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Entrepreneurship:  Thinking about Etsy  |
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AlyssaMarie
True Blue Farmgirl
287 Posts
AlyssaMarie
Palouse
Washington
USA
287 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 14 2010 : 12:10:14 PM
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Hi Ladies, I know many of you sell your wonderful crafts on Etsy. I am trying to find a viable way to make money from home. Since I love to sew, I was thinking about selling some of my things on Etsy. But what is the economic viability? How many of you are making money from this venture, if I can be so forward to ask? How much do you stock in advance? Do you just post individual completed items? What other tips might you have for me? I know these are tough economic times and so I don't want to take on any new venture without having a full thought out plan. Thanks in advance.
AlyssaMarie @ Link'd Hearts Ranch
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Hosanna
True Blue Farmgirl
466 Posts
Hosanna
Alton
Virginia
466 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2010 : 12:36:07 PM
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I don't know about sewing because I don't sew; but I sell vintage clothes and embroidered and up-cycled things on Etsy and I make a few sales per month. I am working on more though. The thing of it is, your stuff has got to stand out and be different, otherwise you get buried in all the other hundreds - sometimes thousands of other items similar to yours on the site.
Photos are everything.
I buy showcases to get more hits and it has paid off for me.
It is pretty cheap to start, I if I were you I'd do a couple of things and post them, and go from there.
Make a niche for yourself. Be unique; different; and not too expensive. I know as I shop on Etsy, I steer clear of over priced things. And there is a lot of over pricing, in my opinion. I know as a crafter, you want to compensate yourself for the materials you used, as well as the time you spent making the item; but I had to face it: I am never going to get $20 for a embroidered sachet I make; even if I did spend all day long making it. So I make stuff, and think "What would I consider a fair price for this, if I were buying it?" regardless of how long it took me to do it.
Anyway I am not an Etsy expert; I've been on since October last year; but so far I have made several hundred dollars and paid some bills with my earnings! Go for it.
www.happilyeverafterhosanna.blogspot.com
www.thewindofheaven.blogspot.com
www.CarolinaRoses.etsy.com |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2010 : 1:55:59 PM
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Etsy is great! However, you do have to market the heck out of your shop. It has gotten so large and the way their search works it can be hard to be found. You almost have to renew items every day to show up in the first pages of search and that can get spendy after a while. Etsy is all I use - I don't have a website any more. I sell some but most of my sales are local.
Since you're sewing items, unless they are one of a kind, I would say you could make one thing up. Take pictures and list. Then let people know that you'll make it specially for them when they order and tell them what the turn around time would be. That way you don't have lots of items just sitting or money invested in lots of supplies.
Go for it!! You'll do great.
Handmade Soap, Lotion Bars & More! http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
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bobbinrobin
True Blue Farmgirl
590 Posts
Sharon
Newman Lake
WA
USA
590 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2010 : 3:01:14 PM
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Look at it this way ... it only costs 20 cents to list an item. If it doesn't sell, you haven't lost much. I agree, pictures are everything. Make sure you use all five pictures you're alloted and take them from all angles. Best of luck to you
How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it. -G. Elliston
www.sharnymcclarny.etsy.com
www.bobbinrobin.etsy.com |
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quiltin mama
True Blue Farmgirl
436 Posts
Heather
Crescent City
CA
USA
436 Posts |
Posted - Jan 20 2010 : 08:38:58 AM
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It does only cost .20 cens to list an item but every time you renew an item it costs an additional .20 cents. That can add up quick if you are renewing items daily to keep on the first 3 pages or so of your category.
The % that Etsy gets from your sale is 3.5.
I personally love Etsy but I really do it just to buy more fabric! :) If we kept all the quilts I made, we'd be burried! :) Etsy allows me to feed my fabric addiction without breaking our normal bank account. I do believe though that if I could devote time to it (as much as a real day job) that I would make money to help with bills and other things. I just can't devote the time to quilting with a house and 4 kids (3 under 3) to actually make a living at it right now.
my blog www.mountainhomequilts.blogspot.com
handmade quilts on etsy www.mountainhomequilts.etsy.com |
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Entrepreneurship: Thinking about Etsy |
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Thinking about Etsy
