Since my last posting, much has happened...
I have switched to a drop-in situation at the Saturday Duncan Market, since the powers that be decided to ignore my requests for a shady spot and stick me in the most brutally hot area of the Market...a message that has definitely been received...so they lose all that seasonal money from me...oh well....
I will still be in a seasonal spot at the Chemainus Market on Wednesdays...
I am currently exploring other Markets in my area, as they are plentiful and seemingly welcoming to new vendors....
One of the issues with many Markets is controlling the numbers of certain items in the crafting category..such as jewelry. There are lots of people who wish to sell it, but no Market wants too much of anything...I understand this, yet, because I sell primarily seasonal creations like hats and scarves, I need to have an alternative to round out my sales for Spring to late Summer..and that, for me, has always been jewelry.
Unfortunately for me, many Market Boards won't let me sell it, so I am limited to the ones that will...
Tonight I am going to an adjudication for a Market in the Greater Victoria area..
(For those of you not Canadian, Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, a Province in Canada, and it's located on Vancouver Island where I live.)
I am confident of acceptance, but a bit worried about their attitude regarding jewelry..everyone wants me to sell my hats, but few want the jewelry sales that I depend on...Ironically, the busiest times for sales are the Summer months, when we get lots of tourist traffic...the time when hats don't sell as well for obvious reasons, and jewelry sales blossom...people are wearing less so have a place for jewelry to show, like bare arms, necks, ears when the hair is pulled back, etc....*sigh* It can be very frustrating, but that is a part of the Craft/Farmer's Market reality, so I have to adapt....
Wish me luck tonight...I have often read that setbacks (like the Duncan Market) should be viewed as opportunities for expansion and change in a positive way, so that is how I'm trying to approach this year's adventures in crafting..now if only gas were a whole bunch less expensive....
Showing posts with label jewelry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jewelry. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Springtime in Paradise....
The weather seems to be changing rather rapidly here in Paradise...although it is, of course, still a rainforest, with the requisite almost constant drip drip drip of early Spring...
We are now 'applying' as we have to do every year, for our little spot of retail at the weekly Farmer's Market that I attend, sometimes haphazardly (because of the weather)...
This year, have to decide if I want a permanent spot by paying seasonally, or if I want to drop-in...
Last year I had a permanent spot, but it proved to be a bit of a disaster...the powers that be decided to emphasize another section of the Market, naturally, the one I wasn't in, and it cost us much of our foot traffic...
It's a very difficult thing to find the spot that works for you in a large Market, but very frustrating to be inadvertently sidelined, while paying the same amount as everyone else..this cost me last year, so trying to prevent a recurrence this time around by requesting a different location, although, technically, we are not allowed to do that. *Sigh* not sure what will happen, but stay tuned...
I have switched from selling only hats and scarves to fewer of those, while still emphasizing baby hats, and added jewelry, which I'll sell alongside my crocheted items until Fall is upon us...
Surprisingly, at least to me, still sell quite a few hats even in the hot hot heat of summer..I assume, to tourists, who know that when they need them, they won't be here...
I also have applied, as usual, for a weekly Wednesday Market in a nearby town famous for its murals, busloads of tourists there...
You need to figure out where (and when) your most successful Market is - what works for you.
Social media (can you say "Etsy") has never worked for me...I leave a few things there, mostly to have a 'website' to refer to when applying at one-time fairs and holiday craft markets, etc. but really, I rarely sell anything there..I tried ArtFire (don't ask) and Zibbet, too, which I like for the wonderful people who run it, but never had a single sale from there, so just letting my 'shop' lapse, and I'll stick with a much-reduced 'studio' on Etsy for practicality's sake...
Many of the other Bloggers I follow seem to do quite well online, don't know their secret, but for me, it's strictly face-to-face that works...so, since I actually enjoy retail (I hear the screams out there!) guess I will continue until I am too decrepit to put up a canopy or haul boxes, etc, in and out of my truck....
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Advice for the Craft-Lorn...
One of my favourite blogs is created by Carol at "The Polka Dot Closet," here's a link...http://thepolkadotcloset.blogspot.ca/
In her latest entry, Carol has resuscitated a past posting (referring to her own little antiques shop/booth) called "What Sells and What Doesn't," and thought it would be a great starting point for my first entry of January 2013...
