Is there a market for wood wine bottle stoppers ???

[Clarence Martin]

Friend of mine is interested in some wood wine bottle stoppers. Is there a market for these things ?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Do a Google search using "Turned wood wine bottle stoppers". There are a lot for sale. You can buy them on Amazon....Etsy.....

[Dan Masshardt]

A small market I'd say.

I make some and sell a few but not nearly as many as other stuff.

They are an extremely easy project but part of the problem is that you have to keep the price point fairly low to move them most of the time.

[Robert Willing]

Yes there is a market for WBS but think VARITY never sell just one item because different items sell in cycles/moods. If you want to sell WBS have a variety of items such as pens, seam rippers, letter openers, shawl pins, game calls, etc. Have a variety within each group. One thing people will say about WBS we drink the whole bottle why do I need a WBS.
Well according to a wine store (who asked if I could make some WBS out of domestic local wood for them) people display a bottle of wine with a stopper, or they make great gifts, be creative. You may want to offer a pouch to put the stopper in so they think they are getting something special, and/or if they talk about it being a gift than offer the pouch. Hut products sell 3 per bag for a very reasonable price.

I would not sell a stainless steel WBS for less than $30.00.

[Marvin Hasenak]

My customers prefer the cheap silicone stoppers, they want cheap and simple. I make them mostly out of maple, using a 1,5x1.5x2 blank. Using maple and the silicone stoppers I have about a dollar in each one. I can drill and turn them in no time, for finish I dip in spar varnish mix. Sometimes I dip them in dye so I have different colors available. Last time I made them I turned a batch of 96, I cut, drilled and turned them in a production line. I did everything in one day except gluing the stoppers in. 75 of those went to a friend that is in a partnership that owns a small winery.

[Dick Rowe]

I can't give them away in my area.

[Tim Browne]

Bottle stoppers are often thought of as "wine bottle stoppers" but they're more versatile than that. Mini stoppers are sometimes used for cruets with oil and vinegar. Flavored oils (the kind with herbs in the bottle) are popular as gifts and work well with bottle stoppers. If you sell at farmers markets consider teaming up with a local beekeeper to sell honey in small decorative bottles topped with your mini stoppers. Just think outside the wine cask.

[Dan Hintz]

Bottle stoppers are often thought of as "wine bottle stoppers" but they're more versatile than that. Mini stoppers are sometimes used for cruets with oil and vinegar. Flavored oils (the kind with herbs in the bottle) are popular as gifts and work well with bottle stoppers. If you sell at farmers markets consider teaming up with a local beekeeper to sell honey in small decorative bottles topped with your mini stoppers. Just think outside the wine cask.

Having made/sold countless pens and bottle stoppers at this point, I consider this excellent advice.

[Robert Willing]

+1 to Tim's advice never thought of that!

[Peter Blair]

I make and sell these at a couple of markets a year in my area. This year I included golf balls bottle stoppers as well. As Tim says I do not call mine WBS just BS and suggest they work and look good on oil and liquor bottles as well. This year I made some that look like small wine barrels. I have a technique that uses the inexpensive T-Tops about .50 cents each so I can keep the price point quite low. I think I sold about 30 at two markets this year.

[Steve Peterson]

I would not sell a stainless steel WBS for less than $30.00.

One problem is that there are many people willing to sell them in the $10-15 range. You will also be competing against hand blown glass in the same price range. Some of the non-wood ones are very beautiful.

I think they would be difficult to sell for $30. You would need them to be really special, and you will have way too much effort into one with a price point of $30.

Steve

[Scott Hackler]

I have made a handful of stoppers as well. I started out using the chromed ones from Woodcraft but quickly learned that the chrome can come off eventually if exposed to red wine or vinegar, so I switched to Ruth Niles' stainless stoppers. Besides supporting a small business (Ruth) I also was able to sell them for more.... with the sales pitch of "Stainless Steel". Although I don't attempt to sell much in the utilitarian dept, I have sold a few of these and I charge $35 for them and have sold several at that price. Even to repeat customers. It is all about marketing yourself and pricing your items according to what your area will support. Frankly, if I couldn't get $35 for them, I would either keep them or give them to family as stocking stuffers!

[Stan Calow]

I made and gave away about a dozen to friends and family a couple of years ago. My observation has been that none of the recipients is using them.

[Robert Willing]

All of the WBS I sell are sold at gun shows and usually sell on Sunday when the ladies come thru. Some are sold to men but usually as gifts.

[Rick Gibson]

I've only ever sold 1. I make a few and just give them away to people I like. For those that tell you they drink the whole bottle you can always point out they keep the fruit flies out between glasses.