# Do you think woodworking is profitable anymore?



## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

With all the engineered wood crap furniture from places like Ikea and such do you think it's still possible to make a living in the woodworking trade?

I'm talking custom furniture, nick nacks, signs etc...


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Not for a Sparktrician...:whistling..:laughing:..:laughing:..:clap:


Just kidding. I know a couple of guys make a decent living doing just what you describe.:thumbsup:


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

griz said:


> Not for a Sparktrician...:whistling..:laughing:..:laughing:..:clap:
> 
> 
> Just kidding. I know a couple of guys make a decent living doing just what you describe.:thumbsup:


:laughing:

I still have the furniture I made in the 8th grade and I'm 35. I took woodshop all 4 years in HS and won awards for my projects. I still do it as a hobby but have been thinking of doing it as a business.

I just don't see lots of people having stuff made out of wood in homes that much anymore. Don't want to get into buying all this extra equipment if their isn't a market for wood products anymore.


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

A friend of mine does something similar to what you're describing. There are people that want things that you just can't buy in a store.


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

A friend of mine gave it a whirl. He moved to jackson hole, worked at one of the galleries, entered all the contest's and went to all the shows. He almost starved to death. I think he is pretty good to. 

Thats probably why most build cabinets.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

realelectrician said:


> :laughing:
> 
> I still have the furniture I made in the 8th grade and I'm 35. I took woodshop all 4 years in HS and won awards for my projects. I still do it as a hobby but have been thinking of doing it as a business.
> 
> I just don't see lots of people having stuff made out of wood in homes that much anymore. Don't want to get into buying all this extra equipment if their isn't a market for wood products anymore.


It's definitely a niche/specialty market.

To get started you don't need to have a complete custom furniture shop. Start small using what you have & build up from there.

Sooner or later you will need some pieces to display or sell somewhere.


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

donerightwyo said:


> A friend of mine gave it a whirl. He moved to jackson hole, worked at one of the galleries, entered all the contest's and went to all the shows. He almost starved to death. I think he is pretty good to.
> 
> Thats probably why most build cabinets.


Yeah that's one thing I don't want to get into is cabinets. It takes skill but i don't want to build a bunch of boxes all day. I want to build things that are unique that show how creative I am. Incorporate other materials into the projects too like glass,metal and lighting.


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

realelectrician said:


> Yeah that's one thing I don't want to get into is cabinets. It takes skill but i don't want to build a bunch of boxes all day. I want to build things that are unique that show how creative I am. Incorporate other materials into the projects too like glass,metal and lighting.


I probably wouldn't quit my day job quite yet then:laughing::thumbup:


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

donerightwyo said:


> I probably wouldn't quit my day job quite yet then:laughing::thumbup:


Why because we don't have enough cabinet shops out there as it is?:laughing:


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## Rockmonster (Nov 15, 2007)

It is a tough racket, unless you can get to where you have name recognition. Maloof, Nakashima, Krenov, Frid, Brian Boggs in chairs......and a host of more locally known artisans.

Best bet is to work in the field, and use shop time to make the other stuff, honing skills, drafting, fine tuning joinery.

There is always a market in the very high end for custom furniture, and getting a foot firmly planted in that market is probably equal parts skill, the right zip code, name recognition, and getting to know the interior designer. I wish you luck!


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Possible, yes. Likely? Who knows Some do, but I bet a lot more would like to. How are your design skills? Finishing skills? I know a guy that just did custom picture frames, and he stayed busy. Still had some $$$ in tools and workshop.


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## Fishhook (Feb 1, 2013)

There is a bit of a market for woodworking projects....I'd start by going around to Your local high-end gift shops/craft boutiques asking them what would sell,and have some sample projects with you...They'll want a dozen of this little item,or that item which would be the quick sellers,and that'll help get your name out...most importantly-ask what item would sell,and come up with your own "flavor" of that item.And even more important-get a woman's opinion(it ain't hard:laughing Cuz,let's face it,guys like us won't be the one's dropping big dough on custom furniture.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

From what I've seen you need to specialize and either open a retail location or learn how to be a wholesaler. Both of those are hard but not as hard as finding a constant stream of people who can both appreciate and afford one-of-a-kind woodwork.

