What made everyone start selling their goods?

Good afternoon, I am new to Folksy and I thought I would say hi and introduce myself. In 2011 I had my first child and when my maternity leave had finished I went back to work part time. Last year I decided that I wanted to contribute more financially to the household but I didn’t want to have to go back to work full time and lose out on time with my daughter, this is when I decided that I was going to try selling my suncatchers and that is how Painted Lady Gifts was born. I just wondered what made other people take the plunge and actually start selling their goods, I had wanted to do it for ages but until last year I didn’t feel I was in the right ‘place’ in my life to do it. Hope this isn’t seen as too nosy, I just find it interesting learning about peoples stories and their experiences. Elizabeth

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I was making cards and jewellery pieces before I had my son, even sold some of my cards at office, but after maternity didn’t back to my old place ( wasn’t worth it financially - cost of childcare could took all my money) and girls I met in toddlers groups bought some of my jewellery, then my friends suggested I should selling my stuff online and I was thinking and thinking about it and after another of my cards printed in craft magazine I decided to give a try :slight_smile:

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I’m happy to share. I learnt silversmithing at evening classes to help me recover from spinal surgery and it stayed a hobby for 5 years or so until I was made redundant (for the second time). I looked around for another job as a chemist and realised that my chances of finding a permanent position were slim and I wasn’t really enjoying it anyway so I switched careers. Been doing this for just over 2 years now.
Sasha

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Similar to you really and I really enjoy the making. Makes me very proud when someone buys my work and that in itself is motivation enough x

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My daughter wanted to go on a trip to Africa and as she was really good at drawing I suggested she tried to sell some of her prints and do some pet portraits. I had dabbled in various crafts and in order to back her up and help her at craft fairs I started crafting more specifically to sell, putting all the profit into her travel fund. I then opened my online shops and when the second daughter decided she wanted to go to India I just carried on…by then I was addicted and when I discovered felting I just couldn’t stop. I have to sell now just so I can justify making more! Profits now go into a travel fund for all of us - hoping to have enough for a cruise soon :slight_smile: Wish I could make it my full time job but I don’t think that will ever happen.

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I’m also happy to share.

I was working full time as a office admin clerk till 3 years ago, and due to a severely under-active thyroid I had to finish work. My metabolism was slowing down and my organs were starting to shut down as well as side affects from all my medication and falling asleep as soon as I sat in a comfy chair. My husband suggested I find a hobby to try and keep me busy. I’m a bit of a magpie and I love beads, so I started making jewellery. Thyroid is finally sorted but I’m unable to work now so I help care for my mother-in-law and I make and sell jewellery. I’m new to folksy but I sell quite a bit locally and at fairs.

Rachel x

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Hi , I had been knitting and crocheting for my children (when they were small) and grandchildren now for a long time. When ever I have a spare minute you will find me with a crochet hook or knitting needles in my hands. I couldn’t pass a wool shop without going in for a look and always came out with a new supply. I was made redundant last year and took my retirement at the same time so thought I would try and sell some of the things I had made. That is when I came across Folksy. Have sold a few items business slow but that is my own fault because I have loads to list but haven’t got round to it yet. I am away for a week but when I get back will definitely be filling up my shop. Good luck with yours

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I opened a shop on the the side long before here and I wasn’t very good at it! Didn’t really understand how professional you need to be, so taken me a while to get to this stage. I started by just for the love of making different things. Fabrics always attracted me, so this is my favourite. Jewellery Is a newer addition, I just find it so relaxing and rapidly found I had too much and needed to recoup some money and buy more beads! Lol.

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Similar Story to you. I gave up my job after my second child, and wanted to work whilst spending precious time with my two children. I started 15 years ago by drawing portraits and only advertised in art shops and newspapers. I got quite a good business up and running, then had to move due to my husbands work. Instead of trying to form a good business base again I took a back step and started part time work again only to find I had the drawing bug and continued to draw at home on my days off (for personal pleasure). Loads of friends of mine started to see the work hanging on my walls and encouraged me to sell on sites like these. These craft/art sites are an amazing new way to build a business, makes building a base so much easier. For the last year I have been supplementing my work with selling what I love drawing…dreaming one day I can make it as a full time artist again. :grinning:

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When I left Wales and came to Shrewsbury I was struggling to find a job so started off selling preloved clothes on eb*y. One night whilst oh was working away, I was bored I started making origami boxes, I have always been crafty but only had printer paper to hand, I started to wonder if my little boxes would sell filled with bath bombs, they did and ShropshireNaturalProducts was born from that. I invested the money I made from that into a sewing machine, an embroidery machine and just recently an overlocker and red dragon designs came to be :slight_smile: which is great as sewing and dressmaking has always been my first love. :slight_smile:

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It’s interesting to see everyone’s stories and how they got into the same sort of thing.