Because I make what I sell, it seems like I'm working just as hard as when I worked full time at a regular job...but the money is certainly different. I often wonder if buyers assume that my work is a 'hobby' or that I really don't need the money..both assumptions are untrue, sort of..
If I had to depend solely on my crafting sales, I would be in trouble. I am single and self-supporting, so that puts me at a major disadvantage for being able to ride it out when sales aren't going well.
Therefore, try and stick to what I know will sell (or what I hope will sell!) all within the loose framework of desire...
What I mean by that is I refuse to start turning out an assembly line of the same old same old just because it will sell...I would get bored, hate myself, etc. I prefer to be inspired by my ideas..and I have way too many of them to keep up.
Still, I do want to sell what I make, so there is a constant discussion in my tiny brain about what to do, what to do? This quandary is thankfully relieved by those who approach me for custom work..which is of course my favourite...
I sell every Saturday at an outdoor farmer's market, and yes, even in the Winter..I live on the West Coast of Canada, so we are usually more temperate than the Prairies or the East., in late Spring and Summer, .I also sell at a weekly market (Wednesdays) in a nearby town called Chemainus, which has a brisk tourist trade, and is famous for its murals. Wish that we could sell there in the Fall and Winter too, since the tourists keep coming all year and I do well there, but the town's business community still feels as if we are 'stealing' business form them..not true, our market is part of the attraction of coming to Chemainus..nonetheless..these are the sorts of things that are constantly changing, so always expect the unexpected when you sell to the public in a publicly-controlled space...
As for the actual subject of all this, what sells and what doesn't, I can only say that it ebbs and flows like the tides...
Hats, right now, are in seeming decline, and I'm selling lots of scarves..and fingerless gloves are finally starting to sell for some reason, after being a waste of time for so long...used to sell booties, too, but they aren't working for me at all since last summer, and kid's hats always seem to attract buyers...the reason, I'm fairly certain, being because they are unique.
Price point is important, and because I spend lots of time on my stuff, and use the best materials I can, I charge what seems to me a moderate amount..but many find my stuff expensive. As most sellers of just about anything know, if you can keep your price point at or near $20 or less, you will sell more..but I really can't do that, so have accepted that the chances of people lining up to pay for my work are gonna be few and far between. You, as a creator and seller, have to decide what you need for yourself to keep going...
I truly believe that what sells is what you loved making..maybe not the minute you put it out on the table, but if you are happy with it, it will find a home.
I've come so close at times to taking certain hats and putting them in the bin (for women's fund raising) that I keep , but the minute I'm convinced that a hat is unsaleable, sure enough, that is when it sells. so if you are interested in instant gratification, one of a kind creations may not be the way to go for you.
If you can find a tourist hub, that will probably work for you..I only sell my handmade jewelry in the Summer, but have been selling so many hats in those warm months that I'm starting to believe that I should add jewelry to the mix in Winter, too...who knows?
Part of the job is constantly editing what you have, and keeping an eye out for what is happening with your work on a seasonal basis..
I also do seasonal craft fairs (indoors) and I'm finding that they are not worth the much higher costs, at least not last season, but then, the economy may or may not have something to do with that, as all of last year was down from the year before..
If you can, keep records of sales that you can refer back to..it's astounding how much information these simple records really can provide.
Whew, this is really longer than I had planned...I think that to sum it all up, what sells and what doesn't (for me) is more about what you love doing and the patience and knowledge to offer only the best, because your best is the only thing worth doing.
In her latest entry, Carol has resuscitated a past posting (referring to her own little antiques shop/booth) called "What Sells and What Doesn't," and thought it would be a great starting point for my first entry of January 2013...
Because I make what I sell, it seems like I'm working just as hard as when I worked full time at a regular job...but the money is certainly different. I often wonder if buyers assume that my work is a 'hobby' or that I really don't need the money..both assumptions are untrue, sort of..
If I had to depend solely on my crafting sales, I would be in trouble. I am single and self-supporting, so that puts me at a major disadvantage for being able to ride it out when sales aren't going well.
Therefore, try and stick to what I know will sell (or what I hope will sell!) all within the loose framework of desire...
