigate this issue.
TLDR; Limit orders by sticking to one platform and listing items as out of stock if you need to, limit waiting list times by not selling many large items at once and by devoting a set amount of time to small/large projects per week, and, above all, communicate with the customer.

First: choose one platform. I know it seems limiting and like it would be bad for business, but this way you can limit the amount of people ordering things at one time and manage your listings more easily. You can expand to other platforms later if you want to and think you can manage it.

Second: Don’t be afraid to temporarily remove a listing or mark it as out of stock. I know you’re considering working by commission as opposed to having pre-made things, but you can still use any out of stock functions on your chosen platform to signal that you’re not taking more orders yet, as you cannot complete them until you complete the prior order.

Third: Communicate with the customer. Keep them updated on how many orders are ahead of theirs and estimate, to the best of your ability, how long it will take to start theirs. You can add 10-25% onto that estimation for some wiggle room.

Fourth: Don’t list too many large items at once. If you’re selling a blanket, a dress, and a table runner and they all get ordered art approximately the same time, you’re screwed. You’ll have to limit yourself to maybe one large listing and then a couple small or medium listings, such as accessories and bags. If someone orders a blanket and an accessory, that’s far more manageable. Again, if you later want to add more variety, you’re free to do so, but it would be risky and overwhelming to start with that.

*By large/medium/small I am referring to size, but what I really mean is time commitment. So amigurimi done in super fine yarn could take longer than a shawl, for example.

Fifth: I haven’t tested this yet, but I suggest dividing the amount of time you have to work on your projects into two sections: large projects and small projects. For example, you may decide that you will spend 70% of your time on large projects, and 30% on small projects. This will allow people who have only ordered small items to not have to wait a month for you to finish a blanket first, while still allowing you to make steady progress on that blanket.

Keep your chosen percentages in mind when managing your listings; if people have ordered enough small items to keep you occupied for the next month, then make small items as out of stock. If you don’t have a large project, it will be tempting to fill that time with smaller ones, but keep the order ratio consistant, even if you use that time slot to work on small orders.

If you do this, do NOT tell your customers on the waiting list that theirs will be done soon. If you do, and then someone orders a large item, you’ll have to tell the customer on the waiting list that their order won’t be done as soon as you thought, and that’s a really bad look. Conversely, if you base your completion date on the 70/30 format but don’t have a large order, you can get the order completed way ahead of schedule, which is a fantastic look.

Sorry that’s a lot, but I hope it helps!!

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ALSO: The farmer’s market is a great way to test the desirability of things you want to sell, and it’s a good way to make some cash. Make your display look nice and reasonably professional; no signs made of torn cardboard.

If you want to make this a business, local collages are often looking for small businesses that their marketing majors can use for their classes. It’s a win-win.

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One question- doesn’t a farmers market sell foods and other edible items?

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Yes, but they also sell hand-crafted items. It’s basically just a local market where anyone can sell anything they make or grow. Generally, anyway.

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