5 types of Etsy sellers and what advice I would give them.

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Жыл бұрын

What are the 5 types of Etsy sellers? One of them should just get off the platform, one needs to think like a business, and one is probably a type that we can learn from.
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Пікірлер: 74

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

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@christinepereira7622 Жыл бұрын

Hi Kara, Thanks for this, I am an Etsy vintage seller and I didn't know about the possibility of accepting offers, so I will look into that. As a seller, I often get messages from customers with offers, probably as you say, people like a bit of a haggle, and I have no problem with that, usually it the person is nice and the offer is reasonable, and especially if there is some sort of story as I am a sucker for a tale, I tend to just go with it, I sell something and get to do a nice one, everyone is happy. It's just when people try to put down the product in some way and their offer is verging on the insulting that I will have to go with a hard no, but generally speaking I tend to find the customers really nice and the offers reasonable, and I like to say yes :)

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

I don't see anything bad about accepting offers for vintage as long as you plan for it. If you price things as low as you can and don't leave yourself room to run sales that can be a problem. And when people start trying to haggle on everything, that's a problem too.

@christinepereira7622 Жыл бұрын

@@KaraBuntin Oh yes, when haggling there are many things to take into consideration; is this a new listing or something that has been renewed a few times, how unusual/rare it is, what is the profit margin, is this a returning customer, a nice customer and so on. and of course we don't want to contribute for a generalised haggling culture :) Thanks for your level headed feedback and guidance, I appreciate all your videos 💪 💋

@JillsTreasureChest Жыл бұрын

Thank you. You’re exactly right about the types of sellers.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@Wendathena Жыл бұрын

I just reached 18,000 sales on Etsy! Thank you to Kara, for your classes, on going advice, wisdom, and help in finding the motivation to do what works! I couldn't have done it without you and it all started with that first class!

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Great job!

@ninetiesperson7980 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the advice.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

@neenasgarden Жыл бұрын

I have four stores, all different. I've seen them mostly as hobbies until now but have just recently begun treating them as my full-time job. One store started as print on demand, but I'm in the process of switching it over to a printables store. Another store is vintage physical items, another is stickers, and the last one is digital items (PNGs & SVGs). Some things are my own artwork, but I mostly create new designs using purchased clip art that I modify or combine with my own art, etc., as long as modifying it doesn't go against the clip art license. That said, even though I "change up" the clip art, it still somehow feels like cheating to me. I really want to ditch the clip art and draw everything myself, so I signed up for an art course just last night on Udemy. 🙂

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Four shops is a lot! I don't have time for three, I give you a lot of credit for running four!

@awlthatwoodcrafts8911 Жыл бұрын

I opened my shop back in April. I hand make wood crafts. I've had 20 sales to date. I'm happy with my progress and I'm looking forward to the upcoming holiday season, i.e. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. While Etsy may not be what it used to be, I believe it still comes down to your niche. If you sell birdhouses, then you're only competing with sellers who make birdhouses, not the millions of POD or digital sellers. If you choose an over-saturated niche, then yeah, that will be a tough nut to crack. The point being, the diversity of Etsy, in and of itself, is not the reason for over-saturation, it's the niche itself. Choose your niche wisely. It's also important not to be taken by the Etsy hype on KZfaq. When you see a video that says they made $1 million dollars on Etsy, it's going to be for products with low overhead, e.g. digital, and they've been selling for a while. I can just imagine the number of dead shops on Etsy that were started by people who watched those videos and thought they could get rich, too. I got into this with my eyes wide open. I love making things with wood and had some success selling locally. Etsy just seemed like the next logical step, after careful consideration.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

The hype is real and is hard to avoid, but people should try to to avoid it.

@leannfrobom847 Жыл бұрын

I am an old school handmade seller. My best sellers have been quilted handmade oven mitts. pasqueflower

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Yay for handmade!

@elainet5870 Жыл бұрын

Great video! Interesting way to look at look at things! I’m a handmade artist. I sell journals, ephemera for journals, and some textile art. I always find your videos quite helpful. Thanks! 😃

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@terrybrooks395 Жыл бұрын

Seems like Etsy are a bit lax wen it comes to enforcing the rules, I've just started out myself with photographic prints, all my own works plus mounted and framed by myself, I see others on Etsy listing items displayed with images showing framed products yet the item's are print only, somewhere deep down in the description it does tell them this, that tactic wouldn't last a week on eBay as the negative feedback would kill them off real fast, surprised it seems to work on Etsy and a little annoyed too as one of the things that sets me aside from most is that I mount and frame the photos too (the customers do have the option to choose print only if they wish too).

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

It's definitely not a very well-policed site. They do remove shops but it's like playing whack-a-ole, new ones just pop up since there's no bar to entry.

