Saturday, January 17, 2009

So, Etsy


I started posting items in my Esty shop at the beginning of the year, as part of my effort to find new venues to show and sell my work, itself part of a larger effort to spend more time making pots. So far I am distinctly underwhelmed by the response! I didn't expect a mad rush but I thought I might have a sale, say, every week or two. So far, nothing. Nada. So, is it just January or (my default assumption) am I doing something wrong? 

I did click around to many potters' Etsy shops, for fun, of course, but also to see if anybody actually is selling anything, as that information is available for each seller, and the answer is, almost everyone has had some sales, even people who only recently opened. So, what's the secret? Any ideas?

5 comments:

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

I don't have an Etsy shop, but I know from retail sales that January is typically kind of slow. I'd say that patience is definitely a virtue right now!

Anonymous said...

I've had an Etsy shop for a few months. I had a sale on the first day I listed anything, but then there was silence for two months. Things trickle in now and then, but with the economy the way it is right now, everyone's sales have slowed.
You're getting good views; it takes a while to get any sort of visibility. You could ask for suggestions in the forums; that was helpful for me, and it heightens the sense of community.
Good luck!

Erin said...

Last week someone read one of my comments on their blog, visited my blog, and that led her to my Etsy shop where she found a mug she liked and bought. So there's definitely some value in social networking and blogging. Not that my pots are flying off the shelves either... I suppose it is just the time of the year.

jeanette said...

I was on etsy for months before I sold anything. It is a bit of a long road. Or it is for me anyway. It definitely takes persistence and patience!
Your work is lovely (especially your sofas!)

nancyandburt said...

More than half of our Etsy sales have been to previous customers. We haven't figured it out yet, although we have had some sales. Some people are thriving on Etsy sales, and some are not and I'm not sure why. I think regular posting (which we don't do) might help. There is so much stuff on Etsy I think it's easy to get lost in the crowd. It's the most gigantic, humongous unjuried art fair in the history of the world.