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Etsy, Folksy, Ebay, Amazon.....

6 replies

MamaVikki · 12/03/2015 11:12

Hi
I'm just wondering if anyone can share any advice on having an online shop with Etsy, Folksy....etc. I'm a jeweller and have been selling through my own website but am now working on a new arm of my business where I plan to sell jewellery kits and craft kits for children. I've decided to try a new avenue of selling and am getting a bit confused as to which one to sign up to. What are the advantages and disadvantages to these online outlets? Would you recommend I stick with one or try out a few at the same time?
Any advice greatly appreciated!
Vikki

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TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge · 07/04/2015 22:32

It depends really. There are so many kit sellers out there that there will be huge competition anyway.

When you say you are a jeweller do you mean actual jeweller or beader/bought component fitter? If the latter then wherever you sell your jewellery is a reasonable place to consider selling the kits you want to make and a lot of bead workers merge the two on their own websites and sell elsewhere under the same brand name etc. Personally, I have never thought that was a brilliant idea but it seems to work well.

If an jeweller (as in actually painstaking making everything yourself from metal or chosen materials,not buying bits and putting them together) definitely seperate the two and don't use the same identity when selling on the same platform as it would change the brand image completely.

Folksy has a charge attached to it but isn't as swamped as Etsy.

Etsy is more well known and only takes commission.

Have you checked competitors of the potential products on the sites you are considering? The saturation,prices and sales achieved? That would be a starting point in narrowing things down a bit.

Facebook may be a good help along with something like this,especially if you do party kits as well.

Personally, if I were to wishing to purchase something like this I would head straight to Amazon and not even consider somewhere like Etsy or Folksy. But that may just be me!

Also,make sure you have appropriate PPL insurance as there's nothing worse than a disgruntled parent whose child has randomly been injured by something in a kit,you can never be too careful!

TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge · 07/04/2015 22:44

*painstaking should read handmaking but it is often painstaking!!!

MamaVikki · 10/04/2015 21:04

Hi! Thanks so much for your feedback, I really appreciate it.
I am a jeweller/silversmith and yes, it is painstaking!! You are right, I'm going to keep these two separate but make it clear that I am a silversmith as I want to create a very different kind of craft kit. It will be for age 9+ and will be a little more challenging than just threading beads etc. Thanks for the tip re the insurance, I hadn't thought about that.
Thank you!

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TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge · 10/04/2015 21:36

Ah,I'm so glad you said that! As a silversmith myself I get really narked when so many beaders or component fitters out there call themselves jewellers and designersBlush

I'd be quite interested to here what kind of kit you are doing as if it's rather different to the standard kits available the best platform for selling it may be completely different.

You should already have insurance as a silversmith anyway so perhaps the new venture could be covered under that?

TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge · 10/04/2015 21:37

*hear not here lol

MamaVikki · 13/04/2015 16:57

Hi, yes I completely understand what you mean by the whole 'jeweller' thing! I have a space in my cold garage where I silversmith - it's hard work!
I've been doing a few wirework classes with children and they are so capable. I have found that they love to use the pliers and enjoy something more than just plastic beads and elastic. Luckily I also have a daughter in the right age range that I am targeting so I can practise on her. I am also developing other kinds of craft kits. It's a lot of work and some days I am a bit overwhelmed but I'm determined to give it a shot. I do have insurance already so will check that it covers this also.
Thank you!

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