When I was a cabinetmaker I used to say that the only people who made less were furniture makers.:sad:

Small runs of specialty items can work on the web/retail. Check out this site. I've seen some of the same woodworkers on it for almost 10 years. http://www.artfulhome.com/


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## Splinter (Apr 5, 2005)

Take a look at this site... John is a furniture maker who made his living at it. I'd assume he's in demand because of the style and quality of his pieces. Can you match that? 

http://chiselandbit.com/gallery.htm

I agree, it would be harder to make a living with furniture than just cabinets.


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## deckman22 (Oct 20, 2007)

There's a shop in a little town north of here that sells some fabulous woodworking pieces, not furniture tho. The store is the Escape, they have a website at escapegeorgetown.com which does not do justice to some of the fine pieces they have there. My bet is they are making the lions share of the $.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Splinter said:


> Take a look at this site... John is a furniture maker who made his living at it. I'd assume he's in demand because of the style and quality of his pieces. Can you match that?
> 
> http://chiselandbit.com/gallery.htm
> 
> I agree, it would be harder to make a living with furniture than just cabinets.


Looks like he does everything right - design, woodworking, finishing. That's a lot of talent in one place.

People who are the very best will always have a ready market. If your woodworking and finishing skills are middle of the road, your design skills become that much more important.


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## Mr Latone (Jan 8, 2011)

Connecting what you have to offer with the money is the bottom line. 

Being good and talented is not enough.

My Dad bought an elk antler chandelier in Idaho for his place in the adirondacks and paid quite a bit for it. The same type of piece would move a lot slower, if at all, if it were local to me here in Western NY.

A $200 hair cut won't fly in my neighborhood, but in Manhattan it does.

Payton Manning couldn't sell his product to Indy anymore, but he found a market in Denver.

I believe the market you ask about exists, but like any success it will take more than just the ability to make a product. One will have to locate and connect with a market to make a business out of it.

Also we would be hard pressed to get a consensus on what 'making a living' is.


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

realelectrician said:


> With all the engineered wood crap furniture from places like Ikea and such do you think it's still possible to make a living in the woodworking trade?
> 
> I'm talking custom furniture, nick nacks, signs etc...


The Amish make a living at it (well kinda, they don't pay the sem utility bills we do).

We have a couple of different guys who place their woodwork on consignment in our retail store.One does the wire-cut & sculpted carvings & wood cut signs, the other more the small furniture.

They each sell pieces from time to time, have no idea how well it feeds their families, because they'd have to move a lot more product than what we see.

Part of the problem, is since we got all "Internety" in the US, there's a real disconnect between Amazon buying culture and brick & mortar, small store/shop purchases.

Makes it tougher for the craftsperson to find a sustainable niche.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Getting harder and harder every day. With the price of all materials skyrocketing, the economy crashing and people seeing all this low priced crap from abroad and thinking they can get the same thing made with a few size adjustments for the same cost it is hardly worth it.

You need to find the right client, who knows what they want and is willing to pay for it. Otherwise you get the standard HO that thinks you should be charging $15/hr and have licenses and insurance and all the modern tools.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Leo G said:


> Getting harder and harder every day. With the price of all materials skyrocketing, the economy crashing and people seeing all this low priced crap from abroad and thinking they can get the same thing made with a few size adjustments for the same cost it is hardly worth it.
> 
> You need to find the right client, who knows what they want and is willing to pay for it. Otherwise you get the standard HO that thinks you should be charging $15/hr and have licenses and insurance and all the modern tools.


The price of hardwood has went down a little. I got no idea about sheet goods and those fancy finishes (I stay away from sheet goods, there are too many amish around doing kitchens for a pittance).

I stick to solid lumber work and it works for me.


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## Mrmac204 (Dec 27, 2006)

It's tempting, but I don't know if you can make any money. I have a friend who is almost begging me to make a rocking horse for her granddaughter. 

The grandchilds parents spent a lot of time before christmas to find one that wasn't plastic or made of crap- they struck out.

It's do-able, but the labour involved? I don't think I could charge enough to make it worth while.

