Does anyone generate an income by making things? I'm not

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>>1045362

I don't make a living off of it, but when I need extra cash I take commissions, usually cosplay related items. people in that client-base will pay a lot of money if your work looks good.

spend about $25 on this project and most of that was for paint. this one I didn't sell, it was for my sister who wanted to be Marceline on Halloween. but she took it to a party and a few people there offered her $150 for it.

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I makea few extra dollars selling leather work, and the occassional knife

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>>1045428
sorry for the picture quality, it is a picture of a picture.

I also built a 4-foot fan for a friend's Temari cosplay, I did not sell this one either but many people at the convention offered her $200 for it.

the market is nice because if you are willing to meet the customer's (sometimes very specific) demands then you can pretty much charge whatever you want for the piece. many times the piece doesn't have to be functional, just lightweight and look nice. which makes your job easier. I have had a few requests for functional pieces like guns with moving parts and things like that.

the downside is (at least with the tools I have access to) it is very time consuming. each piece is unique and therefore takes a lot of planning and sometimes trial and error. I had limited materials when I built the fan so I built a smaller 2-foot prototype and that cost me an extra day, it did make the actual build go smooth and fast though.

If you were to build things like this and try to make a living you would likely have to find several customers that want the same thing so you could mass produce them and get a lump sum of money. just my thoughts on it.

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>>1045434
this is the prototype

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>>1045362
>rotary cutter

What the actual fuck. Lazy people, shit results.

>>1045428
>>1045434
Cool stuff, thanks for sharing!

Those cosplay props look nice. I have just enough interest in anime to maybe execute something like that. Did you build a "portfolio" of stuff before soliciting work?

>>1045431
Nice holster. Do you do custom holsters too? That would pose some legal issues potentially unless the owner of the firearm is present for the fitting.

What other stuff have you done? I've actually designed a really thin wallet before and built it out of heavy duty craft paper. I used it for quite a few months, but never got around to committing it to leather. Two issues: I don't have the leather working tools and finding super thin leather and working it seemed pretty difficult.

Pic related. The wallet has a side pocket and a top pocket. I still have it somewhere.

Any leather working tips/links would be appreciated!

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>>1045456
>pic related
>my dumb ass doesn't attach it

>>1045450
Amen

>>1045362
I make a bunch of stuff. I never stay on one set of stuff for very long. I couldn't imagine making the same shit for years. I sell it all, but I don't normally sell it all at once. I play the long term game and the net profit is good enough for me. Switching from one thing to another is good to prevent market saturation.

How do you find a market for stuff? I wouldn't mind sewing or making stuff like fans, but who actually buys that shit? I literally cannot imagine who would sooner come to me for something than get it at Wal*Mart or Ikea.

>>1045471
One poster identified a market: cosplayers. The only way for individuals and small companies to succeed in the world of Walmart is to market to niches.

>>1045473
Or, offer stuff the actual quality that lasts.

>>1045362
nice spoon

>>1045476
That's also a niche. Most people won't pay money for something of higher quality. The only way normies pay extra for something is if it comes from a brand with /perceived/ quality. As in, buying a Wayfarer sunglasses instead of ones from Target.

>>1045362
Basic metal fabrication while I'm still in welding school (tfw one month to go).
I don't make much because people in my small customer base are cheap fucks and would rather not have the thing than to actually pay for what it's worth.

>>1045456

>Did you build a "portfolio" of stuff before soliciting work?

no most of my projects are from local customers, I just talk with them about what they want and if I think i can deliver I take the job, I imagine a portfolio would be needed if you were to make a web page and take request. or maybe just post the things you have made on a blog so people can see and list some contact info.

>>1045431
I've started working with thin nappa leather and want to get more into working with leather in general.
How much do you think would be an appropriate price to spend on for all the equipment you would actually need?