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Any advice on selling self-made hardware
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Ribster:
So i have got some products made, and some accompanying products (to support the custom electronics).
I want to start selling. I have got some options as what stores is concerned.

I can start with my own webshop, on my own website. Including generating website traffic, and thus brand building.
Getting possible buyers to my website will take time and advertisement investment.

Tindie is a viable option, and has a 10% cut. I think it's do-able, because the buyers are already there.

Ebay is a good space, i also get comments for being lost in the noise. But i think ebay is big enough, with good SEO focus it can stand out.

I'm from belgium, i would like to start with europe shipping exclusively.

Any tips / suggestions will be very welcome :)
AndyC_772:
1) Ensure your product is EMC, safety and RoHS compliant, that it has the CE mark, and that you have all the necessary documentation to back this up (technical file, test results etc).

2) Everything else.
Siwastaja:

--- Quote from: AndyC_772 on January 14, 2023, 10:42:43 am ---1) Ensure your product is EMC, safety and RoHS compliant, that it has the CE mark, and that you have all the necessary documentation to back this up (technical file, test results etc).

--- End quote ---

Or just sell few dozens as "prototypes". No one cares. Hobbyists do not care; corporate customers understand that they actually are prototypes and exempt of CE requirements (just like any prototypes said corporation would themselves produce).

For consumer mass market, obviously you can't avoid doing everything you mentioned, so better prepare some 10-20k€ of funding and a few months of time for learning everything related. Or extra 10k to hire a consultant, standards are numerous; you need someone who can offhand say which standard is relevant for your product.
Ribster:
Yes. While i do have T&M equipment for conducted and radiation measurements, i can make the rapports.
Stuff sold on tindie is mostly prototyping stuff, so no CE is required.
I am going to sell a current deskew device, which is powered from USB-C or external 5V.
I could do some extra filtering on there, and measure it to provide the test results, it will be used in a lab environment.
So i think i'm quite safe there.
Makes me wonder where to draw the line, and from which point i have to do some self-certification with my testgear.
ebastler:

--- Quote from: Ribster on January 14, 2023, 11:23:04 am ---Stuff sold on tindie is mostly prototyping stuff, so no CE is required.

--- End quote ---

I don't think it works that way, at least in Europe. If you sell to end users (consumers, not business-to-business), you need to ensure your product is CE compliant, and have documentation ready in case someone asks.

If you have the ability to measure conducted and radiated emissions and noise immunity, more power to you. For the typical hobbyist wanting to sell some home-made gadget or kit, the "no one will care" approach suggested by Siwastaja is probably the only option. It is likely to work -- unless you piss someone off who tries to retaliate by sending the authorities your way.

If you want to take the "selling B2B only" route, I think the burden of verifying that your customers are businesses would be on you. I.e. you would have to ask for proof (business registration or such) before selling to them. Again, the "no one will care" approach may work, until it does not.
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