Laser Cut Wall Art (unnamed business)
"A side business selling laser-cut wall art primarily through Facebook Marketplace with local pickup, generating $2,000-$5,000/month using a makerspace laser cutter."
Marketing Channels
Facebook Marketplace
Most sales are done over Facebook Marketplace with customers picking up at the creator's house — 99% of orders are local pickup
Website
Creator has a website but most sales still flow through FB Marketplace; creator was reluctant to share the website publicly
Word of mouth / local community
Nearly 1,000 orders completed with local pickup, building a strong local reputation. Multiple HN commenters asked to see the website privately.
Growth Levers
- Find higher-value products that justify retail shop margins (50-60%) to enable wholesale distribution beyond local pickup
- Solve the shipping problem by investing in standardized packaging to unlock non-local orders and the broader e-commerce market
- Explore Etsy and Shopify as additional sales channels alongside Facebook Marketplace (a commenter selling jewelry already uses both)
- Develop original designs to avoid purchasing from Etsy/designers and increase per-piece margins
- Use alternative Canadian shipping services (Stallion Express, Chitchats Express) suggested by a commenter for cheaper shipping rates
First Customer Strategy
The creator started selling laser-cut wall art on Facebook Marketplace, leveraging the platform's built-in local buyer audience. Designs are sourced from Etsy purchases, commissioned from designers (DXF files), or created by the creator when simple enough. The laser cutter is shared through a makerspace, reducing capital investment.
Pricing Insight
The creator has explored wholesale through local shops but found their 50-60% margins or monthly shelf fees make it hard to be profitable for both parties without pricing pieces too high. Shipping is also problematic — costs are sometimes as much as the piece itself, and packaging/logistics are time-consuming. The business is fundamentally constrained by trading time for dollars.
New Market Opportunities
- E-commerce / shipped orders Multiple commenters from different locations wanted to see and potentially buy the art, indicating demand beyond the local market that shipping could unlock
- Wholesale to local merchants/gift shops Suggested selling at bulk discount to local merchants to remove the hassle of people coming to the house and leverage their physical presence
- Online jewelry/handmade goods sellers A jewelry seller on Etsy/Shopify was interested in learning the Facebook Marketplace strategy, suggesting cross-pollination potential between handmade goods communities
Key Takeaways
- • Facebook Marketplace is a viable primary sales channel for physical goods with local pickup, capable of generating $2K-$5K/month without paid ads or a sophisticated online presence
- • Using a makerspace's equipment (Thunder Nova 51 laser) rather than purchasing your own reduces capital risk and lets you validate the business before scaling
- • The 'too much to give up, not enough to be a real thing' trap is a common side business dilemma that requires either scaling up (shipping, wholesale) or accepting the ceiling
- • Local pickup at nearly 1,000 orders with zero payment issues demonstrates surprisingly high trust in local commerce
- • Wholesale retail margins of 50-60% make it difficult for lower-priced physical goods to be profitable through shops — higher-value products are needed
- • Shipping logistics (packaging, cost, time) are a genuine barrier to scaling a local physical goods business to e-commerce
Sentiment Analysis
3 Pos / 4 NeuNotable Quotes
"It makes too much to give up, but not enough to be a 'real thing'. Plus, I'm still trading time for dollars. — giarc"
"My folks were artists and it brings me joy to see you making some money from your art. — binarymax"
"I probably sounds like I'm just making excuses, and you'd be right :) — giarc"
"Knock on wood, but I've never had anyone not pay. — giarc"
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