Am I wrong in thinking that people don't actually sell stuff on Etsy? Or is it only a chosen few. Every time I read a lovely blog or follow a link from someone who appears to be doing really well I end up at their etsy page with figures like this;
- Request custom item
- Opened on May 13, 2009
- 39 items for sale
- 24 sales
- So this person who has over 200 followers on her beautiful 4 year old blog has sold 24 items in two years? What is it with Etsy? Why do people pursue selling there.
- I ask this in all sincerity because I am thinking of doing the same, but I'm not going to pay fees for two years to make 24 sales. That's just silly.
- Enlighten me.
- !
- Sincerely.
- !
- And then tell me how to get rid of these dots!!
LOL Can't help you with the dots except to say I think they're bullet points! Anyhoo I kept an eye on Etsy for awhile but found madeit.com.au and craftumi.com.au. Sales aren't great but their reputation is growing.
ReplyDeletelol... the dots are easy! Undo your um, pagination?
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to wonder also (why I sell on etsy). When you list it's 20c. The big fee comes if you sell. I was saying to a friend the other day that the only sales seem to be people looking for supplies or people selling supplies. That's not quite true but close enough. Items do sell - I've had friends sell quilts, jewellery, patterns, fabric etc. This is my opinion but I think when etsy sold out late last year and made many changes to the structure and the forums (and continually allowing resellers to list) people started migrating elsewhere. Artfire seems to still have the right idea and I know alot of people have opened shops there. Zibbet is another. If ebay & your website are working for you, stick to it! Sometimes, it's better the devil you know...
Well, my Etsy shop says its been open since 2008...I have 4 sales. I haven't had things listed to that entire time, and I have sold a few on Ebay as well.
ReplyDeleteEtsy is nice because you pay $0.20 and it's there for 4 months. You don't really have worry about it I suppose. I find the design better, and it is nicer to find things on as a buyer. Ebay is a pain.
well it's only .20 to list something and you pay 5% of your sale if you sell something. So the fees are not bad at all. But etsy is so big, I don't think people find me. Ebay is really a pain, etsy's better.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I'm not thinking of selling fabric but hand crafted items. But it seems it's just for fun.
ReplyDeleteI guess it all depends what you sell... I've just had a quick looksee at some of the shops i've faved and see things like:
ReplyDeleteThree Sheet Studio: (fabric supplies and handmade goods)
Opened on Aug 23, 2009
125 items for sale
1186 sales
LilaRubyKing: (papergoods)
Opened on Sep 24, 2007
85 items for sale
1967 sales
SuperDuperThings:(accessories)
Opened on Jun 08, 2009
32 items for sale
996 sales
Annalela: (bags and keychains)
Opened on Jun 06, 2009
70 items for sale
26 sales
Very hard to assess, but from what I've seen quality goods sell well. It isn't always obvious when a shop opens that that is when someone started using it to sell... it could be opened and then put on the back burner for a year. My shop is a case in point... I opened it years ago but haven't got around to using it yet... one day, promise, I will!!
TBH I think it's great, especially as a place for supplies - I've bought felt and button making supplies - but I think things have to be realistically priced, well photographed, and in the first instance be something that will sell. It's probably nothing as good as a bricks and mortar shop, but would be a good supplement to one. I dislike ebay intensely, I much prefer the friendliness of the marketplaces.
Anyway, if you do set up shop I wish you every success!
Funny how this turned into an ebay -v- etsy thing, which I totally did not intend. I see they both have good and bad points. I wonder if etsy is better than an open air market for selling stuff??
ReplyDelete