The psychology behind buying.

[DREAMGLASS]

With the Christmas rush behind me, plans got delayed in January with flu that lasted for three weeks solid and an infant mortality in the family. February is a fresh start now though and time to put the 'designing head' on again.

Being a self taught artist and illustrator, the physical side of creating new designs is no real problem to me, but sitting here thinking about what would be the ideal 'killer design', i.e. one that sells in high volumes, it did set me wondering about the underlying reason why people actually buy our products?

I can go into any supermarket and buy a reasonable quality tee for less than a fiver, likewise I can buy a decent quality printed mug for less than £2 from many high street retailers. At the other end of the scale, people will happily spend £50 plus on a plain tee for no other reason than it has a designer 'tag' sewn into it. The products the rest of us produce and sell lie somewhere between those two extremes. My vinyl tees are all at one price and my subli tees are also at one price and looking at it reflectively, I have absolutely no idea why some designs sell far more than other designs. I know people buy things they like, but am curious as to what is the 'trigger mechanism' that makes them dip their hands into their pockets and buy specific designs.

My own original foray into tees was to put my art onto tees in the form of wearable art and like most of the folks on this forum with experience under their belts, I am completely competent in the practical side of using presses, printers and other equipment to create saleable products. I guess one thing we are all vague on though, is why people buy our products in the first place. I believe if we could stand detached at a distance and analyse WHY folks buy specific items, we could all profit from greater sales volumes.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

[Andrew]

Sounds an extremely rough start to the year. Hope things look up for you and the people involved from now on.

Knowing and understanding why people do things in all walks of life is a definite money spinner. Easier said than done though and not that many think too much about it. I guess a lot do what they are good at or have an interest in and then fit into a target market or it becomes a bit self generating. As soon as you do find that formula that works you get the usual copying and palguerising going on but if someone is capable of coming up with ideas that work then it's onto the next rather than sit back and wait. We all work differently and what works for one might not for another. That's what makes business interesting. Know your strengths and weaknesses and how best to adapt to them.

[AdamB]

Have you got a website or anything with your art on display - just curious to see some of your designs.

[DREAMGLASS]

ANDREW: Yep a bum start to the year, but life goes as as none of have the ability to alter past events.

Wasn't so much looking at designs from a personal perspective of what I sell myself, more in general terms of why people buy specific designs and products. Defining if there is some 'trigger' that makes certain designs take off.

I occasionally have a browse at other sellers products on eBay, purely out of curiosity, as it is an open marketplace where you can see what is selling, as opposed to regular websites where no sales data appears. Some of those sellers have some really nice products and yet quite often it is some of their lesser offerings that achieve far greater sales. I know it's easy for personal preferences to creep in when doing those sort of 'spot analytics', but I'm on about designs that are worlds apart, coming from the same seller and being sold at the same prices.

I guess most of us buy equipment, learn how to use it, create designs, but never really analyse why folks part with their cash to buy our products. I am fortunate that I sell my designs all over the world, but I do sometimes wonder why they buy a design from a trader the far side of the globe. As to the psychology of WHY they buy our products over those of our competitors, I am presuming most of us couldn't actually answer that question. Whilst i am grateful that they do buy, insight would be a truly wonderful sales tool.


ADAMB: Last time I put a link to my sites on a forum (TSF), three of my designs were copied within a week, so it's something I no longer do (nothing personal). Many of my designs are automotive themed, predominantly from the fifties and sixties. The vehicles usually form part of a bigger backdrop to give a feeling to that era. I also do some earlier designs from the brooklands era. Modern vehicles have no interest to me as apart from issues with outfits like SNB-REACT, there is just no artistic merit to modern vehicles. Swap the badges over and most people wouldn't even know the difference.

My original art also ventures into railway scenes and seascapes, but I honestly doubt there would be a commercial market for those on garments. The railway folks would never take their anoraks off to show them....

[AdamB]

Any chance of PM'ing it to me then?

[Andrew]

Without having the time to look back through your posts to pick up any clues...... where d oes the name Dreamglass come into it? Do you print on glass?

[Ian M]

So very sorry about the start to your year & hope things get better soon.

I've found that with some sales it's all down to others being a bit jealous when they see someone with something they haven't got such as a t-shirt of a printed mug. I have to admit I have played on this a bit to boost my sales & at times it has worked. During November last year I put the simplest mug I have ever done on Ebay & sales went mental but, I have only sold one since the new year. I now think the time of year has something to do when we sell certain designs & products. I tend to now think that people go through certain phases when they buy certain subjects & it is so difficult to predict when those phases occurs.

[DREAMGLASS]

Thanks Ian. First time in my life I have had to go to a babies funeral and hopefully something I'll never have to do again. Seeing such a tiny coffin in the back of a hearse, really brings home the fact how fragile even existence can be some days. It has motivated me to do a lot more things over this coming year.

Mugs are a strange thing. Although I sell them myself, I class them as a Christmas product. In the run up to Christmas I am taking carrier bags full of them to the Post Office, the rest of the year they are slow movers apart from little peaks for Mothers and Fathers days. I have the feeling that they are predominantly bought as gifts for others, hence the busy periods. I am always threatening to ditch the mugs, as it's the one item that won't go into a regular post box, but it's handy extra revenue at times.

[AdamB]

Any chance of PM'ing it to me then?

I take this as a NO then DreamGlass?

Shame as I have a friend who was interested when I mentioned the stuff you do - never mind.

[DREAMGLASS]

Sorry Adam - like I said earlier it's nothing personal. After having designs ripped off via another forum, I no longer give folks in related trades access to my designs, nor give links to my sites.