Like any other retail venue, Etsy is most beneficial if you actually pay attention to the marketing end of things. You can't just put things out there and expect to have flocks of people running to your door no matter what or where you sell. "Selling" is an action verb.
The main advantage of sites like Etsy is that the "audience" is people looking for handcrafted items, not Pottery Barn knock-offs. Yes, you have to self-promote and work on the marketing, but there's lots of help, advice, and experience available to make it easier for novices...much the same as we have here for new quilters.
