Selling Crafts on Etsy?

[RavenWolf]

I love doing a variety of crafts and have been toying with the idea of trying to sell some on Etsy. I've never actually sold any of my crafts before. I usually just give then as gifts, but the people I give them to love the stuff I make. Not sure if anyone would actually be willing to pay for the things I make. I would love to hear from Etsy sellers, what its like? With the fees and such is it even worth it? What types of items sell or don't sell. Any tips, tricks or advise would be greatly appreciated! I'd also like to here about your experiences selling on Etsy and what types of things do you sell? Or if your a buyer what types of things do you buy, what draws you to certain items. that kinds of things.

[kaoskat]

I don't use esty but I know we have alot of members who do. hopefully they'll be able to help.

[Sonata]

I still have an Etsy account, but because of the fees I moved most of my stuff to Storenvy. However, I still use Etsy for craft supplies.

From my experience on Etsy, you get some nice exposure over time ! People keep on adding your items to favorites and your shop as well. I made some sales but not too many. But I think it's worth it, honestly.

I had some customized boxes, original artwork, fanart, necklaces and bracelets and other bits and pieces I made. Hope it helps and good luck !

[Kiwi]

Do you have pictures of what you'd be selling?

I know some people have really successful shops I've considered it, but I don't have enough to start a store with (or time to keep it stocked).

[Eviecorn]

Some people do really well on Etsy.  I don't use it, but I've entertained the idea.  It is great for exposure, though.

[windsong]

I've done Etsy off and on over the years. I decided to put more effort into it this year and it's starting to pay off. I've made about 30 sales so far this year (some multiple purchases from same buyers). When I first started out, it was VERY slow going. I think in the first batch of items I put up none of them sold. After a few more tries, it started to pick up. I currently have over 100 items up for sale, mostly craft supplies and ponies at the moment.

To answer your questions... If you can get items that will be more likely to sell and set them at reasonable prices, the fees and whatnot are worth it. As far as items that do/don't sell, that's hard to say. A lot of the craft supplies I have up for sale have gotten a lot of attention, but it's mostly because I have them set at REALLY low prices to get rid of them. My handmade items, it's hit or miss. They include crochet pony wear, crochet plush, art prints, and bracelets. The only ones that get the most attention are the crochet plush, but I haven't sold one yet.

When it comes to finding the right item to make and sell, you have to be creative and figure out what is getting attention in the market. I'm still trying to pinpoint the things I could make multiples of and sell consistently. One thing you can do is check out the Quit Your Day Job series and read about sellers who have been able to make Etsy into a business to live off of. See what they make and sell. Check that out here: http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/tags/quit-your-day-job/

My best advice is start small, just invest a little bit into it (like maybe list 10-20 things, which would cost you $2-4 in listing fees). Spread the word to your friends and family (and even post a link on your sales on here). Make sure you use good wording in the titles of your listings, and use good key words in your tags. Definitely take clear photos using natural light and try to get good closeup shots too. The more professional and clean your shop appears, the more appealing it is to buyers. Also, don't expect it to come all at once. It's taken a long time for me to get relatively established. If you have a cool or unique craft, you may have a good chance of getting noticed sooner and the word will spread.

Whoa, I wrote a lot! Hope this helps give you a little more of an idea of how Etsy is.

[June]

I have no experience with the site, but cool crafts on photos which look professional get a lot of attention on deviantART. So you can put a link to your store in description of the photos and your profile.
And you can also post pictures on your tumblr and simmilar sites.

And if you do anything g4/FiM related, submit it to Equestria Daily . There are tons of men with money ready to be spent on FiM merch 

Good luck

[coinoperatedgirl]

Customs that I don't sell to other Arena members go up on Etsy for sale.  I've sold about 3-4 things up there that were pony-related, but I've sold other crafts as well (glassware and origami).  Another thing that I've found is that using Etsy in conjunction with Pinterest gets a LOT of exposure.

[windsong]

Another thing that I've found is that using Etsy in conjunction with Pinterest gets a LOT of exposure.

OMG I am so glad you mentioned that. I joined Pinterest not long ago and never thought of promoting my own items on there. I was just pinning a bunch of pretty things. Lol. Thank you!!!

[coinoperatedgirl]

I think that a lot of people specifically use Pinterest to look at interesting etsy items, so it gets me a lot of exposure that way.