Tag: howto

How To Successfully Sell on Ebay
Business · Thrifting

How To Successfully Sell on Ebay

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So, you’ve decided you’re done with the traditional 9-5 and you’ve decided you’re going to begin your new venture or side-hustle selling on eBay. Firstly, I would like to say Congratulations on taking a risk! Maybe you’ve decided you’re not quite ready to start diving head-first into selling, but you’d like to gain a little insight into the best way to navigate the e-commerce giant. If either of these cases hit home to you, you’re in the right place.

In today’s article, I’m going to get you started on how to sell on eBay successfully and provide to you the lessons I have learned throughout my eBay selling career that can help guide you! I will be going over why you should sell on eBay, my personal experiences selling on the platform, what things to avoid selling on eBay, and some of the Pro’s and Con’s to selling things online.

My History Selling on Ebay

I want to start this article by sharing a little information about my past experiences selling on eBay which has ultimately brought me to where I am today.

I began my eBay career in 2015, shortly after dropping out from college. At that time, I was in desperate need of a way to make some money to maintain my independence. I got a job across the street from the bedroom I was renting out at one of the 100 or so Dunkin’ Donuts in the neighborhood. At that time, making Dunkie’s coffee was really the only job I was qualified for. I had enrolled in nursing school around the same time to get myself involved in a potentially practical career. Juggling aggravatingly minimally paying work and long hours studying and going to classes became my new life.

I had always been a frugal shopper and my favorite brand to purchase at that time was Polo Ralph Lauren. I know, champagne taste on a beer budget. Luckily for me, I was always able to find my favorite brand hidden in the racks of my local Goodwill. $5 for a button down was all I needed to grow my wardrobe and trust me I grew my wardrobe. So much so, in fact, that I honestly had all the Polo I needed. My closet was full but the thrill of sifting through the racks to find my brand was left unnourished. That’s when eBay entered into my life.

I thought to myself that if I could find this expensive brand for only $5 at the local thrift store, there must be a way to sell it for at least 1/4 of what it costs in the retail stores, right? I downloaded the eBay app one night after class and began searching for what a used Polo shirt would sell for and quickly realized that there was a lot of potential.

I used all of my tip money that I would get from working at DD and began buying shirts, listing them on the eBay app, and was surprised how quickly they sold. Shocked, I thought to myself, “If I do some research, there must be a whole bunch of brands that I’m not even aware of that I might be able to find on the racks as well.” Days and days of research eventually opened an entire new world of second-hand fashion before my very eyes.

I eventually quit my job and finished nursing school, only to begin my thrifting career and go on to open multiple storefronts throughout the following years. I will save the minutia for my autobiography lol. The moral of the story is this: I utilized an e-commerce site to become an entrepreneur and so can you! The key is to find your own path and use some key insights. The things I wish I had known a lot earlier on in my career I will share with you today.

Why Choose Ebay to Sell?

There are many reasons why one would choose eBay as their primary means of selling. One reason may be that they allow you to sell used clothing (a category I took full advantage of). If clothing is your primary focus, the fact that you can sell used clothing on eBay is a huge bonus. I’m guessing that clothing is what has brought most of you to this article. 😉

Currently, eBay has one of the largest numbers of active shoppers out of all the online e-commerce giants. Reports show that there are over 180 million active buyers on eBay worldwide. That is a huge audience to reach as a prospective seller! Another shocking statistic is that there are over 1 billion active listings on the website! A whole lot of buyers mixed in with a whole lot of things available for sale. This can be both a positive and a negative respectively which we will get into more detail about further down in the article.

It doesn’t have to be used clothing to get you to consider selling on eBay. Many people find success in a whole laundry list of categories: Auto Parts, Electronics, Accessories, games, and many more. The principles that I will share with you in this article will hold true no matter what your category may be.

What Should I Be Selling on Ebay?

