ptquilts

yes, they really push free shipping, not sure how that would work from Poland. Do they have anything like craft fairs in Poland? What about Christmas markets?

Also, Etsy is no longer exclusively hand-crafted items (and supplies). They loosened their rules so that if you design something but have it made elsewhere, you can still sell it. That opens it up to almost everything.

SusieQOH

PTquilts- You just reminded me of one very bad sale from Etsy ( I mostly adore what I buy)
I bought a wreath from someone in California. I've bought them from other sellers before (gorgeous). Well, not this time. It arrived and looked kind of "old". When I turned it over it had a sticker "handmade in Mexico". I was not happy. The dried flowers looked old. I know that because I grow them. My one and only bad review. The seller did not respond. But as I said that was the only time.

Vasilisa

Thank you all for your replies.

There is one good thing about quilting in Poland. It is not a traditional craft here, so there are few people doing it, and even fewer selling their works. I would not even dream to sell my stuff in America. I certainly aim for domestic market and I'm OK with free shipping here. And I don't think anyone expects free international shipping in Eastern Europe.

I intend to start with baby quilts, as they are easier to do neatly enough to sell. I have consulted some friends doing crafts or interior design, and they encouraged me to go on. I have confidence in my stuff, especially that here patchwork quilts are something a bit unusual, especially if they are something more sophisticated than same size squares pieced randomly together.

The bad side of this is that I don't have anyone to advise me on quilt stuff apart from the forum. My knitting, crocheting and embroidering friends are discussing wool etc, producing hoops at social gatherings (pre-pandemic) and I am alone with my machine.

Thankfully, there is this forum to keep my quilting spirits. I am really grateful.

Darcyshannon

There are other places online to sell crafts that may have better terms than Etsy.

Vasilisa

I have done my research. In Polish market, there are basically two groups of places:
1) multibrand online stores with art and handmade stuff, where they charge high commission (up to 25%), but it is worth every cent (or grosz actually) for their marketing. They have strict entry conditions though, e.g. proper product photos are a must. Think about the way Ikea shows their product on their website - white background, no shadows. These conditions man you need to get accepted by the store management to sell there. There are people who tried several times and failed, or managed only after doing some major effort. Discussion about getting to those stores is like talking about entry conditions for Ivy League university. Doable, but not for everyone.
2) huge places selling practically everything, especially thrift stuff, often locally. Like Ebay, or its Polish counterparts. This is a good place to sell for 10$ a used polyester blanket, but for handmade goods you will receive only comments "why is it so expensive?" from people who actually want and need the said blanket. Nothing wrong with that, but such people are not my target.

Etsy seems to have a good balance, being somewhere between the two groups. It is certainly associated with handmade stuff and people who browse there have at least some consciousness about the difference in quality and price between local handmade and import from third-world sweatshops. There are no entry conditions, you can just try to sell your stuff with whatever photos/logo you have. I will make sure, of course, that my photos are good amateur level. And Etsy will not be the only place for my business, but I chose it for the first one.

When I decided to turn my hobby into a source of modest income, the first rule I adopted was: (almost) zero investment before income. Which means: I only invest what I have earned with this selling, I do not spend my savings on it. E.g. I sell a quilt or two, maybe some pillow covers etc. - I buy fabric for next product and save the rest towards the cost of e.g. the aforementioned product photos. After some time, I hope to get accepted at "Ivy League" multibrand stores from point 1.

To be exact, the zero investment is only possible, because I had already made "investment" in quilting as hobby. I do have my machine, fabric stash, threads etc. But the cost of this cannot be actually called "investment" because whatever is spent on hobby, is not expected to pay back/pay off, which is the definition of investing.

Thank you all for all the tips and for reading so far. And further tips are welcome!

Mkotch

If you earn more than $1000 in a year, Etsy files a 1099-K for you. I have never earned that much except this year, I went $10 over. I had a heck of a lot more paperwork, had to pay various taxes I've never paid before, and found out it's just not worth it. I'm weighing whether to take big quilts down and leave only the less expensive items on.

Vasilisa

1099-K is about American taxes and does no concern me. Poland has its own tax rules and I already know how much I would have to make till things become complicated. Here the threshold is set at (equivalent of) 380 USD a month. I do not expect to sell that much in any month, and if I do, I will be so happy, that additional paperwork won't matter much.

lynnie

i joined a bit ago. I need to learn how to advertize on facebook, instagram and another one they all use. I'm not good at it, and i feel depressed over making so many items to sell, and now it's on the last page and no one but me goes there.

any idea on how to do instagram/ How do i get there. and how do i get on facebook to advertize.

tropit

I think that you really have to go over your title and description to make sure that you have just the right amount of keywords for Etsy's algorhithm. Otherwise, you won't place anywhere near the top.