I'll probably do one for her anyway cause she's a good friend - at cost. But I'm not gearing up for production. It will be a Saturday project.


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## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

realelectrician:

When I saw your post, I thought of a friend in Michigan. This guy retired young from GM, has a paid for house with an adjacent state-of-the-art wood shop that he heats with wood. He's pretty darn good at what he does.

This is your competition. A guy who doesn't have to make any money at it ever. You will never, ever, compete on price and stay alive. Impossible.

Joe


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

Kowboy said:


> realelectrician:
> 
> When I saw your post, I thought of a friend in Michigan. This guy retired young from GM, has a paid for house with an adjacent state-of-the-art wood shop that he heats with wood. He's pretty darn good at what he does.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the opinion but it's pretty asinine:thumbsup:


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

Kowboy said:


> realelectrician:
> 
> When I saw your post, I thought of a friend in Michigan. This guy retired young from GM, has a paid for house with an adjacent state-of-the-art wood shop that he heats with wood. He's pretty darn good at what he does.
> 
> ...


He's not up near me, is he? (north of Hadley, south of Lapeer).
Same exact scenario. In fact the steel shop buys r/s hardwood beams from him for shipping.


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

I did some research on Ebay of wood products and their are thousands of listings without any bids at all. All types of wood products 0 bids.

With that and all the crap sold in retail stores pretty much confirms what I was thinking about nobody really wanting wood products anymore. 

I will still continue it as a hobby though I love it.


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## Railman (Jan 19, 2008)

This one really hits home to me, but not directly to me. Two of my boys want to build custom furniture at some point in the future. They have been building personal furniture for a while now, & have been developing a product line . Both are very artistic, are very good at cad drawing, have good woodworking, & finishing skills. The younger has a mechanical engineering degree, & is working in product testing/development department at a medium size manufacturing, & engineering company....making good money. Both have done some logging, & figure to have a big edge by getting their own lumber supply, or at least the needed majority. They have already started their inventory by logging, milling, & air drying about 2,000 bd ft of cherry.

They definately have the passion needed, but I still wonder if they can find the niche needed to make it fly. In the mean time, they have access to all the toys needed to bring their skills along as needed in my 8,000ft fully equiped shop. The stuff they build is heirloom quality. :thumbsup:

Meanwhile, one works for me full time, & the the mech engineer on most weekends, simply because he likes being around the shop. I'm amazed at thier passion, & focus at their goals.

My oldest son also works for me, in the shop, & with my bookeeping, which is a huge help to reducing my work load. He doesn't have the same passion for woodworking, but is great in the office.:thumbup:

I feel blessed to have three smart, talented sons. :thumbsup:I just hope & pray it pray it all works out for them...only time will tell.

Proud dad


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

realelectrician said:


> I did some research on Ebay of wood products and their are thousands of listings without any bids at all. All tops of wood products 0 bids.
> 
> With that and all the crap sold in retail stores pretty much confirms what I was thinking about nobody really wanting wood products anymore.
> 
> I will still continue it as a hobby though I love it.


I would never, ever discourage ANYBODY from following their dream - if it motivates you enough, you will do it, and nobody can stop you (or try, even).

If you were in my area, I'd offer the same as to others - bring in a piece or two - if it measures up (no propane torch "aged" Budweiser signs please), we can do a consignment - and you can get market feedback on your talent.


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

Railman said:


> This one really hits home to me, but not directly to me. Two of my boys want to build custom furniture at some point in the future. They have been building personal furniture for a while now, & have been developing a product line . Both are very artistic, are very good at cad drawing, have good woodworking, & finishing skills. The younger has a mechanical engineering degree, & is working in product testing/development department at a medium size manufacturing, & engineering company....making good money. Both have done some logging, & figure to have a big edge by getting their own lumber supply, or at least the needed majority. They have already started their inventory by logging, milling, & air drying about 2,000 bd ft of cherry.
> 
> They definately have the passion needed, but I still wonder if they can find the niche needed to make it fly. In the mean time, they have access to all the toys needed to bring their skills along as needed in my 8,000ft fully equiped shop. The stuff they build is heirloom quality. :thumbsup:
> 
> ...


