Hi All!
Today I'm going to be sharing a few ideas and tips for those who are brand new to online selling or selling on
Etsy.com in particular. I thought about sharing because I'm helping to build a brand new Etsy shop after years of selling at different venues, including Etsy and Ebay and several standalone sites. Starting over for seasoned sellers requires all the same diligence, hard work, and patience that are necessary for newbies. Over the years, through working on individual projects, group efforts, and all manner of collaborations, I've learned a couple of things. I hope that by organizing my thoughts and experiences on this blog they may be helpful to someone else. Over the next few months I'll be sharing periodically the various steps I went through and am going through now to get a successful shop set up. You can check in on our
Etsy shop from time to time and see how we're doing!
The first thing you should know is that this is not your typical how-to guide. I believe in and practice a spiritually based lifestyle that reflects in everything I do. In other words, while the outer work we do is very important to our success, I also strongly believe in the use of affirmations, mental discipline, prayer, Feng Shui, and various types of spiritual principles to create and maintain abundance in life. So you will see some tips on my blog that you may not see elsewhere. Take what works for you, ignore what doesn't.
Also, there are a lot of resources on the Etsy website itself for those just starting out, including teams, blog posts by the admin, and helpful forum threads. So I'll be posting some of those links here and try not to repeat too much of that stuff.
So, now to the good stuff! You want to sell on Etsy. Maybe you are a crafter, a collector of vintage goods, or a stay at home mom or retired senior with no idea what you could sell to make ends meet. No matter where you're starting from, you can probably find a way to do good business on Etsy if you can sell one of the following:
Handmade Goods
Vintage Goods
Supplies
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| Browsing on Etsy.com |
I've dabbled in vintage and supplies, but my real love is handmade, so that will be the focus of most of my tips. However, a lot of this will apply no matter what you sell.
Probably the easiest way for a person to start selling anything on Etsy is to get into the vintage market. That's because you have to have a craft or some type of skill to make handmade items that will actually sell and you will need some type of small investment or buying power to successfully sell supplies. However, you can start out selling a few vintage items to raise capital if you're interested in selling in either of the other categories. On Etsy, an item needs to be at least 20 years old to qualify as vintage. And the buyers and other sellers tend to be quite savvy, so you should Google your items or check with other dealers to verify the age of items you're not sure about. For new vintage sellers, here are a few ideas for products:
VINTAGE ON ETSY
clothing
glass figurines
artwork
vinyl LPs
jewelry
kitchenware
dolls and toys
rubber stamps
coins
anything from Avon over 20 years old
books
ribbons, laces, and trims
small furniture that can be shipped
home fixtures
photographs
All of the above items tend to do well on Etsy, and you can probably find a lot of them in your home, your storage, and with friends, relatives, and neighbors. You can also scour the flea markets, estate sales, and second hand stores for treasures that might appeal to buyers on Etsy. Do a little research first and check out a broad variety of vintage shops on Etsy to see what is popular. You can also research other markets like Ebay and Artfire, but remember that each market is different. What sells in a flash on Ebay may not get any buzz at all on Etsy and vice versa. Even the same customer may look for one type of item on Ebay and another on Etsy, so that is something to consider when deciding what to sell and which platform will work best for what you have.
If you decide to sell supplies on Etsy, they allow you to sell both handmade supplies and commercially produced items that you buy from a wholesaler or manufacturer. On Etsy a supply is considered something that people use to make a new item. There are many extremely successful supply sellers on Etsy, so your best chances as a newbie are to offer something unique or something that you can get in bulk at a phenomenal price. Each major handmade category on Etsy has its own market for supplies, so that is a way that you might figure out what could be in demand. For example, if you see that a lot of fashion sellers on Etsy are selling cotton knit chevron scarves one season and you have a relative who owns or works in a fabric store, you might consider selling the chevron fabric as a supply. Similarly, if you have access to low priced plastic packaging and you find that makeup sellers on Etsy are selling lots of loose eyeshadow in mini plastic tubs this summer, there is an opportunity for you to join in the stream of sales. That type of thinking helps to identify niche markets that you can sell to as a new supplier.
Below are some types of supplies that sell successfully on Etsy.
SUPPLIES
beads and jewelry making supplies
quilting fabrics
ribbons, laces, and trims
stamping supplies
feathers for crafts
small shipping supplies like envelopes, cello bags, etc.
fragrance oils for crafters
soap-making supplies
scrapbooking supplies
leather-craft supplies
buttons
pottery supplies
niche hobbyists' supplies
yarn
Now we get to the handmade section. Obviously, anything you can make with your hands can be sold on Etsy. There are a lot of handmade sellers on the site, but what makes a shop successful is a combination of several factors. In my opinion and from my observation, those shops that do very well are those that combine a good-looking quality product with attractive photographs, realistic prices, thorough well-written descriptions, and great customer service. Obviously, there's more to it that just those factors, but without them your chances for success will be diminished.
A WORD OF CAUTION
So, if you already have a craft that's a great place to start. If not, don't worry. People have started on Etsy as complete novices at both business and their crafts and become accomplished at both. My personal recommendation is to use caution and discretion if you start a crafting business without a firm foundation in the craft. For example, a lot of people are intrigued by the fun and wonder of making soap and want to start selling their soaps and other body products right away. But since these are things that have a direct and intimate contact with the buyer and can affect them in various ways, I don't recommend anyone to start selling those type of products without a good knowledge of the craft and a lot of research. You don't want to experiment on human beings; you have to know what you are doing and be familiar with the properties of every ingredient you use. The same goes for selling food and any other such sensitive product.
However, you can get into the handmade market as a novice selling items such as paper crafts, needle crafts, clothing, artwork, etc. The list below includes a bunch of ideas for items you can sell. Only you can determine if you have the knowledge and skill to do so.
HANDMADE
jewelry
clothing for adults and children
pillows and cushion covers
phone cases
bags and purses
artwork
greeting cards
home décor
soap
color cosmetics
candles
bath and body products
lighting fixtures
shelves and small furniture items
molds for various crafts
incense
wedding invitations
digital graphics
e-books
original music
handmade shoes and slippers
party decorations
bows
herbal teas
cupcakes and cookies
candies and confections
original recipes
photographic prints
handmade musical instruments
These are just a few ideas, and some will be more popular than others. But if you take a look at the Etsy website you're certain to find a stunning array of unique items. I hope you're inspired! And check back soon for more tips and ideas for starting your new business on Etsy.
