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I Heart Etsy!

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Turn your Hobby into a Business on Etsy

Unlike Ebay and other online sales venues Etsy.com is designed specifically for artists and crafters. Its free to set up shop, inexpensive to list items, and absolutely the best way to start making money from your hobbies.

Table of Contents

  1. What can I sell on Etsy?
  2. Tips on setting up your first Etsy Shop
  3. Etsy Banner Shops
  4. Photography Resources
  5. Promote Promote Promote!!!
  6. Successful Etsy Shops
  7. How do I get paid?
  8. Etsy Lovers Unite!
  9. Etsy in the Blogosphere
  10. My Etsy Shops

What can I sell on Etsy?

(A whole lot of things!)




The focus of Etsy is on handmade items, but there are exceptions made for Supplies and Vintage items as well. You can't list one of a kind items on Etsy that you also have listed somewhere else- no cross listings- and you cannot sell items made by someone else- no reselling.

From the Etsy Dos and Don'ts

These are the official categories under which you can list items on Etsy.

Handmade

  • All items must be handmade by the individual(s) running the Etsy shop.
  • On Etsy, the term "handmade" can additionally be interpreted as "hand-assembled" or "hand-altered".

Commercial crafting supplies

  • These are not items handmade by you.
  • This section is for items that can be used to make other items you might find for sale on Etsy (such as yarn, beads, instructional books, patterns, tools, etc.
  • Shipping supplies and packaging materials are also allowed in the Supplies category.
  • These listings must be placed in the Supplies category, and tagged as commercial. (Categories such as Books and Zines are for handmade items only.)

Vintage goods

  • The Vintage category is for things that are at least 20 years old.
  • These listings must be placed in the Vintage category.
Important!

People want what you make!!!

The "buy handmade" movement is afoot, and people are looking for the sorts of wonderful handcrafted items that you make. If you build it, they will come!

Tips on setting up your first Etsy Shop

Getting Started on the Road to Success



  • Make a great banner

    Your banner and avatar are the only shop dressing you have, and they are very important to set the tone of your shop. Don't panic if you aren't graphically inclined. There are plenty of Etsy shops devoted to pre-made or custom banners, or you can use the Etsy Bannerator to make your own professionional, if not entirely unique, banner.

  • Take the time to take great pictures

    Your pictures are the only thing your customers have on which to judge their decisions about your products. Beautiful pictures make your products look more professional. Bad pictures can make even the best made items look shoddy. If you need help taking pictures take a look at my Photography Resources.

  • Don't list everything at once

    Etsy sorts items by time of listing, so the best way to make sure people see your listings to to spread them out over a period of time. Take your time, add a couple new items every day and you'll be up and running soon enough.

  • Spend some time in the forums

    You can never have enough friends in far away places, and the Etsy Forums are a great place to meet other business people, trade ideas, make friends, and get the word out about your shop.

Etsy Banner Shops

These are just a few...there are many others to choose from!
Gorgeous, layered designs with a distinct "collage" feel
Classic Designs for banners, avatars, business cards etc.
More Banners and Avatars than you can shake a stick at!

Photography Resources

Tips, tricks and expert advice

Not everyone is a born photographer, but with the right tools and information anyone can take great product photos.
How-to Photograph Jewelry: Get the Basics with Vadjutka
A nice Article in the Etsy Storque about product photography. This is great for the beginner!

Photographing Jewelry and Other Small Things
A nice lens on product photography with some beautiful examples.

How to photograph Jewelry, Silver, Glass, Beads and other small items
A wonderful, in depth look at product photography. This might be a little much for a total newbie, but an advanced amateur could pick up some fantastic tricks!

Promote Promote Promote!!!

There are lots of way to promote your shop within Etsy. You can purchase slots in the Etsy showcases, participate in discussions in the forums, or chat rooms, and lots more.

My favorite tool is the Etsy mini, which generates a widget that can be inserted into your websites, blog, MySpace or Facebook profile etc.


The Etsy Mini Widget relies on either I-Frames or Tables and therefor does NOT work here on Squidoo.

Instead, you can use the Squidoo Etsy module.

The Etsy Module in action

These are items from my shop, DivineIguana.etsy.com

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Sweetie- Digital Collage Limited Edition Print | Price: $35

Sugar sweet and oh-so-feminine! One of my favorite vintage images layered over lace, vintage sheet music, and colored just right.