Now that we have covered why you should consider selling on eBay, we can move on to what you should be selling on eBay. The following list should serve you in narrowing down your selections regardless of what category you invest in:

  1. Rare products within your niche
  2. Products you can source for very little up-front cost or even free
  3. Products within your category that aren’t commonly listed
  4. Products that are sold at a high rate

I get that you may be saying to yourself, “Dude this is so general and obvious” but hear me out. I will give you some examples of each bullet point within the used clothing category.

  1. For example, rare products within the used clothing category may include certain eras of military clothing. Yes, they may be difficult to source and find, but the rarity itself makes them worth investing in; should you come across them.
  2. Many times you can find places that offer “by the pound” purchasing such as the “bins” at a Goodill outlet where you can get pounds of clothing for less than $1. Other times you may find people on Facebook Marketplace who are willing to give you things for free. It takes research, but these things do exist.
  3. An example of products within the category of clothing that aren’t commonly sold would be suits. I, personally, sold thousands and thousands of suits and suit separates simply because it is not typically a product that most people think to thrift. Find your “suits” in whatever category you choose to sell within.
  4. An example of a brand that is sold at a high rate (at least for now in 2022) within the clothing category is Patagonia. Patagonia is hot and so whenever you, as a clothing seller, can get your hands on it for a reasonable price; buy it. Find your category’s Patagonia.

What NOT To Sell on Ebay

Now that we have covered what types of things to research, let’s go ahead and cover what to not look for or try and sell. The Following is a list of things, that in over 6 years of selling on eBay, I have learned to avoid:

  1. Products that have thousands of search results – You’re simply going to get lost in the search results. Unless you are selling this product for the lowest price on all of eBay (people will search from Low-High for pricing). Most likely, if you have the lowest price point, people will either question the quality, or you will be losing out on profit margins. Don’t waste your time.
  2. Products with poor conversion rates – Do a quick filter under the “sold” section when you search for an item you want to buy. If there are thousands of listings that are active, and only a handful that have sold; don’t try to sell it. Low conversion can be subjective, but as a general rule of thumb, if you don’t see 500 active and at least 250 sold; don’t buy it to try to sell it.
  3. Custom made products or artwork – Ebay just doesn’t have the following for custom made goods or artwork. You would have much better results by switching over to Etsy if you’re looking to sell custom made goods or art.
  4. Inexpensive retail items – Why waste your time listing an item that you can realistically only sell for $5? Maybe if you have hundreds of them and do a bulk listing? Inexpensive retail items are better for huge eBay stores and most likely selling on Amazon.
  5. Generic Brands – People generally come to eBay in search of good deals on name brands. The platform has developed a reputation as a place where everything is heavily discounted. Generic brands don’t have the resale value that name brands carry. Unless it is a specific part or style that is needed or on-trend I would avoid anything generic.
  6. Products that you, yourself, can’t identify – If you don’t know what it is or what the use for it is why would anyone be searching for it or even know what to type in to find it? You would have to be insanely good at writing a description of what you thought it might be in order to get someone who might be thinking along the same lines while shopping. Low likelihood.
  7. Products that you dislike sourcing – If you don’t enjoy the process of the hunt, you’re not going to enjoy the sale. It comes down to burnout and lack of interest. These two things will make the entire process unenjoyable, and you’ll eventually give up.

Types of Tricks That Help Products Sell

The following is a list of some tried and true “tricks” that will help your listings sell:

