What sells? (Projects to fund your addiction)

[paulrussell]

With the looming (I hope) release of the PowerPro, I've been thinking about what I can do with my Shopsmith to earn a few extra dollars.

Can those of you who shop or sell at arts & crafts fairs tell me what would be a good way to turn wood in to cash? (I heard that one of them grows on trees, but I'm not convinced...)

I'm looking for the best bang-for-buck time-wise. A partial list of things I've considered:
Pens/Pencils (and anything else of similar ilk)
Bandsaw boxes (Simple? Complex?)
Toys or Puzzles

Health issues prevent me from doing sales myself. I have "bad" days/weeks, and sometimes months, that arrive with no notice, and during those times I could not commit to manning a sales booth. However my best friend's wife sells hand-made beaded jewelry at a local farmer's market, and would be happy to sell anything I make for a commission. She said that to the best of her knowledge, no one is currently offering smaller wood crafts such as pens or bandsaw boxes at the market.

What would be a modest moneymaker for the improving woodworker? (i.e. relative beginner)

Thanks!
And now to get my shop ready for my daughter, who has a hankerin' to learn how to make bandsaw boxes.

[Gene Howe]

I've had good luck with intricately cut band saw boxes, small inlayed jewelry boxes and simple UNFINISHED toys.
A buddy of mine does real well with jigsaw puzzles and gets commissions to do puzzles with customer supplied pictures (usually children) that he decopages on the wood before cutting.
Another fellow does a bang up business with intarsia. Though that ain't quick nor particularly easy.
All is probably dependent on your area and customer base, though.

[horologist]

Paul,

I'm sure the market varies quite a bit as you move around the country.
Having access to a corner of someone's booth is a great advantage as it allows you to test the waters with little risk.

In our area the local craft shows are swamped with pen turners and bowl turners. Competition looks to be fierce in this area. Puzzles also would be tricky. :)

I have considered this idea as well and think that making boxes might be a good bet. Either bandsaw boxes or Shaker oval boxes would be fine as long as you can get the materials affordably. Careful, it is easy to end up making less per hour than a high school kid flipping burgers.

Before you start cutting I would attend a few shows and check out the competition. See what they have for sale and how it is selling. You need to either be better or cheaper (or both) than your competitors. That or you need to find a product that none of them sell.

Troy

[Ed in Tampa]

Paul
I think there is a market for something different. We have relatives in SC and Pa and everytime we travel up to see them we notice sometimg new in the yards in their area. It might be windmills, or dutch girl bending over or ..... the list goes on. But I have noticed if one shows up everyone has one. I watched Wind mills travel up the east coast from SC where I first noticed them to Pa about a year later. That was 10 years ago.

What I would do is do a little travel into a distant area and then drive around the area and see if you see something you haven't seen before. Then notice how many times you see a copy in another yard. If you haven't seen it yet in your area you now know what to try. Make a batch and stick them out in your yard, take them to craft shows and see if they sell.

My guess the market is limited but if you come up with something that catches on you will probably sell out.

Again keep the economy in mind people will spring fairly easy for a something under $25.