Selling on Etsy?

[Squirrelypaws]

I've been thinking about trying Etsy to sell some of the older stuff I accumulate. I know very little about how Etsy works, though, so I was hoping you guys could answer a few questions. ^_^

You can sell toys on Etsy, right? That'd be the bulk of what I would sell.

As far as fees go, is Etsy more reasonable than eBay? Lately, eBay's fees seem a bit up there; my mom was telling me that she sold something and paid out something like 20% in fees between eBay' listing/final-value fees and the Paypal fees. 

What exactly does Etsy count as "vintage", age-wise? I have a lot of my childhood toys that I was thinking of selling; for example, I have a bunch of 90's Littlest Pet Shop and Lion King stuff. Would that be something I could list on Etsy?

Do you need to prove the age of your vintage items? I pick up lots of glassware and stuff at thrift shops that, to me, looks vintage, but it's generally not dated and I have no clue whatsoever on how to tell actual age. Would I get in trouble if I sold something that turned out to not be vintage?

Are you allowed to sell customized toys on Etsy, and if you can, does the "base" toy need to be vintage? I'd like to try my hand at customizing toys (ponies, Barbies, etc.) and most of what I'd be using as a "base" would be non-vintage.

If customized toys are sellable, does there have to be a certain level of customization for it to qualify? For example, if I were to reroot a Barbie in a different hair color but left her paint as it was originally, would I be able to list her for sale? What about something like painting the details on a pair of doll shoes?

That turned out to be a lot longer than I'd thought; sorry! Anyway, any help would be great!

[flying_narwhal]

I've been on etsy for a few years, so hopefully I can help answer your questions.

As far as fees go, is Etsy more reasonable than eBay?
Yes, Etsy's fees are much more reasonable than ebay. You pay a $0.20 insertion fee for each item you list, with each listing lasting for 4 months. If the items sells, they take 3.5% of the final sale price (unless the buyer uses direct checkout, in which case there is another fee for processing the credit card). They also do not take a cut of the shipping price the way ebay does. The only downside is that if your item does not sell, the $0.20 insertion fee is non-refundable.

What exactly does Etsy count as "vintage", age-wise?
"Vintage" items have to be 20 years or older. Right now that includes anything made in or before 1995.

Do you need to prove the age of your vintage items?
No, you do not have to prove the age of the item. It works on more of an honor system. If you want to list something that appears to be vintage but you do not know the exact date they have an option in the date drop down menu to list the item as "made before 1996" or something like that. Also, it's always good to mention that you do not know the exact age in the listing as well.

Are you allowed to sell customized toys on Etsy, and if you can, does the "base" toy need to be vintage?
I do not sell custom toys so I'm not 100% on the rules for this one. Etsy allows you to sell 3 types of items: handmade, vintage and craft supplies. I believe customized toys would fall under "handmade" which they define as follows: "Handmade items must begin with the imagination and creativity of the member operating the Etsy shop. Sellers can use the help of other shop members, or outside manufacturers, to bring their visions to life."
I have seen a lot of customized toys on etsy so it doesn't seem to be a problem(like custom MH dolls, ponies, Blythe, etc). So the base toy does not need to be vintage.

If customized toys are sellable, does there have to be a certain level of customization for it to qualify?
Again, not 100% sure but I don't think there is a set level of customization required.

Best of luck if you decide to sell on etsy!

[ponylady]

You can sell toys on Etsy, right? That'd be the bulk of what I would sell.

Yes, but they have to vintage. Etsy I believe considers 20+ to be considered vintage. So depending on the date of your toys from the 90's, I am going to assume you are ok.

Are you allowed to sell customized toys on Etsy, and if you can, does the "base" toy need to be vintage? I'd like to try my hand at customizing toys (ponies, Barbies, etc.) and most of what I'd be using as a "base" would be non-vintage.

I have seen many folks sell customized toys. Etsy’s original primary was to serve as a marketplace for handmade goods, with no mass-produced items allowed. S I am almost sure with what you have in mind would be allowed. I believe that answer should also cover your next two. 

[Squirrelypaws]

Thanks so much, guys! ^_^ That helps a lot; I think I will go ahead and give it a try.

[Diamond]

I have seen items from the late 90's and early 2000's on there as well.  I was just wondering about this myself so good to know the fee structure to compare.

[flying_narwhal]

I have seen items from the late 90's and early 2000's on there as well.  I was just wondering about this myself so good to know the fee structure to compare.

I've seen that as well, but technically it isn't allowed under etsy's listing rules and could probably be removed/reported for violation.