  • The Title – This is easily the most important, frequently overlooked, and sure-fire way to get your listings into the eyes of prospective buyers. The title needs to have the following structure: Brand, Description, Type, Color, Size. Example: Hugo Boss Double Breasted Suit Jacket Brown Herringbone Size 42R. DO NOT just put “Hugo Boss Blazer” because you’re narrowing it down to about 500 other listings with that also included in the title. People might be looking for all the specifics mentioned in the former title and land right on your listing.
  • The Description – To avoid hundreds of unnecessary messages you’re going to want to create a pretty descriptive description. Always include measurements in the description. You’ll also cut down on your return rate by providing extra details.
  • Lowball to gain exposure – The way that the eBay algorithm works is that when you sell, you sell again. I’m not sure exactly what it is but anytime I would do a clean out of my inventory (starting bid .99 or $4.99) and sell hundreds of things after the 10-day auction, I would also get ensuing sales on regularly priced inventory. You need to gain sales in order to make sales and one of the easiest ways to do that is to clean house.
  • Stay Active – Post new inventory every day and answer messages. The eBay algorithm loves activity. There is also a way to “refresh” your listings! Edit in bulk. You don’t have to actually change anything about any of the listings, but by simply going through the process of “editing in bulk” you can create a whole mess of activity very quickly.
  • Free Shipping – This is a controversial one. It can be very smart to offer free shipping if you know your numbers and analyze your profit margins. Things sell quicker with free shipping. The downfall to free shipping is that people will take advantage of eBay’s return policy and you’ll be stuck paying return shipping regardless of your personal return policy. Those returns can add up to ruin your bottom-line the more you sell and the more that gets returned.

Conclusion

Ebay comes with a lot of fees. Be wary of what you are spending and sourcing and use the manager tools to track your profits and losses. Seriously, you need to treat this like a business if you want to be successful. Most people neglect this, and they wonder why they don’t make any profits.

The flipping game is difficult, if you’re doing it correctly you are hardly seeing any returns. You’re constantly using your profits to buy more products. This can seem like a never-ending battle of accumulating inventory. At some point, you need to start taking profits out and paying yourself.

Over time you will get better and better at sourcing products that work for you. Do what works best and source the things that sell quickly. Don’t hang on to inventory for too long in hopes that someone is just waiting 6 months to purchase it. Run a cleanout auction and get rid of it! You probably made your investment back on that haul anyway!

I have a love-hate relationship with eBay. The returns and messages overwhelmed me to the point where I finally gave up on it. I have love for eBay by helping me start my career, but I think it’s not the answer for the long-haul. It is always better to own your own than to have to use a 3rd party selling platform that eats away at all your profits. Best Wishes to you all!

-Ian Drake, Diversity Consignment

Business · Community · Thrifting

What Should I Expect at a Consignment Shop?

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Consignment shops can be great sustainable places to re-sell or purchase slightly used or even new clothing. In many regards, consignment shops are some of the most sustainable forms of recycling due to the low impact on waste they tend to produce. The clothing goes in a simple cycle, from consignor, to consignee, to consumer.

Of course, what to expect at a typical consignment shop will vary greatly depending on the styles and types of consignment shops in question. They can range from beautiful boutique style clothing stores, hype beast shops, and even true vintage stores. I will say, however, that the vast majority of consignment shops I have seen tend to be more focused on the up-scale designer centric styles. This may be due to the fact that within these boutique types of consignment shops, one may find some great discounts on otherwise unaffordable brands.

In this article we are going to cover some of the tried-and-true basics of what one would typically find inside of a consignment shop regardless of the specific type of products they offer.

What Makes a Consignment Shop Different than a Charity Thrift Store?

I want to start by doing a little bit of classification on what a consignment shop is and what differentiates it from a typical charity thrift shop.

A consignment shop is defined as “a store that sells secondhand items (typically clothing and accessories) on behalf of the original owner, who receives a percentage of the selling price.” This is different than a charity thrift store in a couple of notable ways:

  • A consignment shop typically has a carefully curated selection of products.
  • You can make money by dropping off your personal items to a consignment shop.
  • Consignment shops are typically for-profit businesses, however; in some instances, that is not always true.

Organization (layout)

The organization within a consignment shop is typically uncluttered and well-structured. This holds true in most shops that I have personally visited. Why are they usually so well organized? It is much easier to keep track of consigned goods inside a more well-organized setting. Remember, many consignment shops can have thousands of different products belonging to hundreds or thousands of different clients at any given time.