I’ve always been arty/crafty (I thank Art Attack as a child!) but didn’t end up persuing anything like that as a career as it just wasn’t something people did when I left school- it was a case of- if you pass your GCSE’s you go to 6th form then University. So I’m now 27 with an English degree and working full time as a middle leader in a senior school. Not what I imagined to be honest it just sort of happened! But it’s not really where my heart lies- so I started Lino printing just for fun almost 2 years ago and it just grew from there. It’s now my hobby and my escape that also now happens to just make me a nice little additional income (when I have time!). Though fortunately there’s just me and my husband (and pets)- and we have no intention of having children so it’s nice being able to make some extra pocket money to continue to expand my hobby- and hopefully one day will be the only form of employment I need. :blush: …I can dream I guess! Haha

I realised I couldn’t give all my relatives homemade jam again for Christmas…so needed something new. Started making bags and realised I enjoyed it…at least I enjoyed buying fabric which hubby thinks is my main hobby!! Christmas over, realised I still wanted to make bags, but unless I wanted a house of bags I had to do something with them! There’s only so many bags a girl needs…right???

Helen @HandbagsbyHelen I know exactly what you mean, and seeing the photo you posted on another thread made me laugh! I had boxes of fabric sample books, and it was my sister in law who suggested I made bunting, think she didn’t like my jam. Children were little, we had decided I would be a stay at home mum, but I needed something. I had studied knitwear at polytechnic, now that ages me, and I just carried on from there, first using up my fabric mountain, then on to the oceans of yarn!
Never looked back, but it wasn’t until this year I took the plunge to sell online. Still make jam for Christmas presents, still knit for friends and the village shop, but loving the freedom of being boss!
Lets just hope for a fantastic Christmas to make all our hard work and dreams come true.
Suzzie x

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I think all my relatives dread Christmas…oh, no, not another bloody bag (especially my dad! :smile:)

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Thanks for all the replies to this post, it is really interesting hearing everyone’s stories and I can identify with so much of what has been said especially about making it your full time job, I would love to be my own boss but unfortunately my sales (or lack of them) would not allow that at the moment! I seem to do really well with fairs but can’t seem to crack selling online at the moment but I’m only very new to selling so hopefully with a bit more promotion and some more fairs I will get the word out there. Elizabeth

I started Down to Earth Recycling after doing a fashion degree and being horrified at the waste and distruction our selfish attitude to fabrics and clothes causes around the world in countries least able to cope with it.
I know what I do will create not a dent in Primark’s fat greedy profit margins but it makes me feel better! Hopefully a few people will use their imagination to recycle and re use and a movement will start towards something much less destructive.
I set myself the task of only using materials that have had a previous use and using every scrap, and have had a lot of fun doing just that.

I agree about the waste of fabrics. I attended a car boot sale a couple of weeks ago as I was looking for a small table for my craft stall. I haven’t attended a c.b.s. for years and I was totally amazed at the amount of clothing people were trying to get rid of. There was tons of it. Have people got too much money that they can buy something, wear it once and then try to sell it at a c.b.s.
I applaud anyone who upcycles, recycles or whatever, to stop things landing in landfill.

I started a good few years ago making fabric party bags, as an alternative to wrapping paper. I have now expanded my range into handbags and shoulder bags, but I still make my little gift bags which are so useful to use afterwards.

I know what you mean about waste I find it cringe worthy.

I do a lot of recycling of all sorts of recycling in what I make my books for instance are one. I even hand recycled handmade paper from all the junk mail that is posted through my door.

I recycle yarns which I only use for myself. I only used new yarns in my shop. I do use reclaimed materials in my shop along with new.

In fact I’m wearing a dress I made from a vintage blouse I found in a charity shop and some leftover over fabric from my stash.

My other favourite dress I made from a vintage floral cotton sheet.

I have patchwork pieces made from my old skirts and dress.