Many of us who eschew the usual Facebook or Twitter nonsense, who don't feel comfortable hyping our online goods into oblivion, irritating friends and potential buyers in the process, know that the odds are insurmountable to start with...what chance do any of us have without perfect items, perfect pictures, anorexic straight-haired models who pose with all the warmth of Egyptian hieroglyphics, and rampant beige everywhere?
And yet we persist...I haven't shut down my Etsy shops (yet)..as a matter of fact, the weekly Market I was so successfully participating in, due in part to the unseasonably warm weather, has dried up financially for me...last Saturday was my last Saturday until we are outside again in mid-March..but I did at least come home to an online sale, which really helped to boost my badly sagging morale...
If you want your psyche damaged badly, go online to practically any Forum for handmade, and get yourself beaten up and bullied online, sneered at and dismissed as an idiot...or, do what I've been doing daily (well, almost) for the past couple of weeks, and check out Indie Junction.
Yes, there is a 'badge' for it on the lower right side of this blog.
Indie Junction, I'm convinced, is comprised of mostly Etsy sellers who now have their own retreat, where they can chat in a friendly sort of way about this and that, without getting their heads bitten off for asking a question.
On Indie Junction, you can show as much or as little of your work as you like...and expect to get lovely compliments in your IJ mailbox, with references specifically back to your pieces...
We 'gift' each other on birthays if we like, we 'friend' each other regularly, and are setting up our own Teams for Etsy and our in-house interests too..
I've never seen such a helpful friendly bunch before (at least, not online) and have yet to see even a quark of snark- a nice change from the usual divisive, competitive bitchiness so rife on Etsy, Artfire and other sites. We support each other , congratulate each other, and there seems to be a truly sincere interest by the founder and webmistress, Nicky Vee, to provide us with whatever we need to have a fabulously refreshing and supportive experience on the site...
The next time you get to feelin' bruised and battered by the arogance and nastiness inherent in other sites, do yourself a favour and drop on over to Indie Junction...it's like a cool glass of water on a boilin' hot day...
If you can't link with the 'badge, use this:
http://indiejunction.ning.com/
I know that it has been an uphill battle for you selling on Etsy and I do admire you hanging in there no matter what. I wish I was a hat person myself so I could buy a hat from you, but I have never worn a hat in my life except my military hat and that was because I had to.
ReplyDeletePussDaddy
Well thanks for the good wishes, Puss...didn't know that you were in the military too...guess that explains the attitude that many of us enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMy hats seem to sell quite easily (in normally colder ye4ars) in Fall and Winter Markets, when folks can actually try them on...
mizdarlin, excellent post, and oh, so true! And the social networking sites - too much for any sane person to attend. I, too, only wore a hat because I had to (military), and in cold weather hardly ever, but your shops look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI've answered your question from your visit to my blog, and I appreciate you asking for clarity.