What I mean by that is I refuse to start turning out an assembly line of the same old same old just because it will sell...I would get bored, hate myself, etc. I prefer to be inspired by my ideas..and I have way too many of them to keep up.
Still, I do want to sell what I make, so there is a constant discussion in my tiny brain about what to do, what to do? This quandary is thankfully relieved by those who approach me for custom work..which is of course my favourite...
I sell every Saturday at an outdoor farmer's market, and yes, even in the Winter..I live on the West Coast of Canada, so we are usually more temperate than the Prairies or the East., in late Spring and Summer, .I also sell at a weekly market (Wednesdays) in a nearby town called Chemainus, which has a brisk tourist trade, and is famous for its murals. Wish that we could sell there in the Fall and Winter too, since the tourists keep coming all year and I do well there, but the town's business community still feels as if we are 'stealing' business form them..not true, our market is part of the attraction of coming to Chemainus..nonetheless..these are the sorts of things that are constantly changing, so always expect the unexpected when you sell to the public in a publicly-controlled space...
As for the actual subject of all this, what sells and what doesn't, I can only say that it ebbs and flows like the tides...
Hats, right now, are in seeming decline, and I'm selling lots of scarves..and fingerless gloves are finally starting to sell for some reason, after being a waste of time for so long...used to sell booties, too, but they aren't working for me at all since last summer, and kid's hats always seem to attract buyers...the reason, I'm fairly certain, being because they are unique.
Price point is important, and because I spend lots of time on my stuff, and use the best materials I can, I charge what seems to me a moderate amount..but many find my stuff expensive. As most sellers of just about anything know, if you can keep your price point at or near $20 or less, you will sell more..but I really can't do that, so have accepted that the chances of people lining up to pay for my work are gonna be few and far between. You, as a creator and seller, have to decide what you need for yourself to keep going...
I truly believe that what sells is what you loved making..maybe not the minute you put it out on the table, but if you are happy with it, it will find a home.
I've come so close at times to taking certain hats and putting them in the bin (for women's fund raising) that I keep , but the minute I'm convinced that a hat is unsaleable, sure enough, that is when it sells. so if you are interested in instant gratification, one of a kind creations may not be the way to go for you.
If you can find a tourist hub, that will probably work for you..I only sell my handmade jewelry in the Summer, but have been selling so many hats in those warm months that I'm starting to believe that I should add jewelry to the mix in Winter, too...who knows?
Part of the job is constantly editing what you have, and keeping an eye out for what is happening with your work on a seasonal basis..
I also do seasonal craft fairs (indoors) and I'm finding that they are not worth the much higher costs, at least not last season, but then, the economy may or may not have something to do with that, as all of last year was down from the year before..
If you can, keep records of sales that you can refer back to..it's astounding how much information these simple records really can provide.
Whew, this is really longer than I had planned...I think that to sum it all up, what sells and what doesn't (for me) is more about what you love doing and the patience and knowledge to offer only the best, because your best is the only thing worth doing.
Monday, May 7, 2012
It's that Time Again-My Top Ten...
Now that I am back outdoors selling my hats and jewelry every Saturday (that it isn't raining) I would like to share with you, once again, some of my favourite (!) lines, you know, the ones that you hear over and over and over again..some are golden oldies, and some are new, or modifications of oldies..keep in mind that my jewelry and my hats are original designs, no patterns used (or available) and I only make one of everything. That, of course, doesn't matter to every buyer, but why would they pay more than the cost of an Asian import if it doesn't?
I can't be this sarcastic (well, most of the time I control myself) when dealing with people who just mostly aren't very original in what they have to say...but I do try and remember what it is like to be a buyer or potential customer, and to not just look at certain comments from the viewpoint of a seller. So, I'm giving you my answers to obvious ones, and their questions in others..the game is to figure out which is which...
After all, we may all drive, but at one time or another, we are all pedestrians too - and these all too typical comments couldn't be more pedestrian....
1. Yes, I made all this stuff
2. Yes, I'll be here next week, if it isn't raining..
"Hey I came by last week and you weren't here" (it was raining)
3.It's crochet, actually (when they ooh and ah about my 'knitting')
4. "Oh, I knit too " (No, they don't, or they would know the difference)
5. "I'm just looking for ideas" (!)
