Success with Etsy.
written by Julie R. Neidlinger 1 comments link this postMy friend has a store on Etsy, the web site that features handmade and original items of all kinds. I have a few items on Etsy myself, though I haven't made the decision to jump fully over to Etsy. I haven't decided the ifs and hows of keeping a store on my site versus having it on Etsy. Or, if I should move all of my "craft" type items to Etsy and maintain my art gallery on my site.
I've written about Etsy on this blog before, albeit briefly. Its low listing prices and great help with graphics, stores, marketing, and forums (plus a public forum where people list things they need someone to make for them) make it something akin to a huge art fair.
Regardless, Etsy is a favorite place of mine to visit and shop. And, for some, it has really been a path to online, home-based success. An article in the Minot Daily News (April 14, 2008) featured Jenna Lou Dauer. She makes absolutely fabulous purses and wallets and sells them (with great success) on Etsy.
Check out Jenna's store. She has great taste in fabrics, colors, and design. She's also begun to gather attention on other sites. Jenna Lou also has her own blog, and is part of a Minnesota group of artisans tied into Etsy.
Personally, I prefer the higher-priced handmade, not-from-sweatshop stuff. I've gotten a few purses from Yukiko Sato for the simple reason that they are delightfully made and very unique. I've gotten a purse to give as a gift from Amani Ya Juu, a company that features African women and helps them earn a living making really great purses. As I go through my closets and work at remaking and reusing clothing, I realize how the cheapness of things has contributed to not only excessive consumerism and greed, but the abuse of the people in countries forced to make things for so little pay. A $40 purse might be more than the similar $15 purse at Target, but I can promise that when you buy it from a person and make a connection to the person who made it, you're less likely to just toss it away next season.
And so, I encourage you to shop Etsy, and sell on Etsy. If you really want something unique and not cookie-cutter common, that's the place to go.
Labels: internet, links, marketing, selling
Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger 4/17/2008 10:51:00 AM
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1 Comments:
I love Etsy and have found many wonderful items from there. There is just something about handmade things. To me they are family heirlooms that can be passed down to generations to come.
This is one of my favorite stores there. Simply amazing plates and platters. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=2048
By 
Treasia, at
April 17, 2008 1:10 PM
