Etsy Shops and Discussion

Aydiarose

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Do you shop on Etsy? Do you sell on Etsy? What do you think makes a shop successful, what do you love and come back to again and again? Post links to your shop, your buddies shop, questions, thoughts, if its related to Etsy it goes here!
 

MerryLou

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I don't have one, but I've been interested in opening one for awhile. I do, or have the ability to do, a lot of different crafts... but I don't feel like my quality is quite up to par for what I would feel comfortable selling. I'm happy to give away or gift stuff I make and frequently do! I am really trying to improve my quilting skills to start selling.

I'm really interested to see other's stores, though and hopefully make a purchase if I'm able! (I'd much rather support a fellow mtc'er if I'm looking for something they offer)
 

clickhappier

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I've window-shopped various stuff on etsy for years, haven't actually bought anything cuz budget, but there are some talented people on there! :)

For potential sellers: When selling anything online, plenty of good-quality photos and a thorough description are important! And although more fair-to-the-crafter pricing may turn away some potential customers, try to make sure you account for all your materials costs and seller fees before deciding what to price something at (and then you have to decide how much to add on top of that for your time), as I heard a while back that some etsy sellers had priced too low and were losing money when they sold something.
 

Aydiarose

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Ok I've kind of hesitated to post this here as it'll probably brand me as 'one of those' but I imagine some people here already think I'm a bit weird anyways so here goes. I Opened an Etsy shop last month. I do Tarot readings. I've been doing Tarot pretty seriously for going on about a year and most of the people I've read for have been pretty happy with my advice. If anyone here is interested I'll happily do a 1-3 card reading for you at no charge since I like ya'll :)

https://www.etsy.com/shop/FeyroseTarot?ref=hdr_shop_menu
 

WordVixen

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I've bought and sold on Etsy. I can't do professional photos, and I haven't tricked out my shop, and I know that I'm missing out on sales because of it. But, everything I'm selling is stuff that I made yonks ago, and the occasional sale is nice.

The key thing aside from presentation seems to be finding a niche and then making it customizable. It saves money on listings to list one item with multiple options rather than a separate listing for each option, and it help in developing a reputation.

The other seems to be digital sales- like embroidery or sewing patterns via PDF, since people can order stuff and Etsy sends it right to them. You can sell the same thing over and over.

Also, if someone asks you to make a custom order for them, charge a bunch more than the original item. I haven't had anyone say no yet, and it helps to make up for having to do extra work. :D
 

Vanyanka

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Oh my god, Etsy. I used to blow whole paychecks there. I worked for my friend who has a successful jewelry shop and became completely addicted. MY BIL actually makes his living selling original art t-shirts and ties.