Enterprising offspring.

[greencloud]

Last year we extended our little herd, and my kids thought we should go into business selling them to make some pocket money. (I think in kit format for self assembly could maybe work).

I've never so much as sold an igem on ebay, so any thoughts on potential sales channels, price point or restrictions would be most welcome.

Cheers.

Edit damn links... try again:

Mini herd https://imgur.com/gallery/hfq6wGv

 

[crosslandkelly]

They look great, they'd make fine xmas decorations.
As for selling them, I'd go big on the "Hand Crafted, Limited Edition, All Natural Materials" side of the description. £10 a piece? £45 for 5?
Will the Pine needle antlers last, or would you be better with twigs?
Edit
Have a look here, it may help with description and pricing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...3&_nkw=Hand+made+christmas+ornaments&_sacat=0

 

[greencloud]

They look great, they'd make fine xmas decorations.
As for selling them, I'd go big on the "Hand Crafted, Limited Edition, All Natural Materials" side of the description. £10 a piece? £45 for 5?
Will the Pine needle antlers last, or would you be better with twigs?
Edit
Have a look here, it may help with description and pricing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...3&_nkw=Hand+made+christmas+ornaments&_sacat=0

Thanks, thats what I was thinking myself, though I can't pass off plastic googly eyes and pompoms as all natural, or think of a natural alternative! You reckon a tenner? I thought £5 tops!

We originally used twigs for the antlers but its tricky to find branching that small, and they crumbled after 11 months in the loft, plus its easy to source fresh sprigs and/or a good excuse for a walk!

 

[Bazzworx]

They're brilliant, I saw some bigger ones at a Christmas market a few years ago they were about 2 foot tall for £25. I decided to make an even bigger one for the mrs then several friends and family wanted one.

 

[Robson Valley]

Do it. Sell those in kit form, your production is far faster.

Up here, I buy the little decoration kits from Lee Valley and other wood shops (CNC laser-cut wood snowflakes, etc. )
Then we all sit around the table to build and paint decorations for the house and tree.
I don't get to see my kids very often, far away and very busy. Such a day of assembly really is family time.

 

[greencloud]

They're brilliant, I saw some bigger ones at a Christmas market a few years ago they were about 2 foot tall for £25. I decided to make an even bigger one for the mrs then several friends and family wanted one.

Those are the ones I seen originally, usually in garden centres etc in the season, but silly expensive. My kids do a thing at school each xmas and easter where they get the parents in and stick / chop / glue / paint a bagful of paper cra...ft, then get to go home early. A couple of years back it was my turn to attend so I decided to one-up it afterward with sharps, hot glue gun etc so prepped the small ones. My next idea is to make a big one that's cocking its leg like a dog and peeing on something (pin a twist of clingfilm)!

Do it. Sell those in kit form, your production is far faster.

Up here, I buy the little decoration kits from Lee Valley and other wood shops (CNC laser-cut wood snowflakes, etc. )
Then we all sit around the table to build and paint decorations for the house and tree.
I don't get to see my kids very often, far away and very busy. Such a day of assembly really is family time.

Thats the best part. Getting together just to be with eachother is nice, but getting together to 'do' something feels much more special, and you usually get a keepsake or something out of it. I was looking at those laser cut things on etsy, described as handmade I thought 'yeah right. Painted maybe, but nobody cut that out with a scrollsaw and made profit from £2.99!!

 

[Robson Valley]

To do stuff together is memorable. Were I any closer, I need to buy 10 of those.
Sign them somehow (branding iron?) And pay yourself fairly, OK?

Actually, if it's a fine snowy winter day, we pack up everything for hot drinks and nibbles.
Head out to our favorite spot and spend a few lazy hours shooting clay pigeons!
One son-in-law, the Brit, is from NYorks and a fine shot in doubles.
The kids think nothing of chewing up a couple cases of clays and a flat of 12 trap loads,

Kits of local hand made parts from local woods are the best ornament kits you can buy.
There is a local kid who uses a scroll saw to cut out several different snowflake/reindeer/conifer tree/candy cane/etc patterns.
He can't do enough. His Mom sits next to him and sells craft paint kits & simple throw-away brushes. 1-2 punch.
Those things are just enough for a 5 yr old to cope with. Perfect, says Grandpa!

Father/son from the next village bought a CNC cutter and work in thin baltic birch plywood. All kinds of stuff.
Serious Christmas craft fair sales and income.

For us here in the far west, it's the Canadian souvenirs made in China (or any Pacific Rim sweatshop)
that are bound to give us a bad case of the grunts.
I'd rather pay 2X for something made down my street that we can assemble.