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Feature Article

Tips for Selling Crafts on Consignment

In that situation, the store owner is receiving all of the benefits of a wholesale arrangement (i.e. 50% of the sale price) while leaving all of the risk in the hands of the artist. Ensure that your consignment arrangements are win-win situations, which, in my opinion, means negotiating at least a 60% artist - 40% retailer split in the sale price.

2. Understand your target audience so you can ensure you are approaching store owners who have a customer base that is similar to your own. Ensure that your pricing is in line with the expectations of that store's customers or it will not be a good match.

I wouldn't recommend lowering your prices to fit with the price ranges within a given store, instead I'd suggest finding a different store that's a better fit for your work. I have written a series of articles on craft pricing that can help you with pricing your crafts.

3. Selling crafts on consignment does not have to be limited to traditional consignment shops. You may have some local shops that specialize in selling items on consignment. If their customer base is a good fit for your work, then these stores may be a good starting point for selling your crafts on consignment.

However, don't limit yourself to consignment shops. Many traditional, independent retail stores will consider selling items on a consignment basis as it reduces their costs and provides them with a broader and unique range of items to offer their customers.

4. Be sure to build a good relationship with the store owner or manager. This person is responsible for promoting and safeguarding your work. You may end up leaving hundreds of dollars worth of your inventory in their safe-keeping, so you'll want to ensure that you can trust them to promote and take care with your items.

5. You may need to provide the displays for your items. Some retailers will have their own displays that fit the overall look of their store, others will provide you with space and require you to create the display. There are several craft display tips here.

6. Develop a good inventory management system. You'll need to keep track of what items are at the store and what items have been sold. When I sold my jewelry on consignment, I used an Excel spreadsheet to create a list (one copy for the retailer and one for myself) that included a description of the item, a photo of the item, the retail price, the retailer's percentage at sale and my percentage, a place to note when it was sold and a section for notes.

Your own inventory management will likely evolve depending upon variables such as the volume of consignment sales you make, the number of retailers you work with and the nature of your crafts.

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