6. "Oh, my mother/aunt/grandmother knits all this same stuff for me" (see #3 above)
7. " How much is your jewelry/How much are your hats?" (they are all clearly marked, and the hats have big paper tags..sometimes asked after they've been reading all the tags on several hats) and as if they were all a single price...there is no Dollar Store sign in my booth...none....
8.Will you hold this for me 'til next week-I don't have any money....? (of course, without a deposit)
9. These hats are cute but they're too big (they are looking at newborn sized baby hats)
These hats are cute but they are too small (see above)
10. Well, this other vendor is selling hats for X$ less than you..(I always tell them that if price is their only criterion, they should definitely go and purchase from "that other vendor")
Still, love being outside, and actually quite enjoy the social aspects of Markets..great to see friends I've made, and to meet new people, hear some good live music, and eat far too much of all the things I shouldn't...stop by and say Hi...I promise not to bite your head off..
I can't be this sarcastic (well, most of the time I control myself) when dealing with people who just mostly aren't very original in what they have to say...but I do try and remember what it is like to be a buyer or potential customer, and to not just look at certain comments from the viewpoint of a seller. So, I'm giving you my answers to obvious ones, and their questions in others..the game is to figure out which is which...
After all, we may all drive, but at one time or another, we are all pedestrians too - and these all too typical comments couldn't be more pedestrian....
1. Yes, I made all this stuff
2. Yes, I'll be here next week, if it isn't raining..
"Hey I came by last week and you weren't here" (it was raining)
3.It's crochet, actually (when they ooh and ah about my 'knitting')
4. "Oh, I knit too " (No, they don't, or they would know the difference)
5. "I'm just looking for ideas" (!)
6. "Oh, my mother/aunt/grandmother knits all this same stuff for me" (see #3 above)
7. " How much is your jewelry/How much are your hats?" (they are all clearly marked, and the hats have big paper tags..sometimes asked after they've been reading all the tags on several hats) and as if they were all a single price...there is no Dollar Store sign in my booth...none....
8.Will you hold this for me 'til next week-I don't have any money....? (of course, without a deposit)
9. These hats are cute but they're too big (they are looking at newborn sized baby hats)
These hats are cute but they are too small (see above)
10. Well, this other vendor is selling hats for X$ less than you..(I always tell them that if price is their only criterion, they should definitely go and purchase from "that other vendor")
Still, love being outside, and actually quite enjoy the social aspects of Markets..great to see friends I've made, and to meet new people, hear some good live music, and eat far too much of all the things I shouldn't...stop by and say Hi...I promise not to bite your head off..
Friday, April 13, 2012
...Then April cried, and stepped aside...
New items for Spring and Summer..since hats aren't exactly in wild demand at this time of year, and scarves go begging for a new home, thought I'd share with you some of the pieces I'll be featuring in my little 'shop' outdoors at my weekly Farmer's Market..jewelry is my seasonal choice, since once people stop covering up for the harsher cold weather, they realize that-egad!-my neck, ears and arms are bare...horrors!
Thank goodness for that....
Thank goodness for that....
Friday, April 15, 2011
Has Spring Indeed Sprung?
Yesterday while moving some stuff into my new place (just down the road apiece from my old place) it was cloudy and gray, but very cold, suddenly, and the wind really picked up, so, with an open-backed pickup truck ,decided that it was enough for today.
On the way home it started snowing and raining, that nice sleety stuff that we all dread..and I wondered, what is going on with the weather this year? Happened to glance up at the mountains, and sure enough, they all looked as if dusted with icing sugar..brrrr!!!
A fellow blogger in Omaha, Nebraska described the weather there-it was us, to a 'T'..hmmm...
And here I am, showcasing a new ArtFire Collection that celebrates one of my favourite fruits, the luscious and lovely strawberry, fabulously flavourful and healthy, too! As if it were already Summer, or something.
Well, enjoy the Collection and browsing my new strawberry jewelry- fell in love with these little charms and bought a bunch of them..more in my AF studio!
And, wherever you are, enjoy the weather at your place - at least for five minutes, until it changes completely, like here...
