A handmade, hand-bent, solid wood, granddaughter clock; solid wood rocking chair; tin-made toy/ model racecar; film photograph; etc?

NOT something which puts you in a $100K home but which will, pay for itself (including burdens)

I keep leaning towards the fine woodwork of clocks (buying the moments) with hand-bent wood surrounds and; exploring the market of 35mm originals.

Gotta catch the wave before anyone knows there is a wave.


Or.


If you are looking at what is the "thing" of "now", then you will find yourself behind the curve and be chasing the train, that left the station. Yeah, when the train left the station. It had two lights on behind. Whoa, the blue light was my baby. And the red light was my mind.

You have to find a thing that you can do, want to do, live to do, and it needs to be a thing that no one else is doing now.

Before you opine that I have lost you, all I am saying is, that you need to have a thing that you have the fire in your belly to bring, and the people that want it now.

If you are chasing what everyone is wanting and others are supplying, then you will be left standing when the "scene" is already down the road.

What can you do, that is unique and "yours", that people want right now and tomorrow?

That, is the thing you need to bring today.

Hope that helps.

Art and science. A man has to know where the dividing line is.

More thinking along the line of breaking even, even when consisting for a premium associated with the expertise and labor therein.

That is, for example; film and paper have higher burdened costs associated with being able to get it right the first time and be the great photographer or, be a digital snapshot.

Wondering if there's an avenue for breaking even where there is a high labor and material costs associated with the final product (craftsman grade labor plus correct grade material)

Reminds me of something the old plumber I learned the trade from. This new fangled plastic pipe... made everyone with a hack saw and some glue think they were a plumber.

Same with photography and cell phones.

Not true in either case of corse but it doesn't stop the masses of amateurs from ruining the business for actual professionals.

Market= Who?

Millenials and the modern generations have different values, desires and disposable incomes. Ikea is heirloom furniture to them. The ones I know live in a disposable world. I've never heard them consider "Craftsman grade labor plus correct grade material".

The classic market Baby Boomers are dying out and selling more than acquiring.

I did see custom rocking chairs in LaConner Washington but it's a tourist town. They were expensive, very niche, seasonal and it'd be hard to gauge wether they ever sold any.

It would be different if you had a unique skill, hobby you were good at to start with or knew of an opportunity or unique market left unfulfilled.

Someone here sold Cutting Boards, another made Spice Grinders and Marzy was making Magic Wands.

You have to either excel (be way better than the competition) in design or craftsmanship, and prob both. You're probably not going to do it with volume. You'd probably need to do commissioned pieces instead of speculative work, at least to start.

I saw these last week... it's what is known as a field bar. Meticulously have crafted and finished, but they cost $5000 and I believe you could make a profit selling them for that. https://gardenandgun.com/artic...e-original-home-bar/

This chair is another example. We actually bought 4 of these for a hotel we designed. They are $4000 each but they are a very distinct design and exceptionally crafted. Ultra high- end rustic, you might say. For your$2 million cabin in Aspen. http://woodstudio.com/lookout-rocker.html

I think your cart is ahead of your horse in the way you are looking at this. Typically the passion for the product and/or process proceeds the market.

I don’t think artisans are born of business plans.

I’m not sure grandfather clocks will ever be a thing again. I’ve found a lot of 20 somethings today who can’t read hands on a clock.

Film photos are popular though - but mainly in the form of Polaroids

Maybe you can incorporate the clock movements into something more compact with modern features as well?

Are you looking for a business opportunity or wondering about clocks in particular?

If looking for a business opportunity, then I suggest you look into wooden children's toys. A wooden block set from Lovevery is like $100. A Stokke high chair is like $200. Look into Montessori style learning tower's and Pikler Triangles.

Make it out of baby-safe hardwood such as maple and give it baby safe finishes. Design everything to flat ship and with a mid century modern aesthetic (especially if you are capable of steam bending wood) and you can easily turn a small home workshop into something profitable.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
wooden children's toys

There's a good idea. There'll always be children so there's a reoccurring market. People are always buying gifts for babies and children. They'd like those gifts to be somewhat unique, memorable. There's the Sustainability angle and there's the "Baby-safe" niche. Throw in learning enhancement \ educational and it looks like lots of potential.

Wooden children’s toys sounds like the best idea, to me. I’d like another large rocking chair. I have a great one, but that’s just me.

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
Reminds me of something the old plumber I learned the trade from. This new fangled plastic pipe... made everyone with a hack saw and some glue think they were a plumber.

Same with photography and cell phones.

Not true in either case of corse but it doesn't stop the masses of amateurs from ruining the business for actual professionals.

That might have been true in years gone by, but in today's marketplace, I find the term professional applying to fewer and fewer people. Lots of half ass people charging top tier for mediocre at best work.

quote:

Originally posted by braillediver:
Market= Who?

Millenials and the modern generations have different values, desires and disposable incomes. Ikea is heirloom furniture to them. The ones I know live in a disposable world. I've never heard them consider "Craftsman grade labor plus correct grade material".

Shit, I have! Though I'll be honest, I'm allergic to spending real money on furniture, I'd rather stuff it in the gun safe. My wife is trying to change this, but I can't see the sense in dropping any number ending in "thousand" on furniture that the Army movers WILL break eventually.

Sonsabitches killed the hutch that goes on my ginormous home office desk. TWICE. First time I bolted it back together, this time I might be screwed.

Any sort of expensive Art or Craft that you are selling means you must market yourself as the artist. People spending more than budget prices want that charming person or story of the craftsmen. I am totally serious.

Can you try it without a lot of money being spent upfront?

Otherwise, you can wind up with a big capital expense to find out for sure, and risk not only not establishing a breakeven business, but being out a chunk of change into the bargain.

I've made some pens and other items and sold them. Fairly inexpensive, not a lot of time put in to them and have done pretty well selling them just via word of mouth.

Here is one supplier of parts, tools, etc...

https://www.pennstateind.com/?...0VM_JOoaApgpEALw_wcB

Look at Woodcraft and other places as well for materials.

First thought was film prints of course, that means finding the picture someone would by and then dealing with those who copy it.

Then there is custom finish woodwork like a hand-bent project (clock, chair, etc)

Both of these i can do very well. The darkroom path means sourcing the film, paper and chemicals (enlarger and other equipment can be had cheap right now), the woodwork would require about $3K in equipment i do not yet have (bandsaw and steaming equipment to name a couple).

It is just a thought for keeping idle hands and mind busy after normal working hours

My brother wanted make some furniture in his wood shop, he went to the Amana Colonies to get some ideas .
(Amish built furniture)

It was going to cost him 30% more to make it, than what he could buy it for in the store.

Have you visited Etsey on the Www ?

I was going to suggest Etsy for ideas too. My wife sells hand woven clothing there. She does well, but she has been weaving for 30 years.

I think the building block sets idea has merit. Search “Anchor blocks” on the auction site. They were masonry/stone sets with smaller blocks, but doing something similar with natural wood might be profitable. I would scale it up a bit, use a non-toxic finish and advertise it for all ages. Custom box for each set and a diagram for putting them away.
Even better is to have “your” sets match up in size to other building block sets.

I have to ponder this a bit.... My shop already exists.