Thread: Selling Brushes?

All,

I'm trying to teach my 13 year old about "providing value". I'm not an entreprenurial type, so this is wobbly ground for me as well. What I want to do is free him somewhat from the 'dad dependent' activities we have all enjoyed: mowing the lawn, cleaning the toilets. I want him to get entreprenurial experience, and I really want it to be around MAKING stuff.

I've started him off with pen making. He's made a couple of cheap kits and traded them at school for stuff. ut turning pens into money is tough because of the oceans of people making them.

I'm having him post things on ebay for me, and he gets a cut of that. The idea being that he provides a 'service' by photographing, listing, packaging, shipping. That's working out.

After making my first brush, I thought maybe brushmaking would be a decent activity. He'd learn to turn, which he likes. I would start him off by sponsoring his first couple, but then expect him to buy new knots from revenue. You get the idea. It'll be counter productive to the learning excercise if the fruits of his labor don't make the labor worthwhile.

The question I have for you all is: is there enough of a market between here, B&B, Ebay, etsy, etc to support 2 or 3 month (tops) at a price to cover expenses and make it worth his while?

i've never tried selling brushes but have tried lots of other handmade items with little success. there's always been the problem of buying the supplies and then selling the item at a price that people can afford to pay for the time and materials. there is a lot of competition with people selling them for cheap. not trying to discourage you from teaching your son a valuable lesson and an enjoyable hobby JMHO.

Tintin, I appreciate the response. The competition is stiff.

By time you buy a quality$35 knot,spend 6 hrs turning a composite, complicated handle,than sell it for $125.00 shipped,just do the math.
If you buy those cheap knots in Bulk,Than you have returns because they fall apart,you lose all your profits.
By all Means teach your son to make quality Brushes,to turn a Profit from time and materials making shaving brushes,forget it,JMO

As pixelfixed points out, like most "hobby produced" items, it is likely that you can recover costs and earn not much.

How many hours of work go into a razor restoration and how much can it be sold for? Try building an airplane...cost of kit, engine, avionics and paint plus a couple thousand hours of labor and when it is sold, your labor was for free (if you are that lucky). Sadly, he would probably do better mowing neighbors lawns if it is sheer dollars that he is after...

case in point.I just finished this one,took 10 hrs today.

Originally Posted by Splashone

As pixelfixed points out, like most "hobby produced" items, it is likely that you can recover costs and earn not much.

How many hours of work go into a razor restoration and how much can it be sold for? Try building an airplane...cost of kit, engine, avionics and paint plus a couple thousand hours of labor and when it is sold, your labor was for free (if you are that lucky). Sadly, he would probably do better mowing neighbors lawns if it is sheer dollars that he is after...

Vincent Van Gogh didn't make much money either, but he lives on in eternity,,,,could we be so lucky,,,,,

I think it would be a great idea! It is a learning thing for your youngster to learn labor and value at the same time.
working hard and breaking even has been done by us all at one point in time. That is called learning!!
If he learns anything at all it would be that video games aren't the only thing out there!
Second he learns that there are corners that can be cut to save some time but not at the risk of poor quality.
Let him have a go of it and start simple then progress on up as he goes.
As you said he will take the money from the sales to restock his supplies and do it again. And again. And again!!
He won't be a millionaire making brushes but he will have the memories of dad showing him things! "Quality time"
If we don't do these type of things with our kids they start to drift away.
I was teaching my own son a few weeks ago this very craft. He is 23 yr. old!
We are closer now than we ever have been.
It is priceless to see them succeed in life. Hell yeah! Give him a shot at it.
They are the future and they need some guidance at first. Then they can make their own decisions as they progress.
He is a future wet shaver!!!
I would be honored to have a custom made brush from a 13 year old lad!!
Good luck and pm sent!!

Ray

I think that teaching him a good work ethic and pride in his workmanship is priceless. If he can make a buck or two while doing it that is a bonus. Not everything has to be about the money all the time.

Teach him to use his hands and brain. He will use those tools to make money with his own ideas.