So, I'm officially in the bottle stopper business. I purchased the Ruth Niles starter kit and made a load of bottle stoppers. I have to say I'm rather pleased. The next question was, now that I've got close to $100 sunk into this how do I get it back?
Don't get me wrong, I like making them, but still. I mean to say I almost always look at life through the prism of capitalism. "How can I have fun AND make money!?" So I loaded up my bag with bottle stoppers and started my march to rejection.
Two weeks ago, I hit about eight local gift stores. Most encounters stared off the same.
"May I help you"
"I'm peddling," I'd say to break the ice. "Do you do consignment sales?"
"Yes...but"
And here the stories would differ. The owner is traveling, the owner isn't interested, the owner makes bowls (didn't quite understand that excuse myself). Of the eight shops only one took my card and only two actually looked at my product. It was a rather large bash to my ego.
I honestly let it get to me all week. I was a bit deflated, but last weekend I tried again.
This time I had a stopper in my hand as I walked through the door of the shop.
"Do you do consignment sales? I make these!" This time the response was much better. On the fourth shop I got a bite. I'm heading back there Friday to drop off the stoppers and a display I've been working. So begins my stopper sales. Luckily, being in the heart of wine country, bottle stoppers are pretty popular here. We'll see. Either way it feels good to get a bite!
Don't get me wrong, I like making them, but still. I mean to say I almost always look at life through the prism of capitalism. "How can I have fun AND make money!?" So I loaded up my bag with bottle stoppers and started my march to rejection.
Two weeks ago, I hit about eight local gift stores. Most encounters stared off the same.
"May I help you"
"I'm peddling," I'd say to break the ice. "Do you do consignment sales?"
"Yes...but"
And here the stories would differ. The owner is traveling, the owner isn't interested, the owner makes bowls (didn't quite understand that excuse myself). Of the eight shops only one took my card and only two actually looked at my product. It was a rather large bash to my ego.
I honestly let it get to me all week. I was a bit deflated, but last weekend I tried again.
This time I had a stopper in my hand as I walked through the door of the shop.
"Do you do consignment sales? I make these!" This time the response was much better. On the fourth shop I got a bite. I'm heading back there Friday to drop off the stoppers and a display I've been working. So begins my stopper sales. Luckily, being in the heart of wine country, bottle stoppers are pretty popular here. We'll see. Either way it feels good to get a bite!
Why not go online and sell them? Seems like a perfect venue for such a product. They look great btw - asking price?
ReplyDeleteThanks! I've sold lots of stuff on ebay, (haven't tried esty) but it just seems like a pretty saturated market.
ReplyDelete$25 or so. In the shops prices vary based on the owners, and I get %60 of that.
it's not a bad gig actually and no shipping hassles.