Topic: sad day

[BeSeeingYou]

I am a woodworker myself but I only build for myself or friends and not for profit.  So I know what you have into these pieces and you are not getting the price you deserve.  Most people are happy with Walmart quality and it is impossible to compete with that.  Like others have said you need exposure into a larger market or develop a specific higher demand product so you can streamline the production process.

[tramp]

here's a few more
35 for the bench
$120 for the cupboard

[Achmed]

With good joinery, those prices are low! Only craftsmen use biscuits and dowels anymore.

[Tretnine]

I'd have to say that if you do quality work the prices are worth what you're asking. You may be running into stylistic problems more than anything else. Furniture is such a personal and specialized item that it's possible people want a different look more than anything else. I know this was huge in the furniture store. It doesn't matter what the quality is, you have to start with the style people want and move to quality.

[tramp]

always got compliments
wanted to make a bed but i'm gun shy now
hate to invest the money, lug it around for a month and not sell it
even made a bench with a storage compartment for gloves ant the what not
got alot of compliments, no money
it's just the economic times

[Ogri]

Love that blue cabinet, really really nice. I prefer light wood to dark stained wood but everything looks like it'd fly out the door of a trendy/expensive shop here in London.

[lynchj]

Very nice stuff, I love the Adirondack chairs, I'd buy a set of them, shipping to CT probably would be a bit pricey but I'm not sure how you would do that.

[tramp]

they sell templates for the chairs
go down to the local wood shop, i paid $30 for the templates
about $30 for the wood and paint and away you go

[HavocTurbo]

If it makes you feel better tramp it isn't just you.

Up until May we were doing about 10 grand a day in sales. I'm lucky now to get that in a month.

I changed the name, now Simply Amish Furniture, and put on a huge event for 3 weeks. Had the radio, TV, newspapers all in on it.

I maybe made 16k a week and spent almost as much for the publicity.

www.simplyamish.com

I'm a regional manager now. I have no idea how they can promote and give raises with this economy in the tank.

If you want I can send you pictures of some new stuff and our accessories catalog so you can get ideas. I've been doing this for a long time, what you are charging is peanuts compared to our stuff. And the quality is almost as good. You should be rolling in the money.

Sorry man wish I could help.

[Uncle Ernie]

I sure hope you do better with a srewdriver than you do with a camera.    

That kind of thing can easily get twice what you're asking in places like Asheville.  Getting it here would cost you some, though.  Too bad.  I need a microscope to see your painted-on-the-head-of-a-pin pictures, but I suspect you're a victime of your location.  You need to be selling where people are moving or have the money to re-decorate (like relocated retirees).  Atlanta and Asheville are prime examples.  

E-mail me some decent-sized pictures, plus some large detail close-ups, willya?   I might get a line on pickers that get up that way.