Is ebay a good place to sell handmade kids clothing? if not, why not please

[fourandsixpants]

....I orig. posted same Q in ANSWERS forum but hope it is ok by the rules to repeat same in here?! am sure s/one will 'tick' me off and put me in my place if it's breaking any rules...

I am considering becoming a seller but would like opinions pls  re. selling my boutique standard handmade clothing on ebay. All opinions appreciated:) Sincere thanks   

[foxette-in-sox]

It's not a matter of 'ticking you off'.

Posting the same question twice is called a duplicate thread.

The people who answer you in the Answer Centre,also post on these boards.

The Answer centre is limited to 20 posts & is for specific ebay questions.

As for your question-I don't know sorry.

Bought handmade kids clothes from US many years ago as nothing like them available here.

[fourandsixpants]

....i knew i could count on an opinion from at least one egg-spurt *sheesh! thnkx i guess!!!...... for the 'sorry'

[motherbear2003]

I don't know about here, but there is an Australian site specifically for Australian hand made items:-)

[foxette-in-sox]

You may find the following discussion board more helpful

http://community.ebay.com.au/forum/Clothing-Arts-Crafts/500000013

[extra-keen]

motherbear, I found it and have joined up already, will do some of my shopping there for Christmas, so much gorgeous original stuff and so easy to find!

[*crikey*mate*]

I very, very rarely go to the Answer Centre, I think I may have been there 2 or 3 times in total, so had you have not asked this question here, I would never have seen it. So, I'm glad that you did post it here.

My first thoughts are to wonder if there would be enough profit in selling hand made children's clothes, as I know how long they can take to make and the costs of good quality materials.

There is an awful lot of competition for children's clothes in general.

Someone more experienced will be able to advise on how to improve ranking in search results than I can, but if you experiment yourself with a few key words to start with, it might give you some ideas on how to list your items so that they don't get lost amongst hundreds and thousands of other items.

I think that selling anything on here that is not a well known brand these days could be quite challenging. An unknown label does not really have any positioning in the market.

In saying all that, if you can somehow get around the above, I think it is a brilliant idea if you are able to supply something a "little bit different" at a competitive price.

The label "Pumpkin Patch" started off in a similar manner (though not the same) and look at their position in the market today.

It's a tricky proposition as to whether you focus on "one off originals" or on designs that are more able to be produced on a larger scale, as both give you a market edge in different ways.

Think about what your "attention getting opening" would be (ie your title) and experiment with that.

Just one suggestion, but when I was dressing a little girl, I tried to find dresses with matching pants to wear underneath - with boys, I loved the Osh Kosh "Bongo" overalls and a lot of the Fred Bare things - but resented how quickly their t-shirts went out of shape.

I also found it hard to buy "girly" clothes, (I figure when they're too young to complain I can make em look as girly as I like LOL)

As my girl aged, I found it difficult to find clothes that covered her tummy and bottom iykwim - so many things were fashioned around older girl's styles that I found it hard to dress her as a young girl and not a skin showing teen iykwim.

I'm thinking a range of clothes for bigger kids, not necessarily overweight kids, but a lot of my problem was my little girl was always a lot taller than standard sized clothes, so has been in the teen sizes since she was quite young.

[digital*ghost]

I can't offer you any specific advice about clothing, but I do sell handmade items here and I can tell you that this isn't a 'yes' or 'no' question. 

eBay is a challenging market for just about any business, but sometimes more-so for handmade items because it's often a price-driven market, and you'd be listing on a site where clothing is sold for less than the price you can post it, let alone make it and price it at a level that will make the business sustainable. The best advice I can give you about that is don't try to compete with the Chinese market - you will lose all round. It is definitely possible to carve out a niche here, but you will likely need to show (educate) people why your items will (probably) cost a lot more than some other similar items - you don't really need to do that on the other site that's been mentioned, as people who shop there are specifically looking for handcrafted items and have an understanding of what goes into making them. 

The first thing you need to decide is whether you want it to be a hobby (making a little money to supplement an income), or a business that generates an income. The second option will require a lot more planning and a lot more work. Also, it can take a huge investment of time to build a presence here. I'm sure there is a market for boutique clothing, but I suspect it's a small market, and it might take a while before that market is giving you any real attention. 

As far as practical advice goes, have a varied range in a few different price brackets - aside from the fact that more items = more opportunities to be found, you will often find that the more expensive and unique items that show off your talent / style will draw people in to look at your items, but if they can't afford it yet like what they see, they'll buy something else a little more affordable for them. 

I definitely recommend having a brand name, and building a presence for it in other places on the web (social media, and a blog if you have the time so that you can connect with other suitable blogs - consider advertising on ones that focus on parenting etc). 

[the-kazbar]

As a mum to 3 little angels I have noticed that childrens clothing is everywhere at the moment and really cheap, but it is all a bit the same. The stores and online are all full of the usual stock standard Asian made cheap stuff so I would steer clear of everyday clothes.

Whenever to try and find something a bit different or unique for a special occasion it is all either really gaudy over the top Asian or a little too European IYKWIM.

I would look at making special pieces that people are going to search out, rather than trying to compete with mainstream. Little vests/jackets and trousers for boys and nice dresses & boleros, or long skirts & top sets, for girls in beautiful fabrics and colours.

You could also add some hair accessories/ little bags etc to bring traffic to your other, better items.

[Anonymous]

I answered this but my post has been removed by the Ebay Moderation Police. My answer was a negative and i mentioned an alternative. Im a very bad boy!