royllsister

This was my experience also; one year on Etsy, not one single sale. I just keep what I make or gift it to someone I love.

Weezy Rider

Just an FYI - I have seen items on Etsy that I would be interested in, but read the Terms of Service and did not agree with Etsy. So I didn't and won't sign up for an account.

BuzzinBumble

Some Etsy sellers really seem to do well. A few even sell their pieces for what it would cost in a high end gallery. It's free to set up your shop and the listing fees are very low, so it's really worth a try. That being said... While I love to shop Etsy, I didn't have any luck selling there, even though I got a lot of marks as a "favorite." Sometimes I get the feeling that a lot of other crafters browse Etsy for ideas. I'm guilty of that myself.

pioneerlady

Try using craigslist. I haven;t used it but plan to put my barbie beds on there. You have choices about locations.

Scissor Queen

You're only going to get a 1099 from paypal if you've had over $20,000. in income and 200 transactions.

ptquilts

I agree with the poster who said you have to work at selling on Etsy - it is not a place to sit back and wait for buyers to come to you. I started out about a year ago, I was in no circles - now I am in 128.

Here is a graph from Etsy's website that shows how many people have seen my shop and listings over the last year. As you can see, the more you participate actively in Etsy, the more views you get. And my sales have gone up as well.

ETA - well I tried to upload the graph but it doesn't show up. Anyway I went from fewer than 100 listing views a month the first 2 months, to now over 500 views a month.

And to me, 20 cents for 4 months exposure is cheap!!

ptquilts

And don't forget you have ALWAYS been responsible for paying taxes on any net income you have at the end of the year.

pioneerlady

I don't know about your state but I live in Ok and the state is giving a free web site and support for a year to small businesses. My husband travels with construction, so I haven't done it yet. We should be going home in another month and I will sign up. When we travel, internet is pretty iffy. good luck.

nannya54

Reading all these pro's and con's on Etsy and craft shows etc...... I sell at both. Yes Etsy is sporadic unless you have a huge line of a really hot item. But, I've made money on it and have done well prior to the holidays (when everyone is shopping). You have to know what postage is and either add it to the sale price of your item or price it separately.

I hadn't done the craft show circuit for a few years because of the economy but ventured just a couple of weeks ago and did very well. People look a lot but people are starting to buy a bit more also. It also helped that I can now take a credit card payment. If you want to sell high dollar items, that's crucial, (Check out Intuit GoPayment.com)

One of the newer places to sell online is Yardsellr.com (spelled correctly - no "e" before the r). I'm on there and many people seem to do well but I haven't quite figured it out with the points and all. If complicated, if you ask me. There is no listing fee and they only charge you when something sells but the listing doesn't stay up there that long so you're having to relist frequently. You might do well.

Just my 2 cents worth...............

Z Any Mouse

This is all great advice, and I have considered setting up an Etsy site myself. The thing I am wondering about is getting in trouble from the copyrite police. What if the cute little bag you made up happens to have a small piece of fabric which may or may not have the "For Personal Use Only" tag on the selvedge that is long gone? Has anyone had issues with this on Etsy?