Etsy??
 

Does anyone seem to have good luck with Etsy selling? I've sold a few items but very sporadic. Is there any other websites for handmade that are better? Thank u

Probably not. Lots of people have jumped on the bandwagon since E-bay. I think the only people that sell on these sites are the ones that have been there for long time and the ones that know how to get up there on the 'search' engines. You need to post your link to your shop EVERYWHERE.... Her on your signature line, at the end of all of your e-mails and any correspondence ....

I sold some candles there once (went in the hole big time as I miscalculated the shipping charges). Decided it wasn't for me. I think most of the people there are trying to sell their stuff, not buy yours. I might be wrong.

Etsy is the biggest site for homemade items. There are other small ones, but nothing that compares to etsy.

Thanks 4 advice everyone I might try art & craft fairs locally

From a buyers stand point, I love Etsy. It is where I go when I want something different. I check the site about every other day, if not daily. I also love it for inspiration. I have even bought fabric from there, all good experience. On another note, I do think sometimes prices are too high. Yes the item is adorable and I would love to have it but spending $100 + $15 shipping for something that I probably could do myself cheaper, no thank you. If you do sell on there, be sure it is priced right. Priced so you make a profit sure, but not so high that most won't buy it.

Best of luck to you!

How much is it to get your own website? Is it hard to set up?
I too have looked at Etsy and think the prices are high, although I do understand the work that goes into things.
I traveled the craft show circuit for 17 years, and it has pretty well bottomed out due to the imports and economy. People think of them like a flea market and are always looking for a bargain..To make money you need to invest in the bigger juried shows, and then it is even hard to make back expenses.
I just went out on disability and have been researching ways to supplement my income. Another venue I am in the process of researching is amazon.
Good luck and keep us up to date if you find anything good, and I will do the same!!

Yes I keep hearing about economy too :( I think my prices are very fair on etsy & I don't make a dime on the shipping part.

I had an Etsy site for a year and didn't have one sale...needless to say, I wouldn't be one to ask about how effective it is as a sales venue...;)

I sell a few items a year but listing is very inexpensive and better tha nothing. Had a quilt on for 3 years. Traduced the price $50 each year and it finally sold.

I would like to clarify that many-most people are now in "bargain" mode plus being bombarded and raised up to the expectation of big box stores pricing that it spills out to every other vendor-including the home based or even small studio sewer/crafter/quilter. With the prices shooting ever upwards:shock: the constant wear and tear of bargain haggling :hunf:, I noticed a great number of closed shops or Websites within the Etsy & Artfire communities. While there are many more anxious people to take their place, I decided that the "Bicycle Hobo" (the actual name of my design line) would be better served to wait this out.

You forgot to mention all those tacked-on fees (Listing fee, Transaction fee, Advertising fees, Payment processing fees, Currency conversion) that one would be required to pay mostly whether or not you have an actual sale. Your dream of being a vendor actually morphs into someone else making money off you. Plus you are far more poorer for it than when you began.

Our ancestors had a word for this. Slave labor. I decided to pass until people come to their senses and stop trying to bargain everyone in the chain to death.

Lol I'm with u on the slave labor I had a woman want me to make a king size quilt for 100$!!!! I told her she might get a crib size for that. Don't insult me!!

Etsy used to have a section called Alchemy, where you could bid to make an item that someone wanted. I got my first (and pretty much only) Etsy customer through that, by making her a T-shirt quilt (and yes, I bid waay low!). I have made her several more since then. They have shut Alchemy down now. That first success has not translated into anything else, and the only reason I keep my Etsy store open is because I am certainly NOT going to sell my odds and ends if they are neatly packed in tote boxes on the top landing! The only Etsy fees I pay (unless I make a sale) are the $0.20/item listing fee, which lasts for four months. This doesn't seem very high to me...especially if I sell even one small item per year! My other problem is that the stuff in my shop doesn't change very much - I'm not adding new and exciting things all of the time...this may be part of the problem. Most of my quilting is done for my friends and family.

I will be doing my very first craft fair next month, so I'll see if that is any different...

Alison

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. :)

Etsy can be an effective suppliment to a craft business. If you do craft shows an have developed a following of customers, they can still find your stuff without having to find you at whatever show you may be doing, and have acees to an inventory without waiting for your next show.
It is easy to get lost in the sea of people listing on Etsy, so unless someone really wants to find you and your wares it can be tough.
That being said , it all in how you market yourself and your goods.

bingo!!!!...I have had my etsy shop for years and rarely sell anything....I don't bother to keep it up much any more!

and do not forget that now Uncle Sugar has his hands out and you will be sent a 1099 this year for all online transactions! You will be responsible for paying taxes on what you sold, plus declaring it as income, and for paying sales tax on items you buy. All of this is now tracked via Paypal, billpay, and any other electronic payment site!

