# What is the best way to Sell my Custom Built Furniture?



## Gluniewski

Hey everyone, I just graduated from Buffalo State College with a Furniture Design Degree and i have won numerous awards through the schools and local galleries…. I have been building furniture for 8 years now and have many great pieces. 
I have been trying to sell a few of my pieces (mainly my office corner desk, and a bar) If anyone has any ideas for me that would be a great help. I have many photos of everyting ive built if anyone wants to see them. Some pieces may interest you and if so give an offer for the piece!!! Thank you, i hope someone can direct me in the right way.

The pieces ive built consist of:

Office Corner Desk
A dresser with an attached clothes rack for the days outfit
Coffee Table
2 person love seat (adirondock style)
wall mounted mirror
a nyc skyline lamp
Wall mounted wine rack
Entertainment center
Armoir
Night stand 
A Bar


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## richgreer

If I were starting a business today I would focus on marketing via the internet and I would not do it with some poorly done, amateurish website. I would hire a professional website designer and internet marketing specialist. I would not be cheap. I would pay the dollars necessary to have a website and marketing program that set me apart from the competition.

Then I would worry about how I can produce enough product to handle the demand.


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## SCOTSMAN

Why not show us these pieces so we can better advise you? Alistair


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## Gluniewski

im in the process of uploading all the photos to my page right now. i have 2 on there now if you wanna take a look


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## a1Jim

Gary that is the question many would like the answer to.


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## huff

Gary,
I went to your project page and you have some really nice pieces. Are there any Home Shows in your area? Usually these are sponsored by the local Home Builders Association or Home Remodelers. They may have one in the spring and another in the fall, but check out your area. These shows are usually 3 to 4 days and a booth is not real cheap, but if it's a decent show, you will get a ton of exposure. I found in our area at that time (Raleigh/Durham, NC), we would have 20 - 30 thousand people come through in a 4 day show. There would be a lot of manufactureres, big Companies and of course a lot of contractors that would display, but very few (if any) Custom Woodworkers there…..That was great for me! Don't take anything that looks like Kitchen Cabinets, but unique pieces that the average homeowner doesn't find in a big Box Store or Cabinet shop. 
A lot of people get to see your work and get to meet you….......and that's important! I did Home Shows for 18 years and that was my only marketing other then word of mouth. If you have any questions or would like some ideas about a show, just drop me a line.
I agree with Rich, if you are going to work the internet, have it done professionally. Everyone, including your pizza delivery boy can build a web-site, but the WWWC now has it that if you are not a credited Web Designer and that seal is not on your web-site, about the only good your site will be is for you. 
Good luck!


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## Timberwerks

I have heard of people having sales through, http://www.mybluesofa.com/


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## woodspark

Fully agree with a1jim, so I am keeping a keen eye on this topic!!!!


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## TheWoodsmith

Etsy.com and Rocklercustommade.com/ok


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## NewPickeringWdWrkr

Here's a great resource for online marketing. Very insightful!

http://workbenchmarketing.com/blog/


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## jimswoodshop

I think were all standing by for the answers on this one. Keep talking guys were listening and taking notes.


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## GFYS

Go back to school and get a degree in "networking" because ultimately WHO you know is at least as important as WHAT you know. Then stop hanging out with people that MAKE furniture and find some that BUY furniture.


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## roman

Good luck. I looked at your project page and really liked the coffee table and my guess is, that almost any high end studio/gallery furniture store would take that on consignment and I mean no offence but the rest of the projects, albeit nicelydone, strike me as "average".

It is most difficult to sell quality made furniture in the Wal-Mart world to which we live. It takes decades to get a "name" and only seconds to loose the "name".

You might try getting copies made of the pictures of your work and then mail a package out to designers in your area, good builders. decorators with a short letter, pics…...............and 2 weeks later follow up with a phone call to each of those you mailed. Squeeky gears get greased and nothing shows a prospective buyer/customer that you are interested in "selling" more then badgering the living hell out of them. I have been bugging a contractor for over a year now about doing work for him, send him e-mailed photos, mail him pictures, references ofother clients and contractors….............every week I send him a reminder that I am still here hoping to poke my foot through the door and today…......he is going to let me bid on a project.

Good Luck


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## rhett

There are thousand of people who can do what we do, some better some worse. The highest skilled craftsmen are often the first to go out of business. Skill is not the determining factor in deciding your success as a woodworker. I know more hacks than craftsmen who stay busy. Gain business skill and have a plan B.

As far as an internet sales plan, good luck with that. Furniture is something that needs to be seen, touched and experienced. I feel that a woodworker need little more than an online portfolio. Most internet shoppers do so because they are price conscious and are looking for a deal.


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## rusticandy

I totally agree rhett,

An internet site just lends an aire of legimacy to your business. I never get cold calls/ emails from the internet, except for scam/spam. Instead, I get several custom orders a year from stuff parked in the galleries. Excpet for smalll stuff i($300 or less) t rarely sells, but it brings in sales.


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## AlaskaGuy

Become famous and build to order (in other words after you have a customer who has given you a deposit).


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## 000

7 year old thread, brought back up just for advertisement…....Thanks Bronze :>/


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## AlaskaGuy

> 7 year old thread, brought back up just for advertisement…....Thanks Bronze :>/
> 
> - jbay


Damn, on of these day I'll learn to look at posting dates. This isn't the first time I've done this.


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## 000

> 7 year old thread, brought back up just for advertisement…....Thanks Bronze :>/
> 
> - jbay
> Damn, on of these day I ll learn to look at posting dates. This isn t the first time I ve done this.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy


Yeah, it's frustrating sometimes. I read the OP's opening and looked at his projects before figuring it out.


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## 000

> My bad jbay
> Didn t mean to make anyone upset. I only wanted to offer help…
> 
> - home365xyz


I'm not upset!


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## Manitario

All I can say is good luck. Many of the well known ww from eg. FWW frequently talk about how difficult it is to make a living doing ww exclusively. These are guys who do spectacular work and who are really well known in the ww community. Even guys like Brian Boggs have really struggled to make a profit at times.

From what I've seen and read, you need an aggressive, diverse internet presence and you need to sell stuff either unique, popular kitsch (eg. the "rustic" fad currently popular) or very well done historic reproductions, eg. some of the high-end Shaker reproductions eg. Christian Becksvoort. Simply making good, solid wood furniture won't get you very far. There are so many fantastic woodworkers these days that even well done "average" is not good enough. I echo what others here have said, your projects are nice, but very average looking. I imagine that you are very good at what you do, but that's going to be hard to set you apart from all the other ww who are also very skilled and have projects that really stand out.


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## wormil

Wonder if he was successful.


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## bronzed1

I agree, it's hard to get noticed. You have to stand out in some way. Either by building something different in your own style or by having really great content online and it still can take a long time. It doesn't happen over night. You see so many new woodworkers all wanting to make a living out of their garages.

I would say try to increase your presence online and on a local level. Getting known locally as the go to person for handmade furniture can really boost your sales.
Just my two cents…


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