If a consignment shop is cluttered and disorganized, it can be a warning sign to prospective consignors. Unless the aesthetic is “organized clutter” (I have definitely seen some consignment shops master this visual) the prospective seller may be left wondering “How are they going to keep track of my stuff?” Consignment stores rely heavily on the community to supply the store with merchandise, so it is important that they gain the trust of a potential client.

Boutique style consignment shops will have a wide array of department store style fixings. Glass showcases, neat tables, and minimalist decor. While vintage consignment shops may have a good display of organized clutter. A shop should fit the vibe they’re trying to portray. I wouldn’t expect a lot of glitter and glam inside of a vintage store, for instance. On the other hand, I would still expect it to be more well organized than a run-of-the-mill charity thrift store.

The Products

Like I mentioned earlier, consignment shops will have a well-curated selection of inventory. The inventory will likely match the clientele that the store is delivering to. For example, a consignment shop in Nantucket will likely have a lot of pastel colored clothing or nautical themed home decor. A hype beast consignment shop located in the inner-city will likely have sneakers, casual clothing, and streetwear designer brands.

The products you should find in a consignment shop should fill the void between “new” and “heavily used.” Most stores will not accept items that show major, obvious signs of wear. This is important to note because you are not likely to find basement prices on the new arrivals section of your neighborhood consignment shop. We will go into pricing expectations a little further down in the article.

Couches at furniture consignment shops should resemble new couches. Dresses at the boutique consignment shop should look as close to new as possible.

You will traditionally (or I should say should not see at all) fast fashion brands or inexpensively manufactured items at a consignment shop, if they are doing their job curating products. Low priced retail merchandise just doesn’t have enough markup value on the resale market and therefore has little to no value to a consignment shop.

You should expect a good selection of desirable merchandise at the consignment store. That desirability, of course, will depend on who the target audience is geared towards at that particular location. Like I said, if you are into goth-core styled clothing, don’t be shocked if the local boutique consignment shop doesn’t carry a decent selection of what you’re interested in.

Pricing

The general rule of thumb when it comes to pricing expectations should be somewhere between retail and bargain basement pricing. Consignment shop inventory as a whole, is typically between 90-95% used. Even clothing or household items that still have the tags and that are un-used should still be priced between 50-80% of retail value. Think about pricing on a department store clearance rack. I have seen some more boutique style shops that stick to near retail value and I have seen others that will go as far as 33% of retail value. The pricing should match the value that they deliver to you, the customer.

Consignment shops are places of discounted merchandise. It is not uncommon to see heavy discounts on sale racks (up to 90% off the original price tag). Usually, inventory is moving at a pretty rapid pace and new inventory is coming in hot. The stores need to make room for new arrivals and will put a good amount of inventory on clearance to make room for new merch. These sales can be great opportunities for customers to get some fantastic deals on excellent quality gems.

Consignment shops should deliver on value to prospective customers. They can justify higher prices than charity thrift stores by delivering on that value. How well the store in question performs on the following bullet points should help to determine the overall value of the pricing:

  • Customer service
  • Cleanliness of the store
  • Selection of the merchandise (curation)
  • Overall experience

If the store delivers 10/10 on all of these components, expect to pay a little higher in price.

What Makes Diversity Consignment Stand Out?

Here at Diversity Consignment, we try to differentiate in a few ways that help us stand out from the typical consignment shop experience.

Traditionally, clothing consignment shops have been cis-gendered and specialize in delivering excellent quality to either the female or male customer market exclusively. Here at Diversity Consignment, we have broken down the barrier of that exclusivity and welcome a non-binary shopping experience for all genders. Honestly, most people won’t really even notice this difference upon entrance because the racks are simply organized by inventory type (sweaters, hoodies, jackets, etc.) and size. This may not be the ideal layout for everyone, and we embrace that.

Another differentiator we offer is the products that we curate. In many regards it would be difficult to classify the inventory under one simple classification. We showcase boutique brands, instruments, vintage styles, vinyl records, and most importantly local artwork and custom creations. Really what we try to offer are things that our prospective customers would want to purchase. We try to communicate as best that we can with our existing customers and analyze the data on what is selling to narrow-down our future selections and curations. Again, our inventory is not likely for everyone, and we understand that.