@dontgivetwothwips3615 Жыл бұрын

I’m an artist selling my original acrylic and mixed media work. It’s been slow, as I’m focusing more into a niche area with low visibility for me, at the moment. My pieces are very unique, and I sell originals only, so I’m in a good place to stand out, as I do the work to bring in an audience. Your videos have been tremendously helpful as I’ve been reworking my listings. I decided yesterday to wade into Pinterest and start learning how to use it effectively. That platform is a bit…. overwhelming

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

It's complicated but very useful if you play it right!

@mrs.quills7061 Жыл бұрын

I know you sell originals only, but have you considered turning those pieces into digital copies to make cards, calendars, etc? I’ve noticed people will by my designs and art when it’s turned into something smaller or has another function like my journals.

@laurab8450 Жыл бұрын

Really like the information in this video, Kara. I personally just don't see the point of etsy's new "Let's Make A Deal" test. My thoughts are that basically all shop item prices would be irrelevant. You're right, too, you'd get low-ball offers & I don't wish to race-to-the-bottom, as they say about ebay. Etsy already has a way for buyers to contact a shop to ask for a discount or coupon code & that is through convo messaging & that works just fine. Also, a while back etsy made a big push for shops to offer free shipping. My shipping is included in my item prices now & that cost is non-negotiable. Etsy still gets the same listing fee, a final value fee - which includes the shipping cost, plus perhaps 12% if the item is sold via an off-site ad, the post office gets the same price, the only one losing money is me. Shops can run sales or lower prices now on items if they wish to. I don't see why this is necessary. I will be curious as to what you find out in the test. I declined to participate as I didn't want the items etsy automatically chose to discount in my shop to be discounted, some of them were just listed.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

I'll be interested to see if I get any offers. Etsy is doing it on a limited number of listings that they chose, but I could have removed some of them if I wanted to.

@DerrickWeil Жыл бұрын

I am doing digital art as well but mine is all original no clip art, created in Photoshop and Illustrator, it takes hours to make each piece.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Yes it does!

@ouiamelie Жыл бұрын

I am a designer and digital seller. Thinking on also having a pOD shop with my own design as well.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

That can set your shop apart and make your products more interesting to people

@sophiewelt9691 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video. I assume with the new offer function, a buyer offer is not binding for them, or is it? I would prefer it it was, of course - as it is with Ebay.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

It's not binding, and even if you accept it the customer has a set time period to buy it, but if someone comes along and buys it at full price before the haggler does, they'll lose out.

@janiceking2012 Жыл бұрын

Ebay listings are not free. If you have a store for a minimum of $8 a month, then you get a certain number of listings for "free". Their fees are much higher than Etsy's but they do seem much more strict in terms of regulating listings for vero items. The thing I like about Ebay is they let you send newsletter to past customers through the Ebay platform letting them know about knew products and sales, so you don't have to maintain a separate email list of your own.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

They always try to throw free listings at me, so it could be them trying to get me to list stuff there

@mrs.quills7061 Жыл бұрын

eBay listings are free? It doesn’t cost anything until you make a sale and the free listings are up to like 250 listings which is quite a lot. It’s cheaper than being charged every time to relist. I don’t have a store either it’s just a regular account.

@roadtofreecollege6337 Жыл бұрын

Hi, Kara, While most of my tote bags are covered with photographs I have taken myself, I have a section using graphics I purchased, resized, added color to and text. Are these changes enough to keep them within the Etsy guidelines? Thanks.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Yes they are!

@littlemomentsinlife Жыл бұрын

I think they pretend they don't see it at the end profit is the number 1 Etsy priority, so many companies selling Chinese premade materials

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Their goal has to be profit or they wouldn’t be a business. Sometimes that aligns with our goals and sometimes it doesn’t.

@RainyJohnson Жыл бұрын

I have a digital wall art shop and I make art prints using graphics I purchase with commercial licences, I edit and combine them in canva to make unique art printables with bible scriptures added. I take ages to design my prints and I feel that I fit into the handmade description because I am making new and unique end products with the graphics I purchase. I am not a graphic designer so creating from scratch is out of my league. I can draw and paint but I do not have high quality scanners to be able to offer my art in high enough quality to mass produce. I am a very creative person, in fact, I am also a hobby cake decorator but this is a very time consuming business model which, with 3 small children, is not something I can commit to right now. So I make for friends and family only. Hence why I have chosen art printables as they are far less time consuming and resource heavy, but still appeal to my creative side. I am not simply buying a graphic and slapping it on a print. But if I had listened to this video at the start of my Etsy journey I may have felt that I don't belong on there, or that what I'm doing is wrong somehow....