Sounds good:thumbsup: I share the same I have the talent and the money for all the tools and the passion but the market is just not there in my opinion now that I think more about it. If a site like Ebay with 10s of millions of users daily can't sell wood products then it looks pretty bleak. 

Plus like someone else said it's not just about talent lots of us are talented at what we do but we still have to earn business. I'm talented at what I do and so are a million other guys.


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## thezoo (Sep 13, 2008)

Try etsy it's the ebay of custom crafts


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## Bodger (Oct 23, 2008)

I made a living building nothing but Adirondack chairs and shaker style bookcases for about two years. Not a great living, but the orders were steady. I built and sold full size chairs, but also took Norm Abrams' plan for the Addie chairs and scaled it down to children's size. Big sellers at the places where they sell the outdoor playsets. And a few pre-schools ordered them a dozen at a time. 

Not a big moneymaker, and lots of competition from the China-made crap, but a ton of fun. 
These sold pretty well too, although not the classic Adirondack:


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

Bodger said:


> I made a living building nothing but Adirondack chairs and shaker style bookcases for about two years. Not a great living, but the orders were steady. I built and sold full size chairs, but also took Norm Abrams' plan for the Addie chairs and scaled it down to children's size. Big sellers at the places where they sell the outdoor playsets. And a few pre-schools ordered them a dozen at a time.
> 
> Not a big moneymaker, and lots of competition from the China-made crap, but a ton of fun.
> These sold pretty well too, although not the classic Adirondack:


Nice:thumbsup: I make a few bucks on holidays like Christmas I make lawn decorations like reindeer all that stuff.

Norm is the master I watch the new yankee workshop whenever I can.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Something like this really lends its self to niche marketing. Even with a good niche to work in, what's your competitive advantage? Tough business to be successful in.


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

The only niche that works is the very high end niche. If you can get your stuff in a gallery not a store, is where you will make money. You will also see your item marked up 50% which goes to the gallery.

Getting customers who don't care about price is very difficult, I have a few. They tell me what they are looking for and I make it for them, cost never comes up until I ask or a check.

There are so many overseas suppliers it is crazy, stained glass lamps for less than $100. Mahogany ( or who knows what ) blanket chests for $175 as many as you want. Impossible to compete against that.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

rrk said:


> The only niche that works is the very high end niche.
> 
> There are so many overseas suppliers it is crazy, stained glass lamps for less than $100. Mahogany ( or who knows what ) blanket chests for $175 as many as you want. Impossible to compete against that.


I'm not so sure. A friend of mine custom built frames for a framing shop, and he did pretty well. All hand rubbed and pricey solid wood. Paintings, photos, cross stitch, you name it.

Try making money on hand rubbed solid walnut, mahogany, etc furniture, and you'll have a real time making it, unless it's good enough to go in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Or how about the guy on here who makes picnic tables and lawn furniture during the slow winter, and sells them in front of his house in the spring. It's understanding the difference between the market in general and what you bring to YOUR market.

Just to point out a characteristic of a niche market, it's too small for big players (like China stuff) to go after it.


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

I've done alright building my own kitchens and other cabinetry.

I used to buy white oak for $1/board foot and plane it down and build with it. I made all my own baseboard, window & door casing, etc.

You can add a lot of value to a home with a nice trim package. I once had an entryway with a nice bench/shoe cabinet and about 12' of closet/storage. I would hate to price that out and have to buy it.

I have never made a living doing that type of work, it was just included in a bigger package. But I think it can become part of your reputation. "This guy has the nicest trim and cabinetry". Nobody ever says, "This guy has the nicest lighting" or "His homes have the tightest ductwork."


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

He was talking about furniture, not frames or cabinets, completely different markets. I know someone who owns a frame shop for 35 years. He does very well and has done so for many years, has contacts with designers, galleries and photography studios.

Difficult for someone with no skill to mount artwork in a frame or mount a cabinet to a wall. Much easier to just open a box and take out a piece of furniture and be done.