We offer a calendar of events on our website and have a range of interactive activities for you to do while shopping! Swing by some time to shop or consign with us when you’re in the Boston area!

Conclusion

Consignment shops are fantastic places to stay frugal and in-style regardless of the type of consignment shop and what they offer. I would suggest finding one that aligns with your style and values, if possible. Don’t go in thinking you’re going to pay GoodWill prices; the consignment shops work hard to curate top-quality inventory and oftentimes work extra hard to make the inventory presentable.

The secondhand industry is continuing to grow as people become more aware of the impacts their spending has on the local community and the environmental impacts. Do us all a favor and support your local consignment shop!

Business · Thrifting

How to Get Started as a Thrifter

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So, you want to start thrifting but don’t know where to begin? What types of things should you be looking for? Do you want to thrift for personal use or for reselling? Can I start a thrifting Vlog? These are some of the questions we’re going to try to answer for you in today’s article….”How to Get Started as a Thrifter!”

Side note: there are a lot of details involved with professional thrifting we may go over in later articles. In this one we are going to focus primarily on how to get started thrifting.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

What Is Thrifting?

You keep hearing this term “thrifting,” but you’ve been living under a rock since 2010. That’s alright, we can explain. According to an upload on Wiktionary, thrifting may be described as, “The act of shopping for cheap items, as for example at a garage sale or flea market.” We, at Diversity Consignment, are going to define the term as, “The act of shopping at a second-hand store with the intentions of using your purchases for personal use, upcycling, content creation, or reselling.”

Thrifting is what we frugal shoppers enjoy doing in our free time. It is 1, good for the environment 2, fun to do and 3, can return you a profit if done correctly. I, personally, began my career in 2014, thrifting with the intention to resell for a profit. At that time, I had very little money to start up a business and enjoyed finding treasures at my local thrift stores. Little did I know that my frugal nature would lead me in the direction that it did! Back then, it was quite uncommon for younger people to be flooding the thrift stores and flea markets like they are today (I know, hard to imagine!). But I digress…

Thrifting is a huge step in the right direction for eliminating some of the textile waste we see negatively affecting our planet. It’s a practice that has been around for over 100 years but I can honestly say it’s great to hear that you’re finally taking on an interest!

Why Do You Want To Thrift?

In order to know what to look for, you’re first going to have to understand why you want to thrift. Is it because you understand the negative economic impacts wasteful companies such as the fashion industries progress? Is it because you want to stay stylish while saving money? Or is it because you’re looking to start a side hustle you can work on to call your own? It could even be a combination of all three! If your intentions are to become a thrifter who buys for reselling or Vlogging, we’re going to try to help you with today’s article.

What To Look For

Reasonably speaking, one can find all kinds of things at the thrift stores. Most places carry a wide range of second-hand products from clothing, accessories, CDs, stereo equipment, to artwork and much, much more.

If you want to start thrifting to resell, I recommend focusing on a particular category that you find especially interesting. That way when you find something unique or valuable, you will always get the same rush of excitement. Having a niche category that you look for can also save you a whole lot of wasted time and energy!

I would also recommend starting in a category that isn’t too overcrowded but also retains interest. Take some time to research on major ecommerce websites like eBay and video platforms like YouTube for some categories that don’t seem too competitive. By competitive what I mean is a particular category that has an overwhelming number of listings or videos already made or uploaded. For example, starting to thrift for vintage clothing may be great for personal use, but when it comes to resale it will be difficult to find the “grail” pieces first of all, and secondly, it would be challenging to make a footprint in the vintage market. If you were to get into vintage clothing, I would start with a more niche category such as “vintage travel t-shirts.” (I will go into further detail in a separate article on what constitutes an article of clothing as “vintage“).

