What can any of you tell me about ETSY?
I know that it’s an EB&Y like site – only dedicated to all things hand crafted. But does it work?
I’m thinking about selling my felting creations there. I’ve looked at what’s already listed on the site, and my abilities are just as good as some of those posted. I’d like to sell my needle-felted work, so why not via this avenue?
Is there anything I should be concerned about?
And while I have your attention (hopefully) here are my two latest projects:
Meow Cat
and a Giraffe.
I really enjoyed making this giraffe. He stands about 8 inches tall, and is up for sale. Although, pricing is another thing I've got to put my mind around. How do you put a value on these kinds of things???
The cat is a birthday gift for a girlfriend, but there will be more to come.
8 comments:
I. LOVE. The cat. AND! The giraffe! How fun are those? Love them!
Of course I'd have to have four cats because I wouldn't be willing to share mine, and my kids would fight over just one (the other one that wasn't mine.)
I have no clue how Etsy works and how to price things so you make some money. These things are so time consuming it's hard to price it so your time is paid for, you know what I mean?
Good luck.
p.s. LOVE the cat and giraffe!
Thanks Cardio. I appreciate the support. One of these days I've got to connect with you on your comments do the 'reply' to a specific comment. I like that about your site.
I've been Etsy-ing with my friend T for a while now. http://mockorange.etsy.com
It's been great, brings in some pocket money plus a little more. It's made me a better crafter and I've done some craft fairs, since I now have merchandise.
How to price: go to Etsy and find stuff that is similar to yours. See what the range is. Be competitive.
Take very, very good pictures of your items. The better the picture, the higher the cost you can charge for the items. It's ALL ABOUT GOOD PHOTOS.
Make a nice looking masthead, make your sales copy sound nice (and don't have typos or idiotic eBay-speak). People will respond to friendliness and professionalism.
Put lots of stuff in your shop. One or two items won't cut it. Have a nice selection. You can list vintage stuff as well as handmade stuff.
Get a PayPal acct if you don't have one. Most people want to pay by PayPal.
If you are able to, indicate that you are willing to make custom orders.
Give it a shot. Be warned, Etsy takes out a listing charge, PayPal takes out a bite, so you'll end up with less than you thought you would after a sale.
Market the hell out of it. On your website; on others' websites; email your friends; send out announcements on twitter, facebook,etc.
Voila.
Thanks Becky! I knew you'd come through with some insight for me. Much to think about.
I have to admit I don't know a whole lot about etsy, but I do think your felted creatures are super cute. You are talented and I am sure others out there would agree with me and want to buy a critter!
Ahhh, HERE are the felted creatures!
Oh, my gosh, they are adorable. I'm totally a cat person, but that giraffe!!! Must . . . have.
I'm afraid I don't know anything about Etsy from a purchaser's point of view, but I would say based on my experiences as a shopper, it's definitely a reputable and professional site.
Good luck!
*Poke* I like your Giraffe... It makes me think about Zebras, oddly enough, though... Probably because spots and stripes contradict each other. Speaking of spots and stripes, Panda's have both... Weirdie. o.0
Love your felted creatures (especially the giraffe - I used to work with a teacher who collected giraffes and I immediately thought this would make such a cool gift for her).
Let me know when you get your Etsy page up and I'll be happy to write a short post and link on my blog (not that I get as much traffic as our friend Cardiogirl, but all positive word of mouth is good word of mouth for a business.
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