If there is a skilled task needed to complete the job you will do fine. If a customer can just buy it from a store or online without doing anything else, that is the way they will go.

http://www.chinasuppliers.globalsources.com/china-suppliers/Furniture.htm

Several times a year I get mailing from companies in China asking if I would like them to make copies of anything. Whether it be furniture, tools, machines whatever.
I think the smallest amount is 100 pcs. I don't know how they get away with it legally.


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

Like I told my floor rep yesterday. If all we done was built furniture, we'd starve. If all we done was build cabinets, we'd starve. If all we done was refinsish hardwood floors, we'd starve. If all we done was lay new hardwood floors, we'd starve. But when we combine all of our skills & ability to work with wood, we're pretty durn successful. 

Maybe the answer for you lies in broadening your horizons & attacking multiple markets, rather than just one. It's worked well for us.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

rrk said:


> He was talking about furniture, not frames or cabinets, completely different markets. I know someone who owns a frame shop for 35 years. He does very well and has done so for many years, has contacts with designers, galleries and photography studios.
> 
> Difficult for someone with no skill to mount artwork in a frame or mount a cabinet to a wall. Much easier to just open a box and take out a piece of furniture and be done.
> 
> ...


From the OP: "I'm talking custom furniture, nick nacks, signs etc..."

Agree with China being an issue.


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

hdavis said:


> From the OP: "I'm talking custom furniture, nick nacks, signs etc..."
> 
> *Agree with China being an issue*.



Yep, china was a big issue for us at one point. My wife & I used to build home decor from salvaged architectural items, mainly old tin ceilings. Peddled our wares at high end craft shows, in quite a few cities in the midwest & it was very lucrative. Towards the end of doing shows, they were all flooded with crap from china for a fraction of what we were charging.


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## KYTIM (Jan 23, 2013)

Much good information and truth on this post. I built this saddle stand 2 years ago with the intentions of selling it, I thought for sure someone would want to buy it. I still have it and its still for sale, but if I never sell it thats ok too. Point being if you want to try and start a business doing what you love, start by making things you would keep for yourself. If someone don't want to pay what you think it's worth then just keep it! Worse case scenario you end up with a house full of custom made quality! I currently have my very nice antique saddle displayed on my saddle stand in my living room, right under a picture with a custom leather and wood frame I never sold either. Looks great! Never give up..Ever wonder what Norm did with the prototype? Its in his house. Time spent doing what you love is not wasted.:thumbsup:


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

If you build wooden rocking horses, I just wonder how long it will be before you get sued for a splinter.


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## sancho (Apr 3, 2010)

Depends on the economy. My mentor used to make custom wood office trash cans out of exotics. He'd get good oney for them especially around holidays /gift giving days.

However the economy was good then and people had cash they could spend. But now things are different.

You can make money but you have to be diverse. There are folks that do it. Refinishing old furniture and reselling, makeing new furniture, building built ins, closet organizers, garage cabinets, repairing furniture for moving companies, specialized shelving/file cabinets for small businesses all are examples of things one can do to make money and they all fall under the term wood working. 

Would you make a living on each individual facet of wood work? No but being diverse will give you more opportunities.

realeltect,

Why was tha guys answer assinine when he mentioned competing against the retired guy who is working out of his home as a hobby? Its is more accurate then most know or want to think about. Especially in todays economy.

That happens more then you know. I know some guys like who fit that description that are plain awesome in their woodwork expertise.

One guy We did a remodel for was a 3rd generation wood worker who also was a anetheisologist. had a shop that would make most pros jealous and did work that was just plain perfection. he isnt doing work out of his home YET, but if he gets tired of the medical field he could easily become one of those types of folks working out of their home on a cash only basis


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

I guess this was sorta a stupid question. Nobody really knows if it will be profitable unless they try. Just because another guy doesn't make money at it doesn't mean others couldn't. There are tons of guys in all types of trades that try to start a business and fail while others succeed. 

Also not everyone has the same financial goals with how much profit they need to make. One guy could be happy paying the bills with a little extra and the next guy needs to make a fortune or it's not worth it for him.

It was actually more of a question is there a market for wood products anymore. I should have worded it that way.

Nobody can answer if it will be profitable for me only I will know by trying (if I do).


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

There are lots of markets for wood products.