You want to be able to get your content out there to people who are actually going to see it! The easiest way to get lost in the search results is to pick a broad category that already has a lot of coverage. Due to the algorithms set in place, in order to reach the top search results in ecommerce sites like eBay or video platforms like YouTube, you’re going to need a lot of listings and content with a proven track record. Of course, none of this you will have when you’re first starting out. The fastest way to be able to stand out is to choose something specific that shows interest but doesn’t have a lot of coverage.

Where To Start Sourcing

What you look for will also be important for where you go to source. For instance, if you’re intending on starting a Vlog about tractor equipment, going to the local Goodwill might not be the best place to start sourcing. Instead, research some barn sales going on in the nearby area (yes they do have barn sales) or yard sales in a more rural area if you live in the city.

This may sound silly but I’m being serious! Where you go to source will have a huge impact on preventing burnout. There are certain places that are honey-holes for specific things. You’re going to have to do some research to figure out where it is that may have what you’re looking for. You can find information online, through reddit discussions, or even in specific Facebook groups. Ask around! some people are more than happy to share where they go to treasure hunt.

Don’t be discouraged if other thrifters don’t share the information though! Thrifters can be notoriously territorial over their favorite spots!

How Much Should I Be Spending?

Now this is when things can get a little tricky. It depends. It depends on what your budget is for exactly what you want to do. I know this sounds ambiguous but bear with me.

Of course we all want to spend as little as possible when it comes to thrifting but you don’t want to give up quality for frugality. Some things you find might warrant a higher price! Don’t shy away from spending a little more to get something that you can flip for A LOT more. There have been plenty of times that I have wound up kicking myself because I left a store empty handed simply because I wasn’t willing to spend the extra $5-10.

Do a little research to find out what the market value is for what you’re sourcing. Have your smartphone with you the whole time you’re out there so you can quickly look up comps (completed sales) to see what the true value of what you’re finding is worth. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT think that asking prices are what things are worth. Anyone can ask any price for any thing! Figure out what it is actually selling for.

If you are creating a Vlog on a certain niche, the budget may be a little different. You may be willing to spend a little more for something special because you know it’s going to result in higher viewership or you have no idea when you’re going to find it again.

Conclusion

Find a category that interests you (tools, records, shoes) and narrow it down to a less competitive market that still has interest. Instead of “boots” narrow it further down to “cowboy boots.” Do your research. You may be saying WTF I came here as research! Trust me when I say that this is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s way too much detail that follows to include in this basic tutorial. If you want to be successful in Vlogging or Thrifting to resell you’re going to need to dedicate a lot of time to the craft.

That’s not to say that it isn’t worth it though! Thrifting feels amazing. It’s one of those activities that truly makes an impact beyond your personal achievements. So, I say, thrift on! Buy used shit!

If you found this article helpful, please feel free to comment your thoughts and ideas below in the comments section. Don’t forget to subscribe to get notified when new articles are being released!

-Ian Drake, Diversity Consignment

Art · Business

How To Make Money As An Artist

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“There’s no point in seeking out an art degree.” “You’re wasting your time and our money!” “Yeah she’s hopefully going to get a good college experience, we’re not expecting it to become her actual career.”

The Advice

These are all typical things you’ve been told by your parents, teachers, or friends at some point during your life if you’ve ever been interested in pursuing a degree in the arts. It can honestly seem like a waste of time trying to convince people around you that this is something you’re passionate about and that you can make money pursuing.

If you’ve ever been feeling this way or have been told you should feel this way, read on my friend because I’m going to prove that you CAN make money being a freelance artist/creator and prove all the nay-sayers wrong!

Now I should note, I am not a professional artist nor do I personally have an art degree but I do know the art of creating and selling and there are certain principles that span over different facets of art.

Specialize

The key is to become a specialist. The same thing applies in whatever style of creating/selling or buying/selling you decide to take leadership and ownership of. When you specialize in one particular area or niche, you become an expert at that particular skill. This could be anything from painting landscapes, drawing graffiti art, or carving wooden sculptures. Just know that the old adage, “A jack of all trades” is almost always followed by “A master of none.” Use this to your advantage and focus solely on creating one unique specialized form.

