Hobby to business... Anyone sell their craftwork on Etsy, eBay etc?

Woodworking
1

So I’m sure for lots of folks their woodwork is a hobby but with practice emerges skill and demand for your products. Has anyone made the leap from hobby to business?

I often frequent craft shows locally and see traders selling pens, bowls, jewellery, walking sticks etc. Has anyone experimented with selling their products on online marketplaces or even their own website? Was it successful?

2

I would like any information on Tims question as well. Just moving into retirement and started turning so very much a beginner but the plan is to sell stuff I make to buy more material, tools etc. Not looking to create a new business, Just a self funding hobby. I have also visited a couplle of craft fairs One up market where pitches were £80 per day and the wood projects were popular ( and leaning towards expensive £30 and upwards) Another on the coast was a church hall andthe woodturner there had some beautiful items but the people were not that interested. I purchased a lovely item from him for £15. He did point out the with the pens, older generations like the wood whereas younger generation prefered the acrylic. I feel and crafts made by hand need to be marketed in the right environment. The lower end pen kits are readily available on ebay for £5 and upwards. Volume Versus Quallity I guess. I would be grateful for any advice on sales.

3

You may be better off selling through EBay or Shopify?
Don’t forget that you will have to pay tax on all monies you get from these sales.

4

I’ve tried selling stuff at craft fairs and to be honest, it would be easier selling snow to Eskimo’s; folk simply don’t want to pay a reasonable price for a quality product; they look, pick up, examine, wander off and may (if you’re lucky) return to start haggling with you to whittle down the cost. Most of them appear to have IKEA tattoo’d on their eyeballs!
I’ve recently discovered here in Salisbury that there’s a monthly Boot Fair on the city piazza, so for the princely sum of £2 I can load up my bike panniers with small bowls etc made from offcuts and sell most of my stuff at a very reasonable price. Also there’s no third partly insurance required which is a huge bonus.