that sure does look amazing, but it’s just too nice to use!

Had a similar problem with a hand-woven rug business. People that make these comments are never going to be your client. It’s not a price thing. They’re just browsing, and this is a reflex response so they can continue to browse without any sales pressure.

Got any pics? Im curious to see them boards!

Call them charcuterie boards or serving boards. Having a beautiful board to display appetizers is the in thing. Also if you can finish them in a way that resists stains and such. Not sure if that is possible…

There are a lot of competitors out there. I know one guy who is successful enough that he’s been able to pursue it full-time. Here’s what I’ve noticed:

-He mostly operates within the farmers market circuit, with the occasional higher end artisan show.

-He is loyal to his markets. Instead of cycling, he attends the same ones weekly (in different parts of the state) and builds a rapport with the locals + other vendors.

-He brings different price point items for different markets. So the market I do with him is in a working class area so he prominently displays his smaller items. He sells a LOT of chopsticks at this market because $20 is an easy impulse to justify. In wealthier areas or at the high end shows will have his masterpieces on display. He started doing this because at this market in particular, people were draw in by his big, beautiful boards but then they’d see the price and assume that everything is expensive. The lower dollar, quick items make him seem more accessible.

-He’s a phenomenal storyteller. Every piece has a story. He also harvests the wood himself from local trees. Towns will call him when a tree is scheduled to be cut down and he turns them into unique pieces. I have a spoon made from a tree torn down during a local elementary school’s remodel.

-For larger pieces, he will give the customer his signature board balm

-He’s REALLY patient. He attended a market for at least a month before his first sale but that person spent hundreds. Some weeks he doesn’t sell a single item and other weeks he has multiple customers like that first customer.

-He also sells to high end home goods stores, which increases his exposure

I’m not saying that his model will necessarily work for yinz but I figured it’d be helpful to compare.

Edited to add: we did a bit of a collab once! I sell salami so I used the board that I bought from him to do samples. It’s one thing to do demos yourself but watching someone else use your product and clean effortlessly can go a long way.

Have a used board available. Seriously show me how amazing is still looks after it has been used a few times. I have no problems dishing out $200 for a board, but if better last. And provide care instructions.

Edit to say I just bought 3 for $700. One for me and one for each adult kid for Christmas. All households with amazing cooks. I saw the board the guy used every day at home and I have care instructions. Easy piecy.

This comment always used to drive me crazy. Although it was usually from customer’s who had already bought my stuff so I wouldn’t put too much thought into it.

The thing that drove me crazy was I mainly sold end grain cutting boards which are designed to hide cut marks. If you aren’t going to cut on it buy an edge grain board and save me the work! Haha.

The best business solve a problem. Unfortunately he’s not solving a problem he’s an artist. Maybe he could make cool coffee tables instead. People pay up for nice looking usable furniture.

they’re not cutting boards, theyre charcuterie boards.

You probably lack proper marketing.

You need high quality visuals of the products being used. You should also emphasize some benefits of using it, and make it sound like the benefits are specific to your board/materials/etc…

And you need to market to the right audience - probably pro chefs. There’s probably a large market of at home hobbyist chefs that splurge on materials too.

Sell those silicone mats along with them or as an add on. They save the surface of the board and make for easy clean up, while keeping the look of the board

Target market the stores and people in richer neighborhoods, like for the Phoenix AZ metro area you would target Scottsdale and Paradise Valley and maybe Fountain Hills and Ahwatukee. Also, try to hook in with some YouTube/instagram chefs, if their followers see your board being used, or even hung on the wall in the background, they will ask where it came from and likely order ones for themselves.

Simple… Make business cards Every time a couple walks by and one says “I love this … Or I want”. Give the business card to the other person. Just say good gifts they actually want are hard to find. Smile and say “available online”.

Or if that single item is custom. Just politely say “everything I make is custom and unique”. No one will ever buy this cutting board at “Walmart”. Maybe a sign that says “only available here”.

Sometimes people don’t want to say the real reason they don’t want to buy something. Saying, “It’s too nice to use,” to me sounds like “It’s very expensive, and I don’t want to spend that kind of money on something I would most likely ruin.” Or, “There’s no WAY I would spend that much money on a cutting board.”

If “It’s too nice to use” is a VERY common comment, why not take (to the shows) some boards that have seen a lot of wear and tear. Give a little information about how to care for the board to prolong its life.

Make more cheaper ones

Or make keepsake or jewelry boxes instead. If they’re beautiful, it makes more sense, because they get to stay beautiful, unlike a cutting board

Try making uglier products

Seriously you can try out on a small scale and make just a few uglier but well made products and see if they sell

Perhaps people are trying to tell you that all of these cutting boards are mastering class works of art that make people feel like that they are slicing tomatoes on the Mona Lisa or something