On the way home it started snowing and raining, that nice sleety stuff that we all dread..and I wondered, what is going on with the weather this year? Happened to glance up at the mountains, and sure enough, they all looked as if dusted with icing sugar..brrrr!!!
A fellow blogger in Omaha, Nebraska described the weather there-it was us, to a 'T'..hmmm...
And here I am, showcasing a new ArtFire Collection that celebrates one of my favourite fruits, the luscious and lovely strawberry, fabulously flavourful and healthy, too! As if it were already Summer, or something.
Well, enjoy the Collection and browsing my new strawberry jewelry- fell in love with these little charms and bought a bunch of them..more in my AF studio!
And, wherever you are, enjoy the weather at your place - at least for five minutes, until it changes completely, like here...
Friday, February 25, 2011
Being Creative in Bad Weather
We were just gifted with a freak snowstorm lasting a couple of days and for dessert we were given an icy Arctic outflow that, although the skies are crystal clear now, lends a fierceness to the air you breathe...
About the only advantage to this sort of stuff is that I seem to get an awful lot done when I absolutely can't go anywhere..
Made lots of new jewelry and a couple of hats, which I'll show here, but the thing that I like the most was a little photo I took this morning during breakfast. It's a beautiful sunrise reflected in the next door neighbors' patio window.
I've often nticed this over breakfast, but most of the time I'm too sleepy to get up and get the camera..not today!
This shot was taken across my houseplants, who live on my dining room table..and it's kind of a neat effect to have the plants inside, taking a picture of a reflection outside, and all of it through glass, too.
My hanging art glass things are in there, too, and I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out..tell me what you think?
About the only advantage to this sort of stuff is that I seem to get an awful lot done when I absolutely can't go anywhere..
Made lots of new jewelry and a couple of hats, which I'll show here, but the thing that I like the most was a little photo I took this morning during breakfast. It's a beautiful sunrise reflected in the next door neighbors' patio window.
I've often nticed this over breakfast, but most of the time I'm too sleepy to get up and get the camera..not today!
This shot was taken across my houseplants, who live on my dining room table..and it's kind of a neat effect to have the plants inside, taking a picture of a reflection outside, and all of it through glass, too.
My hanging art glass things are in there, too, and I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out..tell me what you think?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
I Do Feel Guilty..sorta...
Haven't posted in over a week..long time for me, but, really..not much to add to the general creativity going on here in bloggerland..
I am more or less trying to gear myself up to start making jewelry for Spring..and a bit to sell at my weekly (currently indoor) Farmer's Market, but made still another hat instead..well, needed a child-sized one to replace some I sold..
Do you ever get that maker's version of writer's block? Drives me nuts.. keep sitting around, thinking about what I should be doing, but all I end up doing is crocheting..maybe it's guilt-crochet, don't know..other times when I should be crocheting (the Fall) I am obsessed with making jewelry..wish I could control it..
Also, January doldrums are here, full force..I really need some good news, hysterically funny stories..something to wake me up..any suggestions?
(Keep it clean...)
My Guilt is Semi-Assuaged- Part 2...
Read the above, got disgusted with myself and decided to force myself to the jewelry table..
6 pairs of earrings later, here's a couple of the latest ones below...
Too much like work (;oD
I am more or less trying to gear myself up to start making jewelry for Spring..and a bit to sell at my weekly (currently indoor) Farmer's Market, but made still another hat instead..well, needed a child-sized one to replace some I sold..
Do you ever get that maker's version of writer's block? Drives me nuts.. keep sitting around, thinking about what I should be doing, but all I end up doing is crocheting..maybe it's guilt-crochet, don't know..other times when I should be crocheting (the Fall) I am obsessed with making jewelry..wish I could control it..
Also, January doldrums are here, full force..I really need some good news, hysterically funny stories..something to wake me up..any suggestions?
(Keep it clean...)
My Guilt is Semi-Assuaged- Part 2...
Read the above, got disgusted with myself and decided to force myself to the jewelry table..
6 pairs of earrings later, here's a couple of the latest ones below...
Too much like work (;oD
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Wages of Guilt..more Random Rants
I admit that I'm feeling more than a bit guilty about neglecting my blogging duties; normally, I have to control myself and not go on and on here, but lately, the frustration with life's little zingers has temporarily got me down..