I have a site on Artfire and my items sell sporadically at best as well. They link your product up to all kinds of searches and I do get maybe 50 hits a week. In my case, I believe that I am asking a fair price for my products and folks are looking for bargain basement prices. I've decided not to let that bother me. When I do make a sale, I can be sure that both the buyer - and the seller! - are happy with the transaction. I'm fairly sure this would be the situation on any of the sites available. The plus from Artfire is that you pay a low monthly amount, you can list as many items as you want, and there is no listing cost per item like there is on Etsy. Good luck!

My sister sells her work on Etsy. You can see her stuff if you google Meadow Wren. I have her Scissors Fob. I just love it. Also her husband does Pottery - Alethia Pottery. Google Alethia Pottery. He does beautiful work. Edie

I've never tried, but have looked on there.

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.

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.

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

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

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!!

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

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.

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...............

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?

I have been a vendor at Arts and craft shows for about 7 or 8 years. When all is said and done, I don't think you make very much. The juried shows keep creeping up in price and the profit keeps going down. I still do a few local shows during the holidays. I don't live in a good area for this. You need to be n a big city. The rule of thumb use to be that you should bring in 8 to 10 times the amount you paid for getting your spot. It is a hard way to make some money. I noticed thing are high priced on Esty also. I put some baby blankets on Esty a few years ago and never sold one.

There are 191 pages of threads on the Etsy forums that have 'copyright' in the title, so it is often a topic of conversation. Their forums are open to the public, just click on the 'community' button in the very upper left corner, and search for yourself.

Items will be removed (without notification) if anyone claims copyright infringement. Etsy (like all other websites) is required to do that as part of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) and it's explained in their policies. The key word there is 'claims'...it does not have to be a legally defensible claim in order to have the item taken down. Etsy's job is to take it down, not determine who's right and who's wrong.

Thank you, I will look into that!

I have been selling on Etsy for 3 years. At first I didn't sell much, but then learned about marketing my shop. I joined a team that sells quilted items. We promote each other. I also do a lot of marketing on my own. You can't just list something and leave it alone. Etsy has weekly chats for getting your sales up. My views have gone from 2 or 3 in a day to a hundred or better a day . I am averaging 2 sales a week - some small items and some things for several hundred dollars. My average sale for a table runner is $25 - $40. I try to price my things comparable to other Etsy sellers. Simple table runners and wall hangings are very popular, and anything Halloween or Christmas in the fall. I also try to purchase fabric on sale and only make things are simple to make (enhanced with quilting). I don't use commercial patterns unless I get permission from the designer.
If you have something unusual or unique it can be a big hit. My fabric paper dolls are an example.
Go to some Etsy stores and look at what has sold in a few shops.
I hope this helps.

I sold a couple of quilts on Etsy site this past month. I have things listed there as well as my web site and have just started using Yardsellr that is on facebook. I have not sold anything, but know of one person who has some over 25 items in the month she has been on there. ! It's all about volume, and marketing no matter what or where you list things. Keep posting, keep listing. Also put them on Pinterest to lead them to where ever you have things listed.
E-bay is getting to expensive and too many rules. Etsy is easy to list things on, but the fees when you sell can sometimes get you. Yardsellr is free! Free listing, free when you sell, all free! You have the option to pay for boosting your listing but you don't have to pay a dime.

Happy selling everyone. Or if you want to buy, check out these places to buy. Quilters need to support each other. And spread the word of other quilters work.

QuiltingGrannie

I just opened my Etsy store. Thanks for starting this thread - I've learned some interesting things and am off to try to figure out how to market my store on Etsy.

I've had my Etsy shop for a couple of years and it is definitely hit or miss, but I think I have had some pretty great success, and it is the only place I sell. The things I sell quickly are modern baby quilts, more traditional quilts don't get much interest. And from my observations, the really successful etsy quilt shops sell simple, modern baby quilts.

My cousin does custom stamped jewelry and has been in the game for a few years, she started out really small and hit or miss, and has progressed to being extremely success, both her and her husband quit their jobs and they now have 2 employees and rented a studio workspace rather than doing it out of their spare bedroom. Etsy can be an amazing tool.

My daughter has been selling on Etsy for several years now. She found a product that people want and sells at a reasonable price. She has made sales in the UK, Australia, Canada. She usually sells to individuals but is creeping into a market where the buyer order dozens. BTW all of the work is custom orders.