How to start on Etsy - tips please :)
 

Hello, I have been thinking about selling some of my quilts and after some research I have decided that the best place to start would be Etsy. Apart from that, I may show my products on FB, I was also considering Instagram.

I am wondering if offering an item on Etsy means it is exclusive for that site. What if I sell something offered there out of Etsy and then it gets sold on Etsy minutes after that? Can I withdraw the offer? Would it be breach of policy/rules if it happens regularly, e.g. once a month?

Apart from the reply to this, any tips and experience sharing will be welcome. I am generally informed on the law, taxes etc. pertaining to this type of sale in Poland. But I have almost no experience in trade, sales etc.

For the sake of this thread, let's assume my brand will be called Vasilisa Quilts. In real life, I am pretty sure it will be a very different name, so this is NOT advertising.

Good pictures are a must, as are good keywords for searching. Free shipping is important. I was surprised to sell a quilt this year that had been in my etsy shop for several years. This year I had more inquiries about commission work - "do you make matching pillow shams?", "would you make the same quilt only larger/smaller?", etc. Be prepared and decide in advance how you will respond to those special requests. Good luck!

Vasilisa....I'm not sure if you have Facebook Marketplace in your country, but it is free and I had good luck with it and you know it is local, so there is less chance of having to ship things. Just a thought.

Watson

I've heard that from sellers on Etsy I like to buy from (not quilts but other things) I love supporting small artistic businesses.

Why is Etsy not such a good place any more?
We do have Marketplace in Poland, but it is chaos. I was not able to find any patchwork when I was checking what other people sell. The same would probably happen to my product.

What sellers told me is that it's gotten too big and the people who run it are greedy (sort of like eBay). They want everyone to offer free shipping too. So my take is that it's gotten more expensive to run a shop there. I still love shopping there though. So many talented people sell things I like to buy.

Some people sell via Instagram things but I have no idea how that works. I know this because someone in youtube video said she sells via Instagram and to contact here there, she sells crafts supplies.

Etsy has a Etsy forum where sellers ask and give advice to other sellers.Buyers and readers also can post questions there.

I do not know exact story but Etsy changed some rules about shipping and international sellers found it not doable for them and left Etsy.

Country in EU I live in. Taxes started control of who sells how much on Etsy. Hobby earnings is a small limited amount allowed and then you have to pay taxes like a business. And the 22 euro rule applies. Buy over it you have to pay VAT customs etc.

I've been on for awhile. It's impossible to find me. Toomany people on the etsy neighborhood. hundreds. Try finding babyquilts, and you'll see 700 or so.
I sold something with a shippping cost of $4.95. for some reason, Etsy charged them $2.75. it cost me $5.10 to ship it. How d0o you contact etsy to fix things like this? there needs to be a Q&A on etsy for things like this.

does anyone know of a way of contacting them? thank you

It's a shame hearing sellers struggle with Etsy. I still frequent and love it there - everything from fabric yardage to gemstones and jewelry to antique clothing...it's like the best flea market ever, and yeah, so many talented artists!

That being said, I do know jewelers who sell via Instagram, or who rely heavily on Instagram to be the advertisement for their sales elsewhere (in Etsy shops). One guy just sells so many lots per week via his Instagram picture feed and IG's private messaging.