A place to sell

On Jan 3, 11:39 am, "John Grossbohlin"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> I came across a web site that bills itself as "Your place to buy & sell all
> things handmade." I spent 3-4 hours looking at the site and it is really
> interesting... There are a couple broad categories for woodworking and
> furniture and many subcategories. I thought there may be opportunity for
> folks here on the rec so I figured I'd post this information.

I've had a shop on Etsy for almost a year now, and it's definitely a
good site. My shop is http://krtwood.etsy.com

Here's the bad stuff: Etsy really seems to focus on the hip, trendy
twenty-somethings, and the site is dominated more by "craft" type of
stuff than really skilled work. They have an interesting definition
of "handmade", if you alter a mass-produced item, that's considered
handmade by them. So it's frustrating for woodworkers to see say a
made in china wood box with a picture on it, and you have to compete
with that. And they don't have to disclose the part about not having
made the box either. The average sold price on Etsy during November
was $15.

I have gotten some good extra exposure from it though, and the fees
are great. 20 cents to list for 4 months and 3.5% when you sell. You
can also renew for 20 cents at any time, and a lot of people spend a
lot of money doing that to be at the top of the search results. They
are supposed to be launching a new improved search early this year
that will change that, but we don't have any details about it. Anyway
I haven't found much of a need to do the renewing in the woodworking
category, it is much smaller and less competitive than say the jewelry
category which is a zoo.

> In fact, it left such an impression on me that I woke up about 3 AM this
> morning with an idea for a unique woodworking item I might try marketing...
> dragging my butt now as I didn't fall asleep until about 5 AM. LOL

If your hope is to just list the items on Etsy and be successful with
it, you will be disappointed. You can get some extra exposure from
it, but you get what you put in as far as marketing. From that
perspective you are better off having your own website if you are
going to be serious about it, but for a minimum of fuss you can get
something up on Etsy. Just don't expect something for nothing.
Having excellent photography is critical to getting any exposure
within Etsy. I've been on the front page several times and in the
gift guides.


> Doug Stowe has work there (FWW, Woodworking, Taunton DVDs and books, etc.)
>
> http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6700291

Good to see Doug on there. You can also just put in http://dougstowe.etsy.com

-Kevin

"John Grossbohlin" wrote
> I came across a web site that bills itself as "Your place to buy & sell
> all things handmade." I spent 3-4 hours looking at the site and it is
> really interesting... There are a couple broad categories for woodworking
> and furniture and many subcategories. I thought there may be opportunity
> for folks here on the rec so I figured I'd post this information.
>
> In fact, it left such an impression on me that I woke up about 3 AM this
> morning with an idea for a unique woodworking item I might try
> marketing... dragging my butt now as I didn't fall asleep until about 5
> AM. LOL

Interesting ... I read the $42,000 kitchen blurb, but I also apparently got
up too early and didn't understand a bit of it.

Good link though ... thanks!

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)