Etsy - anyone ever actually sold anything on it?

[SolidButShamblingUndeadBrass]

I am thinking of giving it a go despite spending lots of time laughing at Regretsy - but I can't help wondering if it isn;t just an online dump for idiots to share their art-as-therapy rather than an actual business opportunity/proper selling tool.
Perhaps I shoild also ask if anyone ever bought anything from Etsy.

I've bought a few things on Etsy but only ever sold one thing.

Am fairly certain that the people who buy on there are primarily other Etsy sellers. The advice is usually to get active on the Etsy community forums to get yourself known and raise awareness of your stuff - something I could never really be bothered doing (hence my ONE sale!)

my wee sister has been using etsy for a while and not had much luck on the actual site - but has had a few folk email her directly to buy off-line so to speak.

oops, link didn't work.

here

What do you make SGB?

Pleeeeeeeease let it be something kinky. I will be very disappointed if you make and sell tea cosies. [hgrin]

i sell on etsy www.mollymoodesign.etsy.com and have had about 18 odd sales plus I sell quite a few through my facebook fanpage - again mollymoodesign.

What are you making Solid??

And I agree, Regretsy is hilarious!

It's a shame but i think it's the equivalent of turning up to a stately home 'craft and local goods weekend' and sitting at a stall opposite someone selling beads that you've sat opposite at at least 3 other events like this one.

Also outrageous that some fairs charge upwards of £200 for a stall - that's hell of alot of gingham chickens.....(nothing against gingham chickens - i own one myself - it was just an example iyswim).

Things are so bloody hard at the moment to shift....

bizarely ive just had an email from a shop owner (real life shop) on etsy asking me if she can feature my brooches in her shop, so fingers crossed.

I think you have to really devote the hours though to make etsy work, on facebook/twitter/etsy forums etc.

I have bought loads of stuff on Etsy!!

I make badges, keyrings, fridge magnets and window stickers. I've been reading the Etsy guidelines and my stuff doesn't breach them - I invent the slogans, print them out and assemble the various things by hand etc.
I have my own website which needs an overhaul at the moment (my site is not 100% worksafe by the way, no filthy pictures but some Rude Words).
I think I might give Etsy a go, can't do any harm...

Solid - if you want any tips pm me.

Right, have reactivated my profile (got as far as registering a coule of years ago and forgot about it). Now I'm going to have a look at all your stuff and pick up tips .

this is probably good place to start

BrianAndHisBalls what's your shop, can I have a nosey?

Etsy is the work of the devil, I am ADDICTED to it, and have bought many, many things. It's hugely popular here in Canada. Anything unusual or different I buy that people like, and they ask me where it's from, invariably it's Etsy.

Ideas of things I've bought:
Jewellery
Knitwear for children (hats, mittens, slippers)
Custom announcement card for birth of child
Address cards
Artwork
Greeting cards
Fabric storage baskets
Soft Toys
Tea Kit
Picnic quilt
cufflinks

Never had any problems and sellers have been very helpful and quick to respond to custom orders or queries.

I sell on Etsy, I signed up in May and so far I've done about $1.7k in sales, so to me it's very worth it, and I'm proof that yes, people do actually sell on Etsy.

A little bit of research will help you out, there are many, many people making a full time living on Etsy, there's a weekly blog called 'Quit your Day job' which features just some of these people. There are thousands of people with thousands of sales. I'm a little late to the party, but so far I've found it very worth while. It's an iron in the fire for me as I also sell through other avenues, my own website, and other online retailers.

Saying there's a lot of cr* on there is true, but it's like saying there's a lot of cr* on Ebay, yes there is, but there's also a lot of great stuff, and people making full time livings. It's such a massive network there's every end of the spectrum included.

For me it's a great way to connect with international customers, I'm looking forward to when it really takes off in the U.K. because I definitely think it will.

Hope that helps, I'll find the link to give up your day job article, it'll give an insight.

Here's a good article about British sellers on Etsy that was in the Telegraph www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7832473/Best-of-Britains-sellers-on-Etsy.html

As you can see there's the lady with a turn over of £150k last year, and the lady who makes trinkets with only a couple of pounds profit for each sale.

So like I said before, there's every end of the spectrum. Probably because it's so cheap to have a go (20 cents an item to list) you're going to get a good amount of people on a vanity project, or 'diots to share their art-as-therapy' as you call them, lol.

PortBlacksandsDoppelganger I don't think you are fully understanding the business model. There are hundereds of thousands of visitors to Etsy every day, you just need to look at their turnover month by month to see that it very much is working.

They're a cool company in that they're totally transparent about their $$ figures, this from their September Sales statistics,

$26.6 million of goods were sold by our community in September

That represents 1,466,039 items sold for the month

$26.2 million in sales for one month, is no Stately Home craft fair.

Sorry long post, just saying, I'm a big fan as you can see :-)

I'm feeling all encouraged now .

Navy - I'm Mollymoodesign on there

Nova - who are you on there?

I'm part of the CraftBritannia team for UK sellers, you can find us in the forums.

HereI am.

Nova Lovely jewellery

Monkeynuts...I buy there and on Folksy a lot and never sell there or anywhere else! I buy prints...and knitwear..sometimes toys.

JeMeSouviens - thank you very much

Brian - checked out your shop, really pretty.

Monkeynuts - I buy prints too, it's my total weakness, I fall in love with them all the time - then have to have them, I will have to stop it as I'm running out of wall space.