Ask The Trades - Print Page

Ask The Trades
https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Carpentry Questions >> Does anyone make money? https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1083609207 Message started by woodentop on May 3^rd, 2004, 7:33pm

Title: Does anyone make money?
Post by woodentop on May 3^rd, 2004, 7:33pm

Every year my beloved wife trolls me round the flower shows.
While she if off viewing the sweet peas, I always visit the craft tents.
There are always zillions of stalls selling,

Clocks inserted into blocks of wood.
Wooden picture frames.
Needlework baskets, and frames...made of wood
Turned salt and pepper pots
Pepper grinders.
Chopping boards......etc etc...

The list goes on.......
I presume these stall holders toil away in their sheds all winter, but do any of them ever make any money from their efforts?????? ???

Title: Re: Does anyone make money?
Post by Dewy on May 3^rd, 2004, 7:56pm

I can't see the point of making enough stock to sell at these shows if they were going to make a loss.
Most would most likely use the shows to give out their details for future orders from either the public or retail outlets.
They'd soon be in trouble if they were given orders from a nation wide retailer for 10,000 items when they could only make 100 a year in their sheds. ;)

Title: Re: Does anyone make money?
Post by coggy on May 3^rd, 2004, 7:56pm

That's a good question.

It might be that the stall holders don't make them but buy then off retired chippies who do them for a hobby really cheap just to cover the materials cost and a pint of bitter ;)
And then sell them on their stalls for a profit ???

Just thinking out load here, but it is interesting because a lot of work goes ito the items on your list

Title: Re: Does anyone make money?
Post by HandyMac on May 3^rd, 2004, 8:59pm

I'm not sure of the facts here, but here goes for one idea.....

I know from my involvement with our Lions Club that there are workshops in major towns around the UK where people who have wandered off the straight and narrow get help to become a decent member of society. This might involve cons who are coming out of prison. Some of that help involves teaching them skills which they can use to improve their lot.

Our Lions Club made use of a pool of people in Reading to stuff leaflets into little plastic tubes, those tubes being distributed to the elderly and infirm (known as "Message In A Bottle" - see http://www.bflc.org.uk/RecentEvents.asp).

I guess it is possible that at least some of the stuff that comes from these stalls is made by people who are being paid the regulatory 10p a time. If sold at a profit in these places perhaps that profit is ploughed back into the service to help others?

No idea really though.

Andrew

Title: Re: Does anyone make money?
Post by big_all on May 3^rd, 2004, 9:07pm

could it not be they are cheep imports ??? ???
from all over �the world they seem
to make just about anything for next to nothing :-[ :-[ :-[

thats why so much brittish manufacturings
gone oversease :-/ :-/

Title: Re: Does anyone make money?
Post by missmolly on May 3^rd, 2004, 9:16pm

Hello Woodentop

I think most people who sell at craft shows must be retired and have woodwork, particularly turning as a hobby. Rather than fill the house with items, they sell them and get some of the costs back.
Some are very good - and I always look at the stands if I am at a craft show, but many of them seem to be the same; there must be a magazine or kits for people to buy :)

MM

Title: Re: Does anyone make money?
Post by Big Al on May 3^rd, 2004, 10:34pm

Woodturning magazines and routing magazines all seem to carry designs for these kind of items and it has to be said that the time spent and materials making these items must many times be written off. I doubt the effort would be worth it nor oft times truely appreciated.