It looks like the swirly mugs are back in full swing this year. These were from two firings ago and I am just now getting around to photographing them and putting them in the Etsy shop. So much of our firings lately are pots that are already sold, mostly through Etsy. Sold is a good thing, but it also means that you don't get much time to spend with those pots and the others get ignored because you are too busy packing and shipping. Last night I decided these were needing some loving... and a new home.
There has been a lot of negative talk about Etsy and their new policy that will allow artists to use a manufacturer to produce their work. Many Etsy sellers feel the company is losing focus on their handmade mission. Sunday morning I sat down with a cup of coffee and a sketch book, and watched/listened to Etsy's town hall meeting that discussed the changes to Etsy and what it means to sellers moving forward. If you have a shop on Etsy I encourage you to take some time to watch it. Here is the link:
Etsy Town Hall Meeting
Etsy has been very good to Jeff and me this year. Can we stop doing shows or close our brick and mortar gallery? No, not yet, but our sales have continued to grow each year since we have been focusing on Etsy. There is nothing better than selling pots in your pajamas or while you are fast asleep in bed!
Those are cool mugs! Very nice indeed that Etsy is keeping you busy, busier, busiest!
ReplyDeleteI will listen to the discussion as I am finally starting to set up my Etsy shop. One question I have, is how do you figure your shipping and handling costs? I haven't been able to find any guidelines on Etsy itself.
Suzie,
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started out I looked at what other people were charging for shipping. I also put some pots in boxes with bubble wrap, weighed them and used the USPS shipping calculator. I try to keep my shipping reasonable. I do lose a little bit on shipping west of the Mississippi. I will ship parcel select to those locations and priority mail for anything on the east coast. I also purchase all my postage online through Etsy, or Paypal. It saves some money. We also order priority boxes from the post office. They ship them for free. Good luck with your new shop and I would be happy to answer any questions.
How much time do you spend on site maintenance? Do people find you through ETSY or do you mainly use it as a shopping cart off a website? I've not jumped in yet but continue to be curious.Maybe a blog post on your experience ???
ReplyDeleteMichelle, the mugs look great. Glad to hear that Etsy is working so well for you. It looks like I should be ordering the free, Priority mail boxes. Do I pay a flat rate with those or can I use the Etsy or Paypal shipping to pay to mail those? As you can see I am one confused lady at the moment! LOL
ReplyDeleteCan you tell my what boxes you get? I went to the UPS site and most of what I would be selling would be mugs, small jars, various sized bowls,etc. for the most part. Looking at all those boxes, it seems very few are smaller squares suitable, say for a single mug,or a sake set, etc. I'm soooo confused as to what I should order. Help!!!! :-)
Dennis - Our buyers come mostly through Etsy. Managing time varies. It was heavy up front but has gotten easier and less time consuming once we figured things out. I will do a post on it.
ReplyDeleteDennis - Our buyers come mostly through Etsy. Managing time varies. It was heavy up front but has gotten easier and less time consuming once we figured things out. I will do a post on it.
ReplyDeleteJune - box sizes are limited from USPS. We order Priority boxes and the postage varies by size and weight. For mugs we get the 7"x7"x6". I ship pigs in 12 "x12"x8". I have also put two boxes together to create a new size.
ReplyDeleteWe also use lots of clay boxes if they are clean.
Thanks for encouraging me to check out the Town Hall meeting, which I have not yet done. I have been worried about how the new guidelines might affect my shop, so it only makes sense.
ReplyDeleteYou have certainly put the time in and it's paying off. I come and go with Etsy, sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it. It just seems so overwhelming with the number of sellers they have. How does anyone ever find anything!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteTracey, the best way to get noticed is to renew listings everyday, I try to shoot for three. It's quick, a simple click and it's done. You can also use clockbot to set listings to renew automatically.
ReplyDeleteJeff and I are now getting repeat customers.
I like the variation on the mugs, good to hear about Etsy, I'll have to brush up on all the changes once I start to relist again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. I know I really need to focus more time and energy on my Esty store, this is a great reminder.
ReplyDeleteThose look similar to the mug I have and love. Someone will be happy to drink their morning coffee out of one of them.