MoneyOnComputer

My husband is an artist and we are looking for ways for him to make some money online. Just wondered if anybody has had any luck with the website Etsy; and also any tips or tricks you might have? Thank you!

I have been a member for several months but was under the impression I had to be a US resident to sell items on it. I was corrected a few weeks ago but have not yet listed anything. I do know a couple of people who do list their crafts and fiber there and do alright. I think it is like eBay (or any site/sales outlet for that matter); you will need a good photo, a good description and a competitive price. Once you have those three things in place you should do okay. I am planning on listing some items soon, but have been tied up with writing more than crafting lately.

dziomek wrote:I have been a member for several months but was under the impression I had to be a US resident to sell items on it. I was corrected a few weeks ago but have not yet listed anything. I do know a couple of people who do list their crafts and fiber there and do alright. I think it is like eBay (or any site/sales outlet for that matter); you will need a good photo, a good description and a competitive price. Once you have those three things in place you should do okay. I am planning on listing some items soon, but have been tied up with writing more than crafting lately.

Thanks for the information! I didn't realize that it also included crafts. I dabble a little with crafts myself, so I might have to look into it a little bit more and see if it is a way that I could make a little extra from my efforts, too!

I didn't think you had to live in the US to open a store at Etsy? I thought I saw a few international sellers? I should double check. I live in New Zealand and my mom is interested in opening a store as she is an artist and a crafter and has a few novel ideas. I agree with dziomek it's important to price items carefully and take proffesional looking photos. After all it's a business. Has any one brought anything off Etsy? Were you happy with the item?

Etsy is a good thing if you do not mind having the fees. However, you may want to check out Ecrater because it is free to use and does not have the fees like the other sites have!

Waynefire wrote:Etsy is a good thing if you do not mind having the fees. However, you may want to check out Ecrater because it is free to use and does not have the fees like the other sites have!

Yes, I do remember that regardless of being from the US or not Etsy store owners are expected to pay fees in US dollars, which is fair I guess as Etsy drives customers to you as is probably the most well known website of it's type. I haven't heard of Ecrater, thanks Waynefire I'll check it out and see if it's right for my mom.

I've never sold anything on etsy before, but I have bough plenty from there! Let us know how it goes if you decide to sell from there.

Waynefire wrote:Etsy is a good thing if you do not mind having the fees. However, you may want to check out Ecrater because it is free to use and does not have the fees like the other sites have!

Thanks so much for the info. I will definitely keep that in mind and I think will also be checking out Ecrater.

And thanks to everybody else for the responses and dialogue - very helpful to see what everybody else has to offer!

Misi, Folksy, Notonthehigstreet & Amazon Marketplace are also worth a look

I've been researching Etsy as well, and it seems like an interesting earning opportunity. You truly have to have unique products to make money, and I'm not sure how shipping works for this site, either. I think it is pretty competitive because everything I thought about selling was already being sold by someone else. I hope to find some useful information from this thread as well.

genieswish wrote:Misi, Folksy, Notonthehigstreet & Amazon Marketplace are also worth a look

Thanks for the ideas! We will have to check into these as well. I really appreciate all of the help in this area! Have you tried these out yourself?

I think eCrater and Etsy get a lot of website traffic. I have setup up a store with eCrater, but I have seen only one order after 3 months online.

You can give it a try. I hear the market on Etsy is saturated so it's hard to stand out. It could work for you if the items you are selling are different from what is offered on Etsy. You'll also have to advertise elsewhere to get the word out. Posting it on Esty may not get you much traffic since there are so many people selling on there so let your family and friends know about your Etsy business. Advertise online, pass out business cards, and create blog to promote your shop.