Good website to sell projects?

[craig ohlson]

Can anyone suggest a website that I can post my stuff for sale on? I'd like to keep it local, within northern California, if at all possible. Shipping picnic tables and other large projects would be a hassle.

[Jay Boutwell]

Hi Craig,  I can think of a couple one being Craigs List and then there is another one called  "ITSY" which is a market place that sells items for customers. 

I don't know about your area but some of the business up here will allow advertisements posted on their bulleting boards especially locations where you are a customer.  I have never used either of them but do know several who have and had good luck with doing it that way.

What I did in the early years of starting my business and right after computes became a common thing  I made several CD's showing my work and what I did and handed them out to anyone who was interested.  They would look at the CD, where a business card would either get lost or tossed away without really looking at it.  The CD was then passed on to others and it worked out well generating considerable business for me. 

Wish you a much success with your sales as woodworking is an excellent business to start as the demand for good quality items is high.

[KregRep]

Craig,
Jay is right; Craigslist.com would be a safe bet, as most people search for items within or nearby their area. If interested in your items, they can correspond with you via email to schedule a pickup time. Best of all, Craigslist.com is free to use.  Another option: Many towns, cities, communities, etc. have Facebook Pages where residents can sell and/or "swap" items. These pages should be free to use as well. If you're on Facebook, I would first search to see if there are any appropriate groups in your area. Many groups are limited to one category, like clothes, furniture, etc. Make sure you join a group where can sell larger furniture items. You will mostly likely have to request to join the group, and/or message the administrator/moderator and ask to be invited to join.  Etsy.com is another great option, but they do charge sellers a percentage per transaction. A perk of Etsy, though, is that you can choose to only accept payments via PayPal, which is a bit more secure.  Whatever you decide to do, be sure to specify that you are only looking to sell locally.
Good luck!
KregRep

[craig ohlson]

Thank for the suggestions. I've tried craigslist in the past and had no luck at all.I tried different listings, kept renewing it even different towns, not luck. The one offer I got was for less than the materials I put in it and that was only $50. Every one wants something for nothing. Alot of people have mentioned Etsy and I looked into it a little but I couldn't tell how local I could keep it. I plan to contact them and ask. If you look at the attached picture you'll see my delema. How do you ship this?

[Leslee]

Craig,

 Have you tried the Flea Markets or swap meets in the northern California. I do know that there is a Flea Market in Roseville, Ca. Have you tried putting up flyers at stores in your area?  See if there are outdoor shows like rodeos and fairs in your area. I hope I could help you out with some ideas.

    Leslee

[KregRep]

Hi Craig. It definitely looks like your best bet for the table is local pickup/delivery by truck. Another option that I forgot to mention yesterday is eBay.com. As a seller, you are able to specify local customers only. Just note that it is due to the size of the project. Good luck!

craig ohlson said:

Thank for the suggestions. I've tried craigslist in the past and had no luck at all.I tried different listings, kept renewing it even different towns, not luck. The one offer I got was for less than the materials I put in it and that was only $50. Every one wants something for nothing. Alot of people have mentioned Etsy and I looked into it a little but I couldn't tell how local I could keep it. I plan to contact them and ask. If you look at the attached picture you'll see my delema. How do you ship this?

[Barrie Blood]

Hi Craig, I suggest that if you want to ship your product that you go through PayPal and say it is prepay. Break it down and box it up with all the hard wear and instructions for assembly. also charge a handling and shipping charge. Just a suggestion.

Barrie

[Joshua Russell]

I will also have to recommend VarageSale.com This is similar to Craigslist but requires you to have a Facebook account and is usually moderated. So if you don't meet you get kicked out or if your product isn't as described you get the boot as well. My wife says this site is much more female friendly while Craigslist is for creepo's and scumbags looking for something for nothing.