Popularity Issues
Some maps are more popular than others and because some get no interest at all, it can be a gamble to spend a lot of time on making one if it turns out to be far from worthwhile. (But not as much of a gamble as paying hundreds of pounds for them first!)

I no longer feel like there’s any choice about whether an area is worthy of making a map for. If it’s borders an area I’ve already done, it almost has to be done, even if I suspect it won’t be very popular.

Leeds has been the most popular by a long way but interest in maps for some places like Newcastle has been surprisingly disappointing. Even maps that have been around for three years might have sold only 5 copies. (I’m looking at you, Doncaster.)

Sales
There may be a trickle of random purchases through the year and then I just have to hope that a few more orders will come in before each Christmas. I very wrongly thought that the initial popularity of the Leeds map would be the same across all areas. I also thought that the more maps I made, the more sales I’d have. Sadly, neither of these has been true.

The maps barely keep me in beer money, but anything I get from them is much appreciated and needed.

Costs
There are various costs involved with producing and selling the maps, including:

• Royal Mail
• Packaging (Tubes and sleeving)
• Paper
• Inks & Toners
• Printers and/or parts
• PayPal fees
• eBay fees
• Etsy fees
• Website hosting/domain costs

All of these things add up and it means that I only get about half the sales cost as profit.

Bulk Disposal
Eventually, I had thousands of unsold, out of date posters. So, in December 2021, I got most of them and waved them off at the paper bank bin in a local car park. They were a combination of Leeds, Wakefield, Kirklees, Calderdale and Newcastle.

I kept a few hundred of them for covering tables whilst doing craft work etc.

Real Successes
Selling any at all is a success. And I think I’ve proved that I can do these to a professional standard. I’ve had a large number nice comments and reviews from people online and in person.

I’ve evolved some of the style and content of the maps and revising maps every three years or less is no small feat.

Looking Ahead
I never quite know which map will take off and which will quietly sink without trace. I can’t say the process is truly enjoyable, because it’s a lot of hard work, but I do enjoy the moment when I’ve realised I’ve achieved what I set out to do, and there’s another small chunk of the country done.

At the time of writing (November 2025), I’m slightly under halfway through the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester. After that, I’ll aim to complete Lancashire to have a significant part of a northern coast to coast collection.

As long as there are places to map (and as long as I make some money from them), I’ll probably keep going. And even if I stop creating new ones, I feel like I have to carry on updating the existing ones.