Jennifer Hasan wrote on Mar 31
st, 2019 at 12:35pm:
Etsy is for serious sellers. You need professional photos and copy, and a deep understanding of SEO and branding. My 20 years as a marketing executive is why I do well on Etsy, not my turning skills. Smiley
Don Stephan wrote on Mar 30
th, 2019 at 6:49pm:
As Rick mentioned, where and how an item is sold makes all the difference as to what price it commands. The town or city, art shows, craft shows, galleries, personal website, and the lowest price likely would be Ebay/Etsy. Since the latter are priced for across the country they might be the place to research pricing.
Don, you might think that as a logical conclusion but it's no longer true in my observations.
This is in no way a personal attack on anyone. This is an observation from someone who creates, sells, and interacts with crafts people. This is just one persons opinion and everyone is, as always, free to disagree.
JMO
From what I've seen and heard/read over the last couple of years, there is a growing dissatisfaction with sites like Etsy, Amazon Handmade and certain others This has driven many people to leave or at the least begin looking for alternatives.
Taking the top two quotes into consideration, I offer this comment.
Etsy was
originally set up as a place to buy unique handmade items made by the small, independent craftsman/woman. As it often happens, things evolve from where they started and not always in a way we like. The craftsman, who's skill is in
making items seems to be getting pushed out by "professional" marketers and sellers who are better at
selling items. This seems to be the exact opposite of what these sites are purported to be.
Now it would seem, the appeal of a quality handmade item is stills exists but it's becoming harder to access. When this begins to happen the crafts person has to find a new venue if they can't compete with sellers. This is where some of these sites are at now. It's no longer a craftsman selling along side other craftsman but rather craftsman trying to compete with small businesses and professional sellers.
IMO (again), pricing formulas work in a manufacturing environment just fine but bringing that process to the handmade, craft or art setting, dilutes the very essence of the product.
Hopefully we can all just agree to disagree, everyone has their own philosophy on creating and selling their work. You need to do what's best for you. I only provide my point of view, not judgment.