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## JTemple (Oct 20, 2012)

Heritage is a big company specializing in true Mission repros and of the very best quality. They change good money but are worth every dime. So my instincts say yes, do the best and move up market. There are still lots of people who will take one excellent piece over: Furnish the room for for cheap. Iron workers are in the same boat. A custom iron coffee table can be $2500, single bed about the same. People do pay. 

You need to think of a way to "brand" yourself. Become know for the quality.


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## Mr Latone (Jan 8, 2011)

realelectrician said:


> I guess this was sorta a stupid question. Nobody really knows if it will be profitable unless they try. Just because another guy doesn't make money at it doesn't mean others couldn't. There are tons of guys in all types of trades that try to start a business and fail while others succeed.
> 
> Also not everyone has the same financial goals with how much profit they need to make. One guy could be happy paying the bills with a little extra and the next guy needs to make a fortune or it's not worth it for him.
> 
> ...


I think it's perfectly fine to seek opinions on topics like profitability. The only snag is when the opinions are promoted as definitive answers.

Threads like this encourage open discussion. I see that everyone looks at things just a little differently and often those differences stimulate, reinforce or invalidate some of my own thinking. 

One can draw many parallels from posts in this thread to all sorts of business applications we face everyday.


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## cabinetsnj (Jun 10, 2012)

realelectrician said:


> I guess this was sorta a stupid question. Nobody really knows if it will be profitable unless they try. Just because another guy doesn't make money at it doesn't mean others couldn't. There are tons of guys in all types of trades that try to start a business and fail while others succeed.
> 
> Also not everyone has the same financial goals with how much profit they need to make. One guy could be happy paying the bills with a little extra and the next guy needs to make a fortune or it's not worth it for him.
> 
> ...


There is a market. However the market may not be in your area. You can also try selling your products online.


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## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

realelectrician said:


> Thanks for the opinion but it's pretty asinine:thumbsup:


"Definition of ASININE
1: extremely or utterly foolish"

realelectrician:

I was nice enough to respond to your post and I'm hoping you'll explain how my response was "utterly foolish". 

I've read the rest of this thread and can assure you, assessing the competition is the best advice you've received so far. You are attempting to make money at an activity that people will do for pure enjoyment. I'm not saying it can't be done; I'm saying that you need to be aware of all the facets of the situation. Ignore them at your own peril. Just because the response isn't what you wanted to hear, doesn't make it bad advice.

Joe


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## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

SmallTownGuy said:


> He's not up near me, is he? (north of Hadley, south of Lapeer).
> Same exact scenario. In fact the steel shop buys r/s hardwood beams from him for shipping.


STG:

He's not far.


Joe


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

Kowboy said:


> "Definition of ASININE
> 1: extremely or utterly foolish"
> 
> realelectrician:
> ...


Is your asinine comment - "You will never, ever, compete on price and stay alive. Impossible."

To think that only way to run a successful business is to compete on price is asinine.


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## Red Adobe (Jul 26, 2008)

I have been wondering the same thing, I took alot of shop and learned tons of WOOD the last 25 years .My body is telling me I cant do ladders and roofs much longer if at all.

What i have come up with is stuff older people can associate with and afford. Outdoor furiture being alot of it......the porch swing , addorondack (Spelling error im sure) , picnic tables, wishing wells and so on. Younger people wont know quality less care that the crap they buy at the box store only last 2 seasons if that. Where older people want quality and longevity for the $

Marketing said stuff is what will make a craftsmen or starves them and thats where im stuck. $8 plastic chair vs an $80 wood chair. My dad has a chair he made in 1951, been sanded and painted 5 or 6 times but is solid as well made and sturdier then plastic but beings so many people are so used to throwing crap they buy away to replace it what do ya do?

I love making my own stuff, always have. I have a knotty pine coffee table i made 15 or so years ago thats had a few gals dance on it and stood up with just minor scratches in the urathane that I could easily buff out but dont (conversations) find me some china flat pack table that has that.

If you can do it out of the house and market it with low overhead then its doable unless theres others doing it.


