Architect Archive
Thread: Bestsellers?
Chiiry wrote:Hey fellow architects,In the course of your time as an architect, what have you found to be the best selling furniture (note: furniture, not houses or harvesters)?I have found it to be:The white furniture you can make as master! (I can understand why, that stuff looks sooo nice!)Plants (always decorative and refreshing in a house)Paintings (Who can blame people for loving those?)So what are your bestsellers?
As a Master Architect and Neurotic Interior Decorator.........
All I can add to your list is "creativly named furniture".
Think of your target market.
Don't get me wrong, the elite furniture is in demand, but the other furniture sells well too, provided you create your OWN cool name for it. Why would I buy a "Cafe Table" when I could have a Wooden Desk, Banquet Table or Red Oak Serving Table. Get my drift? Who wants a "Potted Plant, Style One" when you can get a Dathomirian Razor Bush or a Corellian Fire Cactus.
Be unique in your product instead of being cookie cutter, staight out the crafting device, producing the same item as the rest of the pack.
That's the best advice I can give. Take it with a grain of salt.
Cheers
Message Edited by AlphaMaldorian on 05-08-2004 08:49 PM
AlphaMaldorian wrote:
All I can add to your list is "creativly named furniture".
Think of your target market.
Don't get me wrong, the elite furniture is in demand, but the other furniture sells well too, provided you create your OWN cool name for it. Why would I buy a "Cafe Table" when I could have a Wooden Desk, Banquet Table or Red Oak Serving Table. Get my drift? Who wants a "Potted Plant, Style One" when you can get a Dathomirian Razor Bush or a Corellian Fire Cactus.
Be unique in your product instead of being cookie cutter, staight out the crafting device, producing the same item as the rest of the pack.
That's the best advice I can give. Take it with a grain of salt.
Cheers
Message Edited by AlphaMaldorian on 05-08-2004 08:49 PM
I echo this whole heartedly because this is what look to buy
- one addidtiona thing - Lose the usage of "your" name in the item name
- I do not want to have my house furnished as an advert for you. I will do without before buying this. It just destroys the illusion I am trying to create in"my" house
I echo this whole heartedly because this is what look to buy
- one addidtiona thing - Lose the usage of "your" name in the item name
- I do not want to have my house furnished as an advert for you. I will do without before buying this. It just destroys the illusion I am trying to create in "my" house
Concerning the adding of the item creator to the item's name, this is of the utmost importance. If you want to know who manufactured an item, just examine it. The creator will be listed under the items properties. NO reason to list it again in the item's name. However..........
When I do runs of "paintings", I do add my name to the item. A craftsman always labels his work discreetly (in this case in the item properties), but artists (painters) always sign there masterpieces in an obvious place.
For example: The mushroom painting I named "Adam in the Mystical Toadstool Garden" by Potsilosk
This sold quite well dispite it having my name on it. Only one person who bought complained about this but once I explained that (the whole artist thing) to them, they understood.
Except for paintings NEVER add your name to the product.
The ONLY exception to this is paid endorsements.
I'm an Interior Decorator and if the client has a spare building count to spare, I ask if I can place a small advertisment statue when I'm done. If I've done an outstanding job in their eyes and agree, I make/place one of the small statues with the title of "Interior Design by Potsilosk, Queer Eye for the Jedi Interior Design Service".
Cheers
Bandola wrote:
I disagree, there should be no problem naming structures for example, I do this all the time, xxxx by Bandola. I am proud of what I make and nobody who has bought a structure from me has ever complained about this.
Structures can be renamed, so I agree here. The problem the others are bringing up is that they don't want their furniture to be named. You can't change the name of your furniture, but structures, yeah I put my name on the structures for the same reason Bandola.
Even when it comes to furnitureI say that if I made stuff I would have no reservations about putting my name on items I craft, I would find it highly acceptable for my items to carry a 'designer label' (all the big companies do it, from Nike down to WalMart). I would happily give up the sales to those who chose not to buy from me, since the advertising potential is enormous.
'Hey, look at that neat lamp, wonder where he got that?' examines said lamp, 'Hmm, it's made by Bandola, I think I'll look him up and see if he can make me a few...'
Advertising is key to business in this dog-eat-dog virtual world, what better way to get your name noticed?
I don't do furniture for anyone else. Too much of a pain. In fact, I don't sell much of anything at all outside my friends. And then, I find myself trading for fun toys, resources, etc...
I was holding off on making the Master level furniture until I could make complete sets, we just got Pholokite on Bria (w00t!), so I made up a bunch but it's been moving pretty slowly. Donah saysI need to advertise it more... 
My best sellers are beds, the basic bookcase, glass-topped tables, and--who knew!--candles. Heck, I thought they'd just be a RP item, for weddings and PA parties and such, but folks like 'em. /shrug
As for custom names, I do sell under the brand name Mighty Tays'ti--the vendors are named Mighty Tays'ti Ladies Fashions, Mighty Tays'ti Furniture, etc, and each clothing item carries that name: Mighty Tays'ti Peach Shorts, for example. (Sounds yummy!) 
I DO NOT label each furniture item this way, though. I figured it'd get pretty annoying to see Mighty Tays'ti this and Mighty Tays'ti that every time you mouse over items in your house. I do re-name things more descriptively. There are several items named "Couch," so to make it easier on the customer, I'll call 'em "Red/Gray Couch" or "Rounded Yellow Couch," you get the idea.
I think the real key to selling a lot of furniture is just to have a big selection. Even if you have the hard to find master pieces, if that is all you have no one will ever look. Even the crummy tool chests or metal bookcases will sale. People find creative uses for them.
As to the name thing, I put my name on the paintings and that is about it. I do think it has hurt sales a bit, but I sale my paintings at real furniture prices, not the stupid over priced stuff. I have people buying crates but I cant seem to sell more than acouple hundred of them. Still a painting is art work and the name must be done.
As to me best seller in furniture, Jaxes, bunnies and lizards O my. BE's have the best furniture in the game. If I get a crummy pet, I can always put a cutesy name on it and through it on my furniture vendor. They have a half life of about 12 hours.
Meplorium wrote:
As to me best seller in furniture, Jaxes, bunnies and lizards O my. BE's have the best furniture in the game. If I get a crummy pet, I can always put a cutesy name on it and through it on my furniture vendor. They have a half life of about 12 hours.
Really? Because Tays'ti is a BE, among other things... /ponders
I have thought about adding "Hunting Trophies" to one of my showrooms. I worry about the idle animations, though. I think it might be creepy if the trophy starts squirming around. 