# How do you store your for sale items?



## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

those of you that sell stuff online or at shows, how/where do you store the items that you make once they are listed online or between shows? i see people on etsy with hundreds of items listed, i cant imagine trying to keep track of all that stuff. how do you do it?


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## ArlinEastman (May 22, 2011)

When you find out I would like to know too!

I am thinking shelves and labeling everything with a tag and #


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

i was mainly thinking smaller items but just started wondering about the people who build furniture pieces as well. that stuff takes up a lot of space!

labels would definitely be a must for smaller things


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Some people track their stuff with simple data base, spreadsheets or combination of those to track expenses and sales other use business software. Use anything that helps when tax time rolls around. Lot depends upon what you make and actual sales. Definitely need to keep track of cost to make and cost to sell (licenses, fees, insurance) and sales tax collected.

Storing items you make before sales all about keeping it from getting damaged or dirty before the sale important. Have to use some common sense, and devote a place to store stuff; shelves, packing or wrapping materials may be needed. Also need to protect stuff transporting to and from shows.


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## ArlinEastman (May 22, 2011)

Mike

If you are talking of small stuff that can fit in a hand them a big plastic tub and layer it with towels or something soft to keep each piece from getting scratched.

On mailing something I found out the hard way that the USPS is NOT gentle in shipping your items nor if you put insurance on it either. The AAW or American Association of Woodturners says to double box everything. In the outside box make sure you put bubble wrap (They said never use peanuts since they move around so much) around the inner box so it does not move. Then again pack the item being shipped in fine shipping wrap then more bubble wrap so none of it moves not even a fraction. Then ship it with insurance. They also say to you will have to pay for half of that shipping to keep customers happy.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

In place where I can mess them up easily. Usually.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I make and sell small cedar boxes, about 300 a year. I have been doing this for seven years now. At first I kept these boxes in plastic bags inside large plastic tubs. The heat here in west Texas caused the plastic to stick to the finish on the boxes so I now, after many ways, tried to beat this, I bought 300 cardboard boxes and put the cedar boxes in them with a label on the box. I put these boxes in larger moving boxes, from home depot, when I take them to a sale. At home I now have an insulated out building with shelves where I store these boxes in alphabetical order. There are about 300 of them there right now along with other items like intarsia , crosses, stars and other wall hung items. I display about 120 items at each show, each week, in the summer at a local farmers market. This accounts for 1/2 of my sales and the other 1/2 I sell at local festivals. Almost all are outdoors.


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