Limited edition o... (full description)

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Etsy Mini How-To

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Successful Etsy Shops

These Etsyians are Really Cookin'!



Take a look at some Etsy shops that are really making the sales...
Fun and quirky prints and originals
Fantastically quirky art objects (I love this shop!)
A shameless plug for my own Digital Collage Sheet Shop
Impossibly cute and kitschy vintage finds
Luscious handmade soaps
One of the all-time best sellers on Etsy...watch and learn, young grasshopper.

How do I get paid?

Etsy is designed to interface easily with Paypal, but there are alternate methods to get payments.
Paypal
The tried and true stand by for accepting online payments, Paypal interfaces easily with Etsy.

Revolutionary Money Exchange or RME
Revolutionary Money Exchange is a relatively new and practically free way to exchange money. I've not had the opportunity to use it, but people who have swear by it.

Google Checkout
A great bargain if you plan to advertise using Google Adwords, offering Google checkout can boost your sales even further.

Etsy Lovers Unite!

Do you have an Etsy shop? Love to shop on Etsy? Have a deep seated love of all things handmade? Share your love story with us!

  • admiralglass Nov 28, 2009 @ 9:17 am | delete
    I too sell in Etsy and i love it. I also enjoy browsing fellow artist items. You have done great job to promote Etsy. 5*

    Ps if you intrested my Etsy shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/admiralglass
  • Jennifer Apr 3, 2009 @ 9:18 pm | delete
    I also sell on Etsy. I've been there 6 months and have had 2 sales. I would like to expand my business and have done some of the things you mention. Chats really do help get your name out there. I use google base but didn't know about google check out that is something to think about in the future. I have also joined weloveetsy.com but I am still waiting to be approved but apparently that helps with traffic. You can review different shops and your shop gets put up which equals more traffic.

    If anyone is interested in checking out my shop it is http://enviousmoondesigns.etsy.com

    Thanks for the info for sure!
  • Jimmie Nov 17, 2008 @ 10:23 am | delete
    You're officially blessed!
  • Kleppins_Kitchen Nov 15, 2008 @ 12:41 pm | delete
    Interesting lens. I really enjoyed the journey as I too sell online thru Etsy. Congratulations on your Graduation.
  • paperfacets Oct 22, 2008 @ 5:03 pm | delete
    Hurrah for Etsy. My first online sales were on Etsy. It has a beauiful look and is easy to use. I never what beyond the basics. Thanks for the guidance. 5*
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Etsy in the Blogosphere

Etsy is everywhere- can you feel the love?

Modern-day vintage
Completely addicted to shopping ? and with her own online shop, Nevermore Vintage, on Etsy ? the 27 year old is constantly on the lookout for new and old items to replace her constantly cleaned-out closet. Scutt keeps her style evolving, creating ...
The Maker Fakers: As Etsy Scales, the Definition of 'Handmade' Gets Slippery
There are some things you can really only buy on Etsy. The Dumbo-based purveyor of all things twee is turning seven next month, and my, how it's grown. The site contains more than 875000 virtual shops??VintageStylez,? ?Crochet Concepts,? ...
Morning View 053112
City-Blox are 2"x3" photographic prints mounted directly to wood blocks. You can support this blog by buying them at Etsy. Ken Stanley: I remember the underground well. My senior class party was held at the Skyline, Garner High 1977. Cafe.
Little Hip Squeaks.
The Etsy shop makes handmade and hip baby blankets, burp cloths, bibs, and baby hats in a glorious array of colorful chevron patterns. The entire adorable collection is made with eco friendly, organic fabrics that are designed with style and care for ...
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My Etsy Shops

I couldn't make it without them!


I started out on Etsy a little over a year ago with just one shop devoted to my artwork. These days I have FOUR shops and make about a quarter of my monthly income on Etsy. It really is worth the effort of getting started!
Passion Fruits Supplies- my destash shop
I set up this shop after I bought my Tecre button maker...I was swimming in buttons!
My original Etsy Shop...this is where I show my art and jewelry
My Digital Collage Sheet Shop

by

DivineIguana

Hello out there! I am Rena Hopkins, a mixed media collage and jewelry artist and owner of PassionFruitsImages, an artists' image resource. I love all... more »

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