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Crafts & Decorations

To Etsy or Not to Etsy

15 years ago

That is the question. It's only 20 cents to list an item for 4 months. Then they take 3.5% of the sale price. Has anyone around here sold on Etsy, buy on Etsy or think it's good or bad? I have no knowledge of it and it was just suggested to me the other day. Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Comments (7)

luvs2click
15 years ago
I tried Etsy last winter - listed about 25 things. I didn't sell anything, but I can't say it was a bad experience. It's cheap enough, so it wasn't painful on the wallet. I might try again this winter if I have time to list things. It was fun making up a "store". The link to my now-empty store is below.

Arlene

Here is a link that might be useful: My etsy store
oddie
15 years ago
I tried selling on etsy, wasnt a bad experience, but like arlene I did not sell a thing, was easy enough to list iteams and the price was supper cheap, I have read about crafters who sell lots on etsy, maybe its just my type of crafts! nothing in my store right now latter when I have more time I might try selling some vintage jewerly, and table linens I have and old dress patterns for sewing.
there are tons of pages and iteams that are listed go pretty fast throu the pages.
give it a try nothing much to lose but your time, and 20 cents to list a iteam, some of the crafters here do sell on etsy hopefully they will post.
oddie
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Hi Vicki, I’m so sorry to see what you’re going through. I did have a good out come with this seller and I actually buy and recommend her products often. Prior to this situation however, I had a problem with a woman who was going to make some custom valances for me out of my own fabric. The fabric was expensive, 20 something a yard, she botched the entire job up and then cancelled the order on me (so I couldn’t even leave a review). She sent me some of my fabric back, but in the end between fabric & shipping costs, I was out about 100.00 or more when it was all said and done. I have to agree that Etsy is unquestionably pro seller, buyers with a problem don’t have a chance. In a perfect world, they would have someone who can act as an unbiased liason between a seller and buyer to help negotiate a fair compromise. The other thing I learned from this last experience though is that the majority of sellers have put a lot of time and effort into their shops. They really do care about finding a happy medium and doing the right thing. My suggestion would be to fight fire with fire and start a thread linking to as many of the applicable former Gardenweb rooms as possible. Share your story, be transparent, name the shop and lay it all out there. Etsy may be pro seller, but my experience has been that the Gardenweb forum is not. I would also head over to her facebook page and post there as well. ETA: The resolve from this situation actually came about after another Etsy seller saw this post and sent a message to the seller I was having the issue with. It ended up being the best thing to happen. Obviously, there was a glitch somewhere but looking back, I can say now that I think it was an honest misunderstanding.
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FlamingO in AR
15 years ago
I sell on Etsy and I buy there, too. I love it, it gives me an outlet for my sewn things and it gives me a reason to keep making more things. The fees seem negligible and I'm having fun, so I consider it a success. I won't post a link to my shop because I don't want anyone to think I'm advertising, but my shop name is FlossieBlossoms if anyone wants to look at it.

Making listings takes a bit of time, but if you make similar things, cutting and pasting info into listings makes it a lot faster.
creepfan
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for your input everyone! I have the same feelings.. since it's pretty cheap to list I figured nothing ventured, nothing gained. Thinking I'll list whatever doesn't sell at my last show, since that show is the weekend after Thanksgiving and I don't have any more shows after that. So whatever I have left I'll post on Etsy. Thanks for helping me make up my mind!
honeysuckleridge
15 years ago
To have great sales on Etsy you have to post something every day...keep on the top of it and work at it...get a following and it will work out.
It's not Ebay...it's a lot more work.

Best of luck,
ginger
leveta
15 years ago
I just got my Home Companion and there is a story in it on how Esty got started.
creepfan
Original Author
15 years ago
I will take that advice, Ginger. Thank you! Home Companion, huh? Well maybe that will bring more customers to it!

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