As the saying goes, never put all your eggs in one basket. So my felted bag and purse patterns are listed for sale on Ravelry and Craftsy, and also on Etsy.
However, what to do with my handmade fabric Kindle, iPad and other eReader and tablet cases has had me scratching my head in recent weeks. My website ticks over quite nicely, but with Folksy no longer being the decent selling platform it was before last November's changes, it was time to look for alternatives. And alternatives that might work (for me) so Zibbet, DaWanda, MISI and Coriandr were out as I'd had no luck with them in the past.
I eventually decided on a couple of lesser known but recommended sites - Luulla.com and BigCartel.com - and, of course, that crafting world giant, Etsy, where I already have a shop selling my knit and felt bag patterns. I'm not totally convinced my Kindle sleeves, etc, will sell from my Etsy shop, as US fabric prices are a fraction of those here, making it impossible to compete on cost. But Etsy is becoming more widely known in the UK, buyers can search only UK shops if they wish, and I can price in £ rather than $ these days, so I live in hope. Only a few items added so far, but I'll gradually add more as time permits.
If you sell on Etsy - or on another site not mentioned above - I'd love to hear your experiences. :)
I have known UK people do very well selling fabric based items to the US through Etsy... those that do very well tend to go for the UK themed fabric designs (e.g. the queen, cars, lanscapes) or fabrics that are made or only available in the UK.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Mick
I joined Etsy this time last year and did ok (better than Folksy anyway) or at least I did last year, this year not so good and I know other bag sellers have been the same, as you mentioned maybe we now loose the US customers we had due to fabric and postal charges?
ReplyDeleteHaving said that its not too expensive to have a try, and there are some great teams on Etsy to help you along if you choose. You could always give it a try for the first few months and see how you go?
I've been on Etsy for just over a month. It is extremely hard to get noticed as the front pages move oh so fast. Although I have sold 6 items, the viewing list seems really low. I have no idea how to promote on there. Not sure if I would add any more or continue once the time runs out.
ReplyDelete