Vendor/Market Selling Advice?
Hi all!
Hope it's okay to post this here, and bear with me as my ADHD brain is in that excited/jumbled/don't know where to start mode.
TL;DR: I'm thinking about selling at some local vendor/craft markets, but have some general questions/concerns before I make any decisions.
So, I started printing a few months ago using my dad's old Ender 3 S1 and it lit. a. FIRE. in me. I'm obsessed and having so much fun. BUT I really want to upgrade to something faster and a machine that can do multi-colored prints. With this, I've also been toying with the idea of making stuff to sell at vendor/craft markets in the area.
My goal isn't to turn this into a full-time job or anything, but, ideally, I'd like to be able to, at minimum, make enough money to cover the cost of a new machine and filament stock.
I've been doing some "recon" by going to local events over the past couple weeks and looking for any sellers with 3D printing booths/businesses just to get an idea on what the market is like. (I previously did some sublimation stuff and it seemed like it got SO popular so fast and there were tons of booths at each market with people selling all the same designs/items and I didn't want to jump into this if it would be the same scenario)
Anywhoooo, my main questions/thoughts at this point are:
- Every market I've gone to over the last couple weeks have only had 1 or 2 booths selling 3D printed stuff, and it seems like it's mostly the same thing (such as fidgets, articulated things in various sizes, and the spiky dragons). Is that pretty standard items to sell because they sell the best and/or are the easiest? I'd really like to make and sell things more geared toward adults or things that I would consider buying. I feel like it's more fun if you're producing/selling things you also enjoy/take pride in.
- Is there a trick/calculator/formula that anyone recommends when it comes to pricing items?
- Would you recommend having just a few available of as many different things as possible, or have several pieces of a handful of select items for sale?
- Is one machine sufficient to make enough products to sell at a market that's only 1 or 2 days? For context, I do work from home and would have the printer close by so, essentially, I'd be able to print 24/7 to prep for an event.
- I've been doing a lot of research on machines and the one I'm leaning toward as a starting point is the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo. Any advice/opinions/thoughts?
- Are there any programs/apps anyone would recommend to create or modify models for beginners?
I've been doing a lot of doom-scrolling on MakerWorld and some of the things I was thinking I'd like to make/sell are:
- Desk Goose and outfits/accessories.
- "Bookish" items (bookmarks, bookmark holders, figures/decor for bookshelves)
- Candle holders,; soap holders
If you've read this far, THANK YOU.
I do understand that a lot of these questions are highly dependent on the area, event attendance, demographices, etc., but really just want some general idea to decide if/how to proceed and prepare.
If you have any tips or advice for me, even if it's to tell me to lose the dream, I appreciate you :)