Deposit on custom items

[my-auction-now]

I get a lot of request for custom items that I make. We agree on price and how to make it.

After I make it buyer says can I get a better price, or You know I really do not need it after all. This has happend to me 2 times this week alone. Ebay policy doe not allow me to charge a blank sale because I have to ship it with in one day. Takes me at least one to 2 days to make item. I cannot have customer send me a deposit because I have not sold the item yet, so no way to get a deposit. I would think that Ebay could set up a deposit system on a listing and apply the deposit to the item when sold.

If buyer changes their mind they forfit the deposit and I get it less Ebay fees. Is their any way to get a deposit on items before making them. maybe I missed this .

[roccotacodad54]

   I think the reply by farmalljr is spot on. You do nice work and it's underpriced.

   Ebay isn't the best venue for custom work.

   I do custom leather sheaths and holsters etc. but only for myself and family/friends. I completely get the sheath made for the individual knife. That's what got me into making them, thinking myself and people in my "orbit" generally had crappy ill fitting sheaths and holsters. Especially with one off knives or custom handguns.

   I recently did a pair with beaver tail inlays? (panels) for myself. Bought the blade blanks and looked through my stock of antlers and needless to say the sheaths had to be fitted to the pair. One drop point and one skinner type with a large belly both from the same side of the same rack. Sort of a non matching pair.

   My advice is, you have talent and I'd just branch out into different leather inlays and do custom sheaths for knives of known dimensions. At least on Ebay.........................

[participatrophy]

How about materials samples? Handful of relevant offcuts would be quick to ship, wouldn't be a blank sale, offers you a deposit mechanism, and could potentially offer a great deal of value to your customers.

[rschissler]

Have you tried to sell on Etsy? $25 for 2-3 days work, seems underpriced to me.

[mam98031]

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@rschissler wrote:

Have you tried to sell on Etsy? $25 for 2-3 days work, seems underpriced to me.

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They didn't say it takes 2-3 days of continual work on the item.  There is likely large periods of cure time too.  Many items have a process to create an item that does not require constantly working on an item.  It may be if they had the orders, they could create several items or more in that period of time.

[roccotacodad54]

   What mam said. I'm doing two layered sheaths with a recessed panels in front. Last night I bonded the recessed parts to the front panels (15 minutes) and let them cure overnight. Earlier today I bonded the overlays with the cutouts for the recesseds parts to show through (15 more minutes) and will let the adhesive cure overnight. Etc. Etc.

   The project will take me several days as the design of the sheaths requires several of these adhesive curing times.

   Designing and time spent actually doing the physical work will be just a fraction of the time from point A to point B.

[mam98031]

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@roccotacodad54 wrote:

   What mam said. I'm doing two layered sheaths with a recessed panels in front. Last night I bonded the recessed parts to the front panels (15 minutes) and let them cure overnight. Earlier today I bonded the overlays with the cutouts for the recesseds parts to show through (15 more minutes) and will let the adhesive cure overnight. Etc. Etc.

   The project will take me several days as the design of the sheaths requires several of these adhesive curing times.

   Designing and time spent actually doing the physical work will be just a fraction of the time from point A to point B.

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Non crafters often don't realize this, especially if you are many several of the same thing.  While I don't make what you make, there are other things I do and often several at a time.  I don't however sell what I make as I can't get the price that would allow for a profit.  I make Beaded Christmas ornaments for gifts for family and friends.  But I use good glass beads in much of my creations and those darn things are not cheap.

[roccotacodad54]

   I don't sell my creations either. Family and friends. I did some beadwork once upon a time and no, they aren't cheap for quality glass.

[mam98031]

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@roccotacodad54 wrote:

   I don't sell my creations either. Family and friends. I did some beadwork once upon a time and no, they aren't cheap for quality glass.

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Oh but they sure are pretty !!!!  You should see my Christmas tree.  90% of the ornaments on the tree are all homemade.  Full of memories.

[gurlcat]

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@rschissler wrote:

Have you tried to sell on Etsy? $25 for 2-3 days work, seems underpriced to me.

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I agree about them being underpriced for sure, but I don't picture any better sales success on Etsy.  -Okay brace for sexism (twice) here.  Knife sheaths seem like a mostly "guy" thing, and Etsy seems like a mostly "gal" thing.  I just have a hard time picturing a dude who wants a knife sheath looking on Etsy. 

[farmalljr]

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@roccotacodad54 wrote:

   What mam said. I'm doing two layered sheaths with a recessed panels in front. Last night I bonded the recessed parts to the front panels (15 minutes) and let them cure overnight. Earlier today I bonded the overlays with the cutouts for the recesseds parts to show through (15 more minutes) and will let the adhesive cure overnight. Etc. Etc.

   The project will take me several days as the design of the sheaths requires several of these adhesive curing times.

   Designing and time spent actually doing the physical work will be just a fraction of the time from point A to point B.

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I do quite a bit of leather work myself. Contact cement or water based glues do not need overnight to cure. It's fine of you want to let it cure, but when you flash dry contact cement with a heat gun/hair dryer, it's ready to bond in less then a minute, and after tapping the glued edge together with a cobbler's hammer, it's set for good.  Water based glues are the same thing. Not everyone wants to craft for hours on end, so you can do it either way.

When I dye, I use an air brush most all the time. It's ready to work after dyeing with a few minutes of the heat gun. Same with a finish. Same with antique. Hair dryers and heat guns speed up the process immensely. 

Hand sewing can literally take hours, depending on skill or the project. Hand sewing a gunslinger belt with a border takes almost a day. I no longer sew them by hand, because no one wants to pay for my time. But I can sew one in 5 minutes on my machine. 

How fast someone crafts is up to the individual and what tools they use.