Handcrafted blocks / wooden toys?

[Hannah Elise]

Just curious as to whether or not there would be interest in wooden blocks and other wooden handcrafted toys (wooden jigsaw puzzles, Waldorf-style toys, et cetera). My husband enjoys woodworking and I think it would be a really neat family side business if he had that outlet and I could do marketing. Just thought I'd ask around before broaching the subject with him.

[Powersmom]

I would buy any stuff like that if the prices weren't too insane. My husband also enjoys wood working and such.

[Hannah Elise]

I think the biggest obstacle we would face would probably be shipping; wood's not exactly light, but people don't generally like to pay high shipping costs. I mentioned the idea to him in passing, though, and he sounded intrigued. :mrgeeen:

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[jazter]

Some people increase the cost of the item to help pay shipping and then keep the cost of shipping less than actual. Because it does make a difference - I know that $15 shipping on a $22 item stops me in my tracks and yet I might not think twice about $7 shipping on a $30 item.

[Hannah Elise]

Originally Posted by jazter Some people increase the cost of the item to help pay shipping and then keep the cost of shipping less than actual. Because it does make a difference - I know that $15 shipping on a $22 item stops me in my tracks and yet I might not think twice about $7 shipping on a $30 item.

Hm. Good thought. 'cause, yeah... I mean, it's not like I would want to charge handling and make shipping expense higher than they actually are... but at the same time, if we're losing money on shipping... But I like that idea. It's funny how our minds work. I would probably react the exact same way as what you mentioned!

[an_aurora]

I would totally be interested. I'm shopping around for natural stuff and prices are outrageous.

[Made of Fleece]

We bought some toy blocks for sale at a garage sale. DD loves them - she's too little to build anything, just chews. And they're surprisingly light. Maybe use lightweight but sturdy wood? I would buy the jigsaw puzzles.

[mcpforever]

I would totally buy wooden jigsaw puzzles. Name puzzles with lowercase letters (instead of all uppercase) would be awesome, too.

[doodah]

I would shop! But don't forget you would have to research on ways to treat the wood and paint the wood that don't include harsh chemicals and are safe for children. Anyone shopping for wooden toys would want to know that each part of the toy is natural.

[Hannah Elise]

Originally Posted by doodah I would shop! But don't forget you would have to research on ways to treat the wood and paint the wood that don't include harsh chemicals and are safe for children. Anyone shopping for wooden toys would want to know that each part of the toy is natural.

Mmhmm. Some of what I've seen has been finished by natural oils (such as flax seed oil, etc) and/or sealed with beeswax. I like that idea.