Thursday, April 5, 2012

E is for Etsy

I have been shopping on Etsy for a long time, but am now thinking about putting some things up for sale. I have been wondering if my stamps and the cards they make would be interesting enough to sell. Has anyone had luck or have any tips for using Etsy? My photo's aren't the best, but I know a good photo can really help sell your creations. I am not sure what I can do besides up grading my camera.

These are the note cards that the winners of my contest received. Ok, so they look WAY better in  person than this picture. This makes me very sad.



Sorry for the short post, but it has been one heck of a day.

Follow your craft,
Michelle
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8 comments:

  1. EliseApril 5, 2012 at 9:04 PM

    I love my Yoda Cards :D That would be a fantastic idea to have a stamp/card store.

    I have a couple suggestions for better photos for the cards. Scan them into your computer instead of photographing. You'll get a truer image and color to life that way.

    When you do photograph something do it in an evenly lit area and turn off your flash setting. You can always adjust the photo after uploading it with software or even on a site like photobucket. :)

    I say go for it :)

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  2. HeatherLApril 5, 2012 at 9:29 PM

    I've thought about doing stuff on Etsy, but I am so nervous...hesitant...leery...of doing business online that I think I'd rather start off at local farmer's markets and craft fairs. But your stamps are pretty awesome and as unique as they are you might find a pretty good market!

    Good luck!

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  3. JoJoApril 5, 2012 at 9:48 PM

    I had an Etsy store in 2010 with moderate success. I let it lapse when I moved and I haven't reopened it yet. My major complaint is that it takes soooo long to list one item. There are 6 pages of info to fill out. You have to list all the materials used in your piece (I make jewelry), add tags to them, figure out all the shipping stuff, etc. etc. And I'd spent hours and hours shooting pics of my jewelry, only to find out that they all had to be resized for the Etsy site, to a square size, not rectangle. I had no photo editing program so one of my friends had to do it for me. It's possible that Etsy has streamlined their listing process by now, but I find it to be a big pain in the butt.

    It is due to this cumbersome process that has kept me away from Etsy since then. I have considered trying to list on Artfire but haven't looked into it yet.

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  4. MOVApril 6, 2012 at 10:39 AM

    Michelle,

    Great post! My sons would love those Yoda cards.

    I buy stuff on etsy all the time. My best piece of advice to you would be to make sure you have the right "key words" so people can pull up your cards in a search. For example, the card above would have the key words: Yoda, Star Wars, handstamped, cards, stationery, etc. You would also want to denote linoleum cut out or wood cut out or letterpress. It makes all the difference to have the right key words.

    Also, if you do not have a paypal account, open one and link it. Everyone wants to pay with paypal.

    Try to think of a name for your etsy shop that is really unique and memorable, like "Just Back From The Moon" or something super creative and clever.

    Good luck!

    best,
    MOV

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  5. TinaApril 8, 2012 at 2:38 PM

    Etsy is one of my favourite online stores!

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  6. UnknownApril 11, 2012 at 6:03 AM

    I say, try it! When I had a real job, I would treat myself to etsy stuff about once a month. AS a buyer, I loved it!

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  7. Mushy CloudApril 11, 2012 at 3:55 PM

    I'd say go for it. I have got some craft items up on there and I'm adding to it bit by bit as my confidence grows. I have got a couple of orders for crochet blankets through it so if I can do it, so can you!!

    Good luck :)

    (I'm having trouble leaving this comment under my Wordpress account but you can find me at http://sterlingsop.wordpress.com if you want to visit me)

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  8. Arron LockApril 22, 2012 at 2:35 AM

    Love Etsy, I do.

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