You have to understand that when it comes to art there is a lot of competition out there. Why would a gallery or storefront give their precious space up to you vs. someone else? The answer is simple: YOU are the best at x*.

Take a look at @itsasign by Keith Henderson on IG to get an idea of specializing. He’s an artist who has honed his skills into making custom window splashes for business window displays. An excellent example of how to make doing what you love into a business and monetizing it.

Use Online Selling Platforms To Your Advantage

In today’s day and age, selling direct to consumer is as easy as creating an Etsy account or even a business IG page. Use these platforms to your advantage! They can be especially advantageous when you have mastered point number one, “Specialize”. First of all, people love buying handmade and custom made things from Etsy. It gives you a feeling of wow this was made just for me! It works out even better when it comes to gifts for people’s birthdays and holidays. Making your art customizable for people to buy as gifts is a huge advantage to being able to do what you love to create and make some money doing it.

Yes I know, Etsy takes a fee but trust me when I say that everything comes with a price. At least you’re putting your work out there to thousands of eyes who wouldn’t have seen it previously! I will probably do a more detailed post about how to create an Etsy page in a separate article.

As far as selling on IG goes or creating your own website, this too is a good way to sell products or gain a solid following. I would avoid posting only “product” posts on IG (especially on the feed) and post more about how it’s made or something funny like blooper reels. Take a look at @madeinthemoment on Instagram for an example.

Remember, IG or Tiktok are social apps and people will be lulled to sleep on your page if they don’t see anything entertaining. GET CREATIVE! IT’S WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT!

Instead, use IG or tiktok as a funneling tool to get people to click on your website or Etsy shop. The integration is awesome and powerful. Once you’ve gained a substantial following of people who love what you create, you can funnel them right into your site! Offer special coupons or call to action incentives for people who order from you directly.

We (@diversityconsign) sell our products directly through our story page on IG. We take venmo payments for holds and ship things out for an extra fee.

On The Road

Now that you have your social apps working to your advantage, it’s time to get the word out there. You can try and wait it out and spend your time twiddling your thumbs until word of mouth spreads or you can get yourself in the drivers seat and spread the word yourself!

Start by researching and getting involved with outdoor or indoor markets. They’re typically affordable (small start up costs) $50-100 and they can be great for exposure if you find one in a busy part of the city! I know for example @neoopenmarkets has a few in our local area of Boston! But if you do your research, you’ll definitely be able to find some near you.

You’re going to need a few basic things; a canvas tent, a foldable table, a card processor, table cloth and be prepared to have some products ready and available! Make the investment! Bring some business cards to hand out that can direct people back into your funnel and be ready to talk people’s ear off about who you are and what you do! Be prepared to spend some weekends traveling and waking up early.

If you’re an artist you’re going to want to make some prints available of your originals. Trust me, most people do not carry hundred of dollars on them during pop-up markets and are less likely to buy originals and carry them around. Use your social skills to tell them about where they can find your originals for sale.

Get your products in as many stores and local businesses that will take them. From a small business perspective, we love the feeling of helping someone gain exposure. Even if your art doesn’t get purchased in the store, you should have an artist bio made up letting shoppers know who you are and where they can find more of your products!

Conclusion

I know you want to spend your time creating new products but you need to remember that you’re trying to make some money here as well. Turning your art into a business is extremely time consuming and involved. That’s why only a small number of people actually succeed in transforming “doing what they love” into a sustainable career! You’re going to need to spend a lot of your time focusing on marketing yourself and creating a need for your work. That’s what separates the dreamers from the doers.

I would recommend watching YouTube tutorials and reading educational books on business regularly. After all, that’s what we’re really here to do right? Prove the nay-sayers wrong and show them that you can make a career making art and more importantly doing what you love!

Leave a comment down below and let us know if you think this information was helpful! -Much Love- …Ian Drake, Diversity Consignment.