Very basic question on selling knives

[dereklee12]

I am new to knife making and I have only been at it for about a year. I think I am ready to start selling my knives. I am only trying to make back material costs. I posted a few of my pieces here on knifedogs. My problem is where do I sell them and how? I have given a few to family and friends as gifts and one in this summers KITH. I thought that getting knives out there for free is the best way to let people know I am doing this. Free knives have worked out fine. I haven't been turned down yet for a freebie. Now I need to start making a few bucks to at least break even. I just dont know how to sell them. At this point Knife shows are out of the question since I have never heard of one in my area (fresno ca) and I dont have the extra time and money to spend getting to a show in a different state. I thought about posting knives for sale on this forum but why would someone buy something that they make? I should also say that I dont hunt (I have never even shot a gun!) or do much of anything that would actually require a knife but I love making them. If anyone has an idea of how to get my knives into good hands please let me know. Just to extinguish possible posts I have a face book page that has a few people that like my knives but no potential buyers. thanks guys for any help.
Derek

 

[kamikazej]

I sell mine on a website called gearbastion.com and YouTube . A lot of the YouTube knife makers use gearbastion

 

[BossDog]

The knife making skills you are already working on so I'll suggest a few other things...

If you are going to sell on the internet you really really need to concentrate on taking great pictures. Now after I say that, everyone usually comes back with a list of reasons why they can't or don't take great pictures. You could have given me the same reasons for not making a knife before you made the first one. You can't take pictures of a knife tossed onto the rail of your back deck with your feet showing and expect to get anything for the knife.

If you are going to make knives to sell, you have to be good at the marketing side of the business also. Pricing, Promotion and Pictures. Just like making your first knife when you had no idea where to start, you dig in and start reading on the forums to learn to take pictures, how to price and promote your work.

Get a camera and take pictures, lot's of them. Post them, ask for feedback. (your first tip - if you are taking your picture outside, it probably is not a good picture - even if it is resting against that awesome looking stump in the back yard)

Today's $100 to $200 camera's will take an exceptionally good picture -- with practice.

To promote the knives for sale. Put a full and complete description of the knife. Length, width, thickness, type of steel, type of handle, sheath included (picture of the sheath also please), any embellishment, detail, detail, detail. Then a fair price. If it sells inside an hour, you priced it too low. If it takes 2 months to sell it, it's priced too high.

Good luck.
I hope you do well....
t