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Esty.com

Posted by Thumbelyna • 9/11/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: etsy.com, rate, website

What is your rating for the website Etsy.com?

User Comments

9/11/08

globalgirl

etsy is a cool place to buy handmade goods...

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9/11/08

CollettesTreasures

Are you an Etsy store owner?

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1. 9/11/08
  
  Thumbelyna
  
  An Etsy "shop" owner...yes.
9/12/08

jan4insight

I've had my etsy shop for a little over a month - had my first sale 1 week after I opened (yay) but it seems stalled since then (boo-hoo). I'm going to plug away at it through the holiday season, but I admit to having a somewhat ambivalent, we'll-see attitude. We'll see how it goes...

My shop, of course, is fabulous:

www.EclecticaByJan.etsy.com

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9/12/08

CollettesTreasures

Hey Jan congrats on your first sale.

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1. 9/12/08
  
  jan4insight
  
  thanks!
9/12/08

Thumbelyna

Exactly. I'm unsure how some of the etsy sellers are able to make so many sales. This is why I asked. Wanted to see how many people I could find with or without success stories.

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9/12/08

jan4insight

Good thread, Thumbelyna. I'd also like to hear from some Etsy BUYERS. Whenever I go on the Etsy forums, it seems like it's just all sellers talking to each other.

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1. 9/12/08
  
  Thumbelyna
  
  Good point! I never thought about it that way. That's got to have some why it's hard for some to sell their crafts even with high advertisement.
9/12/08

hiljohn

Etsy is what it is.

Keep in mind that most Etsy sellers are also buyers. And those who are only buyers have no interest whatsoever in the forums (except for the cat in the hat). I joined in January and have 2 sales (the third one was refunded because of the post office losing the package, but for some reason the count still shows 3 even though the sale was canceled). Both came from buyers with no shops.

The sellers with lot of sales are selling supplies and/or vintage items. Some of the creative artisans have high numbers because they were in the right spot at the right time to get noticed and featured. But I know some really good artisans who have yet to make a single sale.

Etsy is a nice on-line selling tool, but for most of us, it can't be our only vehicle for selling if we want to see some decent returns on our creativity. Local shows, galleries, etc. often gives us much better results, or at least that's true for me. But I don't plan to give up my Etsy shop anytime soon. In my field (handcrafted jewelry), the only way to get to the top of the Google search engine is to PAY for inclusion, and I don't have that kind of budget.

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9/12/08

CollettesTreasures

Were you guys in the forums last night? Huge train wreck worst I have ever seen.

Thumbelyna I have been on for a few months now, I love it! I have outside jobs that came through Etsy not all my sales show there it is just where they found me. How long have you been there?

Thanks for the add Jan I added you as well.

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9/12/08

fershur

I love Etsy! I really like the fact that I can sort it by region. That way I can support local crafts people and still do some of my shopping online. I would never be able to list anything, because I am all thumbs :-), but it is a good source of unique gifts for the holidays.

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9/12/08

Thumbelyna

I understand that Etsy cannot be part of a large income. I was not aware, however, that most of the buyers were also sellers. I didn't not look close enough to see that insight. I've had an account with Etsy since 2006 and have made two sales both of which the buyers did not want to make over Etsy for some reason. Thus I don't have any recorded sales on the site itself.

Again, I asked the question to get opinions and some reasoning. Thanks to all for joining the discussion.

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9/12/08

CollettesTreasures

Why can’t Etsy be a part of a large income? There are many sellers making a living from it.
Sorry, it sounds like you have not had a very positive experience on Etsy. I could not find your shop; I am clueless as to what you sell. Those two sales where the buyer did not want to make the purchase through Etsy were simply so they would not have to pay any fees. Fee avoidance, not a good thing.

The jobs I spoke of are people whom have their own B&M stores they just found me through Etsy. I also have one starting that will make all their purchases from me through Etsy so Etsy has been very lucrative for me. If you don’t mind me asking and it is ok if you do, you don’t have to answer of course. You said you have had an account with Etsy since 2006 where you a seller that entire time?

Most of my buyers are not sellers; in fact most of my buyers are my secret admirer in which I now know through doing business with.

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9/12/08

Thumbelyna

What I am saying is that not a lot of people can really gain a good income from Etsy. Don't get me wrong, I love Etsy. Think it's a great site. I really do. But I do also think it is hard for a good number of people to make such an income possible. Perhaps it could be that most people don't really know how to go about getting their items sold, or even advertising their shop ( I must place myself in this category). Just how often are these shops( such as yours) found by stores and as a consequence essentially funded?

My shop is under the name Thumbelyna and my items are actually listed in my blog. I've recently added some new handmade items ( one of which has been sold 3 times before). Sorry you missed it.

No, I have not been just a seller, I have also bought some supplies from members.

By the way, those two buyers actually helped me in sales due to word of mouth. I ended up making more sales through this word of mouth than I did through Etsy. Be it as it may have that they did want to pay fees, it really did not matter in the long run because they helped me get things sold.

All of my buyers were not sellers either. Most of them were people who never picked up any sort of craft and/or crafting device, but simply like the items.

Thanks for the insight...

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6/23/09

sartamexicana

I also own an Etsy shop. It is difficult. I am not making much of an income.

I try to keep postitive in my down time. Next project, going back and re-shooting my photos again.

good luck to all!

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