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....

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....

B'lieve I'll Dust My Broom....

Getting bored with looking at my empty e-mail box from Etsy, decided to go ahead and get involved in some other sites...

I had a zibbet account from a long time ago, but decided to sign up for a premium account ($7 per month, no other charges) and figured, if nothing else, it's free advertising, because they let you post Etsy Minis on your shop site-(Etsy Admin is clutching their respective pearls at the thought of allowing such a thing!)
Their uploading system is a bit quicker too, and you can 'play' with the appearance of your shop, to a certain extent...no sales yet, but believe it or not, more views lately than Etsy!

In the Forums, I read about another site called CraftIsArt, so for free, 25 item maximum, I went over there and -I'm so very stoked about this- they do an instant upload of Etsy items-you pick the ones- and everything but the shipping profiles is instantly there, yes, pics and all!
(Etsy Admin feels faint, rushes to arrange itself gracefully on a beige couch with a beige backdrop)....
Now I've had more views there than Etsy too..so what's going on?

Dunno....but it's better to spread your little eggs around in different baskets, yes? So that's what I'm doin'...

Links:

http://www.craftisart.com/mizdarlin

http://www.zibbet.com/

I tried Artfire awhile ago, but too expensive for no return-although I love the fact that you are auto-listed with GA, and their one page listing is great...but the people who run it seem to be, oh, what shall I say, a bit bizarre, and their Forums are more of a blood sport than even Etsy's, so personally, I steer clear....

The way I see it, there's lots of opportunities to give someone else your money and advertise on their blog, etc. But having several shops means lots of exposure for practically nothing...