I’d actually like some help if you have a few minutes spare.
I’ve recently listed several of my dolls on Folksy and being new here I’d love to hear any feedback on my shop from fellow makers. I’m particularly interested in what you think about my photos and also my pricing, it’s good to hear fresh opinions as I find it hard to distance myself and see things from a potential buyer’s perspective sometimes! But any feedback is a great help, don’t worry if you think critiquing sounds harsh, I won’t be offended, good honest opinions would be much appreciated
Anyway, thank you in advance to those who take the time to “review” my shop
I have purchased a CE testing kit and am steadily working through the process myself - it’s more complicated than I had hoped, however the kit helps a lot as it breaks it down into stages. It’s going well so far though, the dolls are doing really well lol! Also I buy wool felt that meets EN71 standard for toy making.
I find when I put in the extra time with promoting it’s rewarded with a nice sale or two.
October was a good month for me, but November a little quiet here.
I work part time also so I find it tricky juggling everything, and it sometimes makes me procrastinate.
I’ve not long ago devised a little rota which is helping me to focus abit better.
I can tick off the completed tasks as I go and it does make me feel like I’ve achieved a lot more.
Pretty shop! I am working on my photos, mainly to get them to fit the thumbnail better, I noticed yours are the same. As some are missing bits when I land on your shop. Personally, this but I hate doing! LOL
Lovely shop and great product - I can see it doing well.
Like @Amberlilly, I would work on formatting your photos - I find if I either take photos using a square format or crop them square before uploading they look a lot better on the shop front.
Personally, I’d concentrate on getting the CE testing completed as I’m pretty sure its illegal to sell toys without it but thats up to you - I know you say the felt meets EN71 standard but what about the stuffing/clothing/hair etc. How secure are the buttons/hair/seams - all these things and more are tested in the CE testing. Once tested I would put it in your title and your tags as well as description so someone searching for CE tested toys will find you.
I was going to type the same things…I would make sure all the testing is done first…then list the items provided the meet all requirements. Just to be on the safe side…
Along with the CE testing as others have suggested, you will need to ensure that your dolls have that on their label. It was also a condition of my insurance that they were CE tested, so you may want to check yours out with your insurer. (I no longer make dolls but I used to to!).
Also measurements are in inches but I’d also provide cm. Are the clothes removable - if so what kind of closures do they use as this could be a good selling point for parents who want their children to practise buttons/zips etc. You’ll need to state how to wash the dolls and their clothes - kids toys tend to get grubby quite quick! Are the clothes made from cotton or any other special materials? Is the hair a particular type of wool? If the clothing is made from a particular brand of fabric you could also list that as a selling point!
For each rag doll I’d include a full photo of the entire doll, front and back, as well as close-ups. The use of the tennis ball as a prop gives a good idea on size at first glance for the tennis dolls - could you use a different prop for the other?
Hope that helps - lots to think about! Good luck with the testing!