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## realelectrician (Jul 13, 2011)

Red Adobe said:


> I have been wondering the same thing, I took alot of shop and learned tons of WOOD the last 25 years .My body is telling me I cant do ladders and roofs much longer if at all.
> 
> What i have come up with is stuff older people can associate with and afford. Outdoor furiture being alot of it......the porch swing , addorondack (Spelling error im sure) , picnic tables, wishing wells and so on. Younger people wont know quality less care that the crap they buy at the box store only last 2 seasons if that. Where older people want quality and longevity for the $
> 
> ...


I agree with you on the older crowd knowing what quality is. Although I'm only 34 but I have a bias obviously because I'm into woodworking. I'm looking at 3 pieces of furniture in my room that are made in China laminated particle board crap. But I do have my end table made out of solid 3/4 oak that I made in the 8th grade:thumbsup:


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## CarpenterSFO (Dec 12, 2012)

realelectrician said:


> Is your asinine comment - "You will never, ever, compete on price and stay alive. Impossible."
> 
> To think that only way to run a successful business is to compete on price is asinine.


I think you guys are in violent agreement - price isn't the way to compete in that market.


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

Red Adobe said:


> Marketing said stuff is what will make a craftsmen or starves them and thats where im stuck. $8 plastic chair vs an $80 wood chair.


How long did it take you to make that $80 chair? Finished or unfinished?
If you built it on the the side and sold it from your lawn, you may do OK.
Especially if you could do say 10 at a time and had a market for them.

If you have to build just 1, have insurance for some idiot falling out of it and have to do the sales tax routine it may not be profitable. For side money it would be good.

There is a guy near me who builds bunk beds, very nice, finished nicely. Sold them from his house, started out at $450 I think, now they are $100 and he still can't get rid of them. 

In the last 5 or 6 years the market is all upside down. Some body who throws a baseball gets $27m a year, some body who sings gets $30m a year, someone who makes things with his hands gets squat.


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## chew (Apr 5, 2012)

Can you be profitable? Yes, but it take alot of marketing & time to establish yourself. 

For the last 4 years around here there seems to be a woodworking co. ( big & small)being auctioned off every other month. 

One quick test you can do is find an item for sale that you would make & calculate how much it would cost you to make & overhead. Make sure you use the hourly wage you want to make. 

If I were you & wanted to do this I would start out doing it in my spare time & that way you can see if you will make the money you need to make before quitting your day job.

My 2 man cabinet shop has $250,000.00 worth of equipment in it. My construction company is it's main customer. It profitable & the only reason I keep it is so I can control my jobs better.


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## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

CarpenterSFO said:


> I think you guys are in violent agreement - price isn't the way to compete in that market.


Thanks, Bob


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## detroit687 (Sep 4, 2008)

I think theres a really good market for custom office furniture, for commercial. Ive done a few board room tables and large desks with solid surface tops and really made a good profit. I didnt really want to do the work because its not my niche. But I bid way high and got it and then I was getting several referral calls. I just turn them down unless im already doing the doors in the building.
I think theres a high demand and its corporate company money so the guy sending the po doesnt care.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

hdavis said:


> Possible, yes. Likely? Who knows Some do, but I bet a lot more would like to. How are your design skills? Finishing skills? I know a guy that just did custom picture frames, and he stayed busy. Still had some $$$ in tools and workshop.






The only part of this quote that may not be crucial is the finishing part. Back in mid 70s i did some work for a extremely talanted wood worker who made the picture frames for Salvador Dali. He did not own a brush or can of varnish,sent all his work to seperate finishers. The list of this mans clients was the list of who is who. Bottom line, YES i believe you can follow your dream and hit pay dirt also. The very best of luck to you! FJN


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

fjn said:


> The only part of this quote that may not be crucial is the finishing part. Back in mid 70s i did some work for a extremely talanted wood worker who made the picture frames for Salvador Dali. He did not own a brush or can of varnish,sent all his work to seperate finishers. The list of this mans clients was the list of who is who. Bottom line, YES i believe you can follow your dream and hit pay dirt also. The very best of luck to you! FJN


Good point, you don't have to do it all.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

*furniture*

I would bet a dollar to a donut these guys are doing ok money wise.



http://www.andersenandstauffer.com/


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