| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Carolinagirl |
Posted - Aug 08 2006 : 10:33:38 AM
Anyone have any opinion on either for selling handmade items? I know ebay has more exposure, but I'm seeing a lot of etsy now also. Etsy has a cheaper fee for selling (3.5 percent v. 5.25 percent), plus 10 cents per item listing fee (I forget ebay's listing fee). Anyway, just wanted to hear experiences, if anyone has them.
Oh- I would also like to hear any experiences getting your handmades into local selling venues. I'm working on several different rag dolls that I think would do well, so I want to get them into the stores where people will see them.
Thanks-
Kim in NC |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Aug 12 2006 : 11:36:31 PM
Jessica -- thanks so much for more info. The site on my links page are ones that came with the template. I just haven't deleted them yet. I really did not want to go with Rustic Cottage Creations.com as my domain name but The Rustic Cottage.com was taken and I didn't want to be a .net. So I had to choose something.
Lotion bars, linen spray, and purses in my online shop at http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
Read my ramblings at http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
| kydeere40744 |
Posted - Aug 12 2006 : 12:35:00 PM
Hey there. Sorry for the confusion...I was looking at the sites that are on your links page. One of them is called the Potter's House. If you click on their online catalog, some of the products have a photo and some of them do not.
Another piece of advice for everyone....do a google search for products like yours. What are they bringing in your state/region? Make your prices comparable to those folks.
A website is a valuable tool indeed. Make sure that your link is something catchy and something easy to remember, just like Kay's and Julie's, and even Mary Jane's Farm. Try to refrain from abreviations and have it similar to what your name is already. Try to make it a .com instead of .org (or) .biz (or) .net.
I'll try to figure out some more tips for you gals!
Jessica~Miss Wilma's Niece
Take a look at my country living photography & more at http://kydeere.etsy.com
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| therusticcottage |
Posted - Aug 12 2006 : 11:29:45 AM
Hi Jessica -- thanks so much for all the input about the website. I'm not sure which product you're talking about on my website because I don't have a Potter's House on my site -- I'm not really up and running yet. I too am a very visual person and good pictures are a must! Thanks again for all the advice.
Lotion bars, linen spray, and purses in my online shop at http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
Read my ramblings at http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
| kydeere40744 |
Posted - Aug 12 2006 : 08:30:44 AM
I love seeing the new things out there and what people are selling. Let me offer some advice on websites:
#1: For the photos, make them clickable so that folks can see a larger version of it. It can either make or break a deal to be honest...if a person can't see it upclose (if the photo isn't large already), they won't buy it.
#2: If you are selling products, always have a photo of each style, not just a description. Kay, I don't mean to pick on one of your links (the Potter's House), but you click on a product and well I don't know what it looks like exactly without a photo, but the description looks good. Everyone is usually a "see it before I buy it" type person. (Perhaps you can offer that advice to them?)
#3: Make sure your links to your "about us, contact us, online, etc" are all active and working properly before publishing the site.
#4: Have a story to tell about why you are doing this, how you came about doing this, and the process of making it.
#5: I love the option of the "email newsletter" signup like you gals have. Great way to remind your customers on specials (especially around holidays and maybe "off season") of your products.
#6: Offer "gift baskets" of your products during Christmas time. You could group a set of them together and it will sell possibly better than individual if a person is ordering online.
#7: Make sure to put your website in all forms of advertisement...business cards, brochures, newspaper/newsletter advertisements.
#8: Most of all...just remember that your website is an extended version of a brochure. Photos say a million words. People love looking at them and showing the process or ideas on how to use your products really helps sell the products!
As far as etsy and ebay...I love etsy because it is cheaper, it is all handmade products, and products are up for 60 days and you don't have to worry about an auction style format. I just sold my first photograph last week and I'm just tickled pink! :-) It was my concrete angel photo that I took last year. I'm going to put up some more stuff when I take a vacation from work.
If you need any other details on websites, just let me know.
Jessica~Miss Wilma's Niece
Take a look at my country living photography & more at http://kydeere.etsy.com
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| therusticcottage |
Posted - Aug 11 2006 : 12:36:54 PM
Julie -- thanks for the recommendation to web.com. I got all signed up yesterday and am in the process of constructing my website. I won't be working on it much until after our outdoor market on the 19th. But it is on the web as of today. Here's the link. www.rusticcottagecreations.com
Be sure to visit the testimonials page. Had to do something fun to fill the space while I'm working on the site!
Lotion bars, linen spray, and purses in my online shop at http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
Read my ramblings at http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Aug 08 2006 : 10:56:44 PM
I do both eBay and Etsy. If you are offering a handmade item I would research it to see if it's selling. And remember that it will take quite a while to build up a following so you may have to pay fees with no sales for a while. I personally am not going to sell on Ebay anymore unless I'm just getting rid of misc items around my house. I have listed my purses and other handmade things -- they used to sell quite well but now I can barely get the opening bid. And I've had to set the bid so low just to compete that I'm losing money. I don't want to sound negative. I know there are people on there that are making huge amounts of money but it's not working for me anymore. I am tired of paying the high fees.
As far as Etsy goes -- I think it's fine and it's inexpensive compared to Ebay. It gives me an online presence without having to do a website yet -- I need to do this soon though. It is somewhere I can point customers if they want to order more items. One thing I've learned is that you need to keep new things listed or relist your items. That keeps you at the top of the category when people are looking. After your things are listed for a while they kind of get "lost". I go in about once a week and relist or add new things. I always get some sales when I do that.
I would recommend that you try to get your items in local shops first and then use the online as an additional source. That is working better for me than doing everything online.
Lotion bars, linen spray, and purses in my online shop at http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
Read my ramblings at http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
| Buttercup |
Posted - Aug 08 2006 : 7:37:48 PM
Kim,
First can we see them?!?  I love rag dollies!!
Ok now to your questions...as for selling online, I do not have a clue. But I used to own a store so can help you there. Find places that carry items that go along with your doll style and find out if they take consignments or if they would just like to buy them outright to re-sell. You will be surprized how many wonderful boutiques would love to do that. Look for those that love hand-made/home-made items or that specialize in American made or "made in NC" or just country, cottage, or primative shops and boutiques. Sometimes even designers can be a great contact since they look for unique one of a kind items to decorate their clients homes. Another area you can check into if you take care to make them safely is high end childrens boutiques. Also a lot of places have craft consignment shops just for the purpose of selling local craft items. If I saw a picture of your dolls I might be able to help you look online for shops that would be interested in your dolls in your area.
I hope this helps!
Hugz!
Talitha
"If we could maintain the wonder of childhood and at the same time grasp the wisdom of age, what wonder,what wisdom,what life would be ours" |
| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Aug 08 2006 : 2:30:51 PM
I have not used ESTY, I have always used ebay. However lately I am really disapointed with ebay. The price to list stuff has gone up though they do ocassionally run listing "sales". I have also found that I am not getting as many bids as I used to on anything I list wether it is handmade or a resale type item. I decided for me that it would be best to open my own website (www.willowtreecreek.com) which I am in the process of doing. I went through www.web.com to get my site. They have templates tutorials etc. and it is only 19.95 a month which I can easily make back with one sale! I only have a few items on my site so far but once I get some stuff listed and get the word out about my site I think I will be REALLY happy with it. I'm happy so far it just takes a little more work up front. Anyway, hope that helps some.
Jewelry, art, baskets, etc.
www.willowtreecreek.com |
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