Selling knitting online - any guidance please

[wanderingabout]

Hi, I've been contemplating selling my knitting online on websites like Etsy and crafters market. Please if someone who sells their crafts online could help me with a few things?

1. Do I need insurance? What sort would I need and is it absolutely necessary?
2. What's the refund policy you guys use? 14 days return as normal or is it different because the item is handmade?
3. Any legal bits one must must know before starting?

I understand it's not going to make loads of money as such (that's not what I'm after) but i do enjoy knitting and would like it to be a side little stream of income if possible. Any guidance with regards to this is much appreciated. Thanks 🙏

I'm just re-starting my own small craft/art business and have trawled through a ton of updated info. Read both the Distance and Online Selling pages

www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses

and the T+Cs of each selling site - as they will have their own additional ways of working.

Check the exceptions of the .gov site. I know a few people who rely on the first one:

Exceptions
These rules do not apply to:

• goods and services worth £42 or less

As for insurance, yes. Even if you never attend a single craft fair it would be very sensible and not all that expensive, for example:

www.policybee.co.uk/blog/do-i-need-insurance-for-etsy-sellers

I think what would be a brilliant idea would be if you were to take commissions. I see loads of really lively knitting patterns for jumpers, etc, that I'd love to own, but I can't knit 🤦🏻

You could charge people to make them?

Thanks @HoardingSamphireSaurus for the info, will see these links in detail

@AndSoFinally that's a very interesting idea actually! I wonder if there are platforms out there that allow that. I should search this up!

Are you thinking of selling anything that is/looks like a toy or could have ‘play value’? If yes then you will need to consider what testing will be required. Also consider if any of your products are of copywriter images such as Disney etc. I know Etsy is fully of it but it’s illegal and the fines are huge. Also check if your pattern designer allows commercial use!

@MajesticElephant Yep. That would be Lessons Number Two and Three

What you should NEVER try and make/sell.

How to make/sell TOYS - should you be mad enough to consider it!

Part of what I sell includes pin cushions and I can't make them too cutesy or they fall foul of the toy regs. So I will be selling pdfs, or even kits, of the cutesy ones instead!

@MajesticElephant thanks for the advice. Yea I've checked the patterns and they do allow them to be used for selling finished items. I don't knit toys but just stuff like headbands, earwarmers, hats, scarves just accessories..

[quote CuriousaboutSamphire]@MajesticElephant Yep. That would be Lessons Number Two and Three

What you should NEVER try and make/sell.

How to make/sell TOYS - should you be mad enough to consider it!

Part of what I sell includes pin cushions and I can't make them too cutesy or they fall foul of the toy regs. So I will be selling pdfs, or even kits, of the cutesy ones instead![/quote]
Wow that's really interesting, never really thought of such detail but you're absolutely right. Must think of everything and be covered legally

@AndSoFinally

I think what would be a brilliant idea would be if you were to take commissions. I see loads of really lively knitting patterns for jumpers, etc, that I'd love to own, but I can't knit 🤦🏻

You could charge people to make them?

The problem with this is cost.

If you think about an average jumper or cardigan needing 8 balls of wool, nice wool being approx £10 a ball so £80 already. If you then add time to make it on top and a basic minimum wage salaryyou've got a £500 jumper.

And yes, as I tried to explain on a previous thread - you MUST charge for your time at a reasonable rate - like NMW!

My current self employed, non crafty job does that. And I cannot afford to reduce those hours unless I can replace the income, so my crafty stuff has to allow me to earn a minimum of £10/hr, preferably £20/hr by the time I have it all bedded in. That is every single item not an overall average.

Reagrdless of people saying "Oh, it's only pin money' what they mean is that, as a buyer, they don't appreciate the talent and skill, they rate handmade the same as say, Primark.

I am old enough and bolshy enough, and used to be part of a large crafting community (before facebook etc took over) where knowing your worth and never undercuting those who make their living selling were the two main topics of conversation.

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo yes that's a good point

@CuriousaboutSamphire you're absolutely right. People should appreciate the amount of effort that goes into handicraft..

You'd think so. But, and I can't find the thread I was on, the logic seems to be "I want it and I don't want to pay more for it just becaue you made it"

That 'pin money' is good enough for someone's time and skills.

That thread must be in here somewhere, it's quite recent. I'll keep looking, show you how dismal it can be!

That is upsetting and I suppose it's only the makers who can understand how much effort goes into it since they've done it! And that's why they shouldn't compromise by reducing prices as that's undermining their own talent...

Yep.

I make (or rather used to and will again soonish) art with my sewing machine. Portraits, landscapes etc. I can charge about 20% if the price an artist friend does, because if the perception that sewing is women's work, not art, etc.

I won't. I will charge the same amount as she does and if that means success is slow then so be it. But I won't devalue myself or my skills by selling it cheaply. I will find my audience eventually.

If you think about an average jumper or cardigan needing 8 balls of wool, nice wool being approx £10 a ball so £80 already. If you then add time to make it on top and a basic minimum wage salaryyou've got a £500 jumper.

Ha, @HalfShrunkMoreToGo, I don't like them that much 😂

@AndSoFinally

If you think about an average jumper or cardigan needing 8 balls of wool, nice wool being approx £10 a ball so £80 already. If you then add time to make it on top and a basic minimum wage salaryyou've got a £500 jumper.

Ha, @HalfShrunkMoreToGo, I don't like them that much 😂

🤣

That's why handmade super luxury stuff is so expensive!

The average time to knit an adult cardigan according to google is 22 hours.

Living wage from April 2022 is £9.50 so that's £209 if you want a not great salary.

Plus £80-100 for materials depending on how much luxury someone wants, a cheap cashmere mix is £10 a ball but that could easily double.

So that's just covering basic costs. On top of that you need to build in a profit margin which will allow you to pay HMRC their tax and NI and also provide for surplus to cover annual leave, sickness etc

Seller fees would be 5% of overall transaction price

It really quickly elevates the price to beyond what most people are willing to pay, so you have to market as luxury which ironically raises your prices because if someone is paying for luxury then the photos need to be exceptional, the packaging and labelling unique and so on.

@HoardingSamphireSaurus the Consumer Contract Regulations cover online sales and the "does not apply to items under £42" is not relevant, this is for distance selling other than online. Consumer rights apply to ALL sales online, regardless of value.