This weekend there is a wind and rain warning, so no Farmer's Market for me..
I do love selling outside, but the weather can play havoc with your capnopy, your stuff, and your temper..not to mention the fact that almost no one comes out for the Market in bad weather. It's doubly frustrating because my hats are seasonal, to say the least, and I only have a four month window to make any sort of sales...and the weather takes away a good half of those...and summer? Well, some jewelry, but really, can't take the heat and it gets very, very hot here, believe it or not (and doesn't snow much, usually - there, all your illusions about icy Canada shattered once and for all!)
So I'm left with a 'free' weekend, and that means I need to straighten stuff out around here, maybe take some stuff to the flea market..yes, my name is Wendi, and I'm a stuffaholic..
Every few months, I get brutal and wander around my place, picking out the stuff I know I can, and should, live without, and take it to whatever swap meet or flea market is going on..luckily we have a few, though usually I'm a customer, not a seller..
I usually try to go to sell there alone, because it keeps me from wandering around, finding things to buy...what is that about, some bizarre need to acquire stuff? True, I use most of it either for my home or to improve my selling space at the market, but...it really does get out of hand, sometimes..sound familiar?
I'd like to at least wish for fair weather and wonderful finds for my readers, since I cannot hope for either...♥
This weekend there is a wind and rain warning, so no Farmer's Market for me..
I do love selling outside, but the weather can play havoc with your capnopy, your stuff, and your temper..not to mention the fact that almost no one comes out for the Market in bad weather. It's doubly frustrating because my hats are seasonal, to say the least, and I only have a four month window to make any sort of sales...and the weather takes away a good half of those...and summer? Well, some jewelry, but really, can't take the heat and it gets very, very hot here, believe it or not (and doesn't snow much, usually - there, all your illusions about icy Canada shattered once and for all!)
So I'm left with a 'free' weekend, and that means I need to straighten stuff out around here, maybe take some stuff to the flea market..yes, my name is Wendi, and I'm a stuffaholic..
Every few months, I get brutal and wander around my place, picking out the stuff I know I can, and should, live without, and take it to whatever swap meet or flea market is going on..luckily we have a few, though usually I'm a customer, not a seller..
I usually try to go to sell there alone, because it keeps me from wandering around, finding things to buy...what is that about, some bizarre need to acquire stuff? True, I use most of it either for my home or to improve my selling space at the market, but...it really does get out of hand, sometimes..sound familiar?
I'd like to at least wish for fair weather and wonderful finds for my readers, since I cannot hope for either...♥
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wha's Up with Etsy?
I was asked, or let's say it was suggested, that I might want to blog about my Etsy issues, and they are legion...
Guess this is as close as I'll get to an out-and-out rant...
After having a wonderful, successful day at my Saturday Farmer's Market, I have to say that the least exciting part of my afternoon was coming home and dutifully checking (in vain, as always) to see if there were any orders from any of my shops...
I have a free shop on CraftIsArt, a (marginally) paid shop on Zibbet, and my original, and second shop, on Esty.
Some readers may have heard of Zibbet; I doubt if many have heard of CraftIsArt. As for Etsy, if that name is unfamiliar to you, you not only don't have a shop there, you aren't looking at my blog sides, where I have moving minis of my crocheted hats and neckwarmers shop, mizdarlin, and tidybaubles, my jewelry shop...as well as badges and links that connect to some of my other spots for sales and custom orders, like the Duncan Farmer's Market..now I realize that the whole world can't be rushing to Vancouver Island and dropping by, but it really is astounding how many out-of-towners do...not to mention Americans traveling, Europeans doing the Canadian tourist thing, even busfuls of Asian people come through this little Market, the largest on the Island..and arguably the most successful. We currently have nearly 100 vendors, and that includes farmers, gardeners, egg sellers, bakers, candymakers and of course crafters..
I would really appreciate someone, anyone, telling me why my little tiny corner of the Universe is so darned easy-going and successful, and I can't buy a thrill on Etsy..Which has, supposedly, hundreds of thousands of buyers and sellers...
I get almost no views anymore, and certainly no sales since early March. Many others are rowing madly in the same lifeboat, but we are all sinking fast...maybe I expected too much, but I was finally starting to sell regularly (for me) and feeling hopeful about the possibility of supplementing my meagre pension with a few dollars a month, by selling some things that I loved making.
Etsy certainly has disabused me of that notion, yet no one from their Administration Department can explain why this is happening..they won't even acknowledge that it happened, and continues this way..
I'e heard various rumours, and several theories are proposed in the Etsy Forum re this unwanted and unwelcome phenomenon..but who knows? Most of these rumours are of the we-pissed-off Google variety- don't know if it's true, but if Google no longer 'crawls' our listings then that makes a huge difference in whether or not we are seen by potential buyers...this is why I have other shops...if you google my shop name, mizdarlin, (same at all my venues, it's called branding) then there are quite a number of entries, but if you go by what i make, what used to appear on the first page of Google search for say a cloche hat with a flower, or a newsie cap, now appears nowhere...
I don't see the point of listing and renewing on Etsy, which really adds up financially, all the while knowing that it is futile to keep acting the same way and expecting a different outcome.
Until things change at Etsy, I hearby declare a personal boycott that anyone is welcome to join...no more listing of new items or relisting of items unless and until Etsy straightens this mess out, because frankly, I'm getting better views on my runty little flash-in-the-pan sites than I am at Etsy, and selling my creations directly works...so what's the point...
Etsy is, oh, I don't know, so last month....
Guess this is as close as I'll get to an out-and-out rant...
After having a wonderful, successful day at my Saturday Farmer's Market, I have to say that the least exciting part of my afternoon was coming home and dutifully checking (in vain, as always) to see if there were any orders from any of my shops...
I have a free shop on CraftIsArt, a (marginally) paid shop on Zibbet, and my original, and second shop, on Esty.
Some readers may have heard of Zibbet; I doubt if many have heard of CraftIsArt. As for Etsy, if that name is unfamiliar to you, you not only don't have a shop there, you aren't looking at my blog sides, where I have moving minis of my crocheted hats and neckwarmers shop, mizdarlin, and tidybaubles, my jewelry shop...as well as badges and links that connect to some of my other spots for sales and custom orders, like the Duncan Farmer's Market..now I realize that the whole world can't be rushing to Vancouver Island and dropping by, but it really is astounding how many out-of-towners do...not to mention Americans traveling, Europeans doing the Canadian tourist thing, even busfuls of Asian people come through this little Market, the largest on the Island..and arguably the most successful. We currently have nearly 100 vendors, and that includes farmers, gardeners, egg sellers, bakers, candymakers and of course crafters..
I would really appreciate someone, anyone, telling me why my little tiny corner of the Universe is so darned easy-going and successful, and I can't buy a thrill on Etsy..Which has, supposedly, hundreds of thousands of buyers and sellers...
I get almost no views anymore, and certainly no sales since early March. Many others are rowing madly in the same lifeboat, but we are all sinking fast...maybe I expected too much, but I was finally starting to sell regularly (for me) and feeling hopeful about the possibility of supplementing my meagre pension with a few dollars a month, by selling some things that I loved making.
Etsy certainly has disabused me of that notion, yet no one from their Administration Department can explain why this is happening..they won't even acknowledge that it happened, and continues this way..
I'e heard various rumours, and several theories are proposed in the Etsy Forum re this unwanted and unwelcome phenomenon..but who knows? Most of these rumours are of the we-pissed-off Google variety- don't know if it's true, but if Google no longer 'crawls' our listings then that makes a huge difference in whether or not we are seen by potential buyers...this is why I have other shops...if you google my shop name, mizdarlin, (same at all my venues, it's called branding) then there are quite a number of entries, but if you go by what i make, what used to appear on the first page of Google search for say a cloche hat with a flower, or a newsie cap, now appears nowhere...
I don't see the point of listing and renewing on Etsy, which really adds up financially, all the while knowing that it is futile to keep acting the same way and expecting a different outcome.
Until things change at Etsy, I hearby declare a personal boycott that anyone is welcome to join...no more listing of new items or relisting of items unless and until Etsy straightens this mess out, because frankly, I'm getting better views on my runty little flash-in-the-pan sites than I am at Etsy, and selling my creations directly works...so what's the point...
Etsy is, oh, I don't know, so last month....
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