@vickieclark5931 Жыл бұрын

I work with someone that is going into graphic design and she said that most graphic designers are NOT people that can draw or paint. They purchase designs and then use their creativity to make it their own by making their own designs. Being a digital graphic artist doesn't mean that we can paint like Thomas Kinkade. Most can't. If you can draw or paint with high quality, that's a rare breed and all the power to those people. They have a gift. But people like me that can't draw for anything plus do not have all the high tech type things that make the art look good can still make great designs. Most wall art or POD sellers on etsy purchased those graphics. A few make their own, but most were purchased. But as long as you use those graphics to make your own designs, then that's what makes you a graphic designer.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Not at all, that isn't what I said. If you're making your own designs and come up with an original one that's what Etsy requires. If you're taking a design that you got somewhere and put it on a POD product without changing it substantially so that the design isn't available somewhere else, that's against the terms of use on Etsy. It's fine other places, but not on Etsy.

@mrs.quills7061 Жыл бұрын

@@vickieclark5931 I’ve been doing graphic design for years now and the only time we’d buy something is for a commercial use font or for the software (adobe illustrator) we use or for mock-up photos to stage to a client what something might look like on a billboard, box or bottle. It’s a bit insulting that you suggest we just outsource or steal our work like that? Many of us do know how to draw and do know how to render out different things, so I’m not sure who you’re talking to about this, but that’s not how it works today. Before I went to digital I drew in sketchbooks, and painted with oil and watercolor. I took both traditional and digital art classes in college and still continue my own learning and projects outside of work to better my skills and progress as a creative. It’s not rare to have multiple art skills either? A lot of designers now need to have a multitude of skills today. If it’s not illustration like myself, it’s coding, photography, marketing or app and web design. Many jobs require you have a multifaceted tool belt at the bare minimum because you need to understand how designs will work on different mediums like tshirts, magazines or a phone. I need to know how to draw so I can translate that to more abstract or complex designs, especially with my logo work if someone wants a symbol or custom character. A recent commission I did was of a rat I created for a rat rod company and they wanted it in a more cartoony style. They wanted an illustration and then a logo of its head. Much of what I make and do combines my illustration and design knowledge. I really enjoy both and design lead me into a more stable career.

@JanetBoitos-qf7jj Жыл бұрын

Wondering about purchasing a more up-to-date item and tweaking it. Are you able to sell refurbished items?

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

It depends on what it is. What are you thinking of specifically?

@JanetBoitos-qf7jj Жыл бұрын

@@KaraBuntin just one example is a birthday crown headband that I purchased from a resale shop. i added pompoms to the points of the crown, a #3 (for 3rd birthday) and a rhinestone band around bottom. wish I could send you a before and after picture. thoughts?

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

@@JanetBoitos-qf7jj That would count as something upcycled so it's fine, you took some materials and made it into something else.

@JanetBoitos-qf7jj Жыл бұрын

@@KaraBuntin ok. thank you for always responding to our subscribers. appreciate it.

@davidsims6585 Жыл бұрын

What about sellers that buy finished items but use laser engravers to engrave and customize them?

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Personalization is considered handmade by Etsy, so it's allowed.

@bluebellbell3725 Жыл бұрын

A lot of people use creative fabrica ”just as” for digital items. That’s not allowed from CF either.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

There’s a lot of not reading the license going on with digital sellers.

@mariacasiano498 Жыл бұрын

Hi Etsy, I am a pet portrait artist and create dog ID tags and accessories for pets

@fox__fox Жыл бұрын

Re-sellers come to Etsy because of low competition comparing with Ebay/Amazon. Also Etsy does promotion for your items outside the platform what others don't do (not for free yet), and many other attractive features. Ebay/Amazon are too massive and messy. Etsy is more narrow, niche-oriented, more "readable", understandable. And from what I see, Esty is not willing just handmade - they want the shops sell gifts, expensive gifts. The more expensive item, the more fee Etsy gets (I hope it's already not a secret that Etsy takes up to 20% from sell?). So the main goal for Etsy (as I see it) is to keep quality of goods high to satisfy people who is ready to pay high price. Whether it's handmade, vintage or just re-selling - it's not really important. The main thing: a buyer should be happy, leave good feedback, don't require money back (then Etsy lose fees, right?), come back to Etsy to buy more (and pay more fees), don't tell everywhere that Etsy is not trustable place to buy, etc. SO! Re-selling is acceptable on Etsy until you follow the certain unspoken rules, the main of which is: a buyer must stay happy about your item and service! And that's what the most re-sellers can not offer. Because they do care only about a short-term profit but not people's satisfaction.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Resellers are not allowed on Etsy but because of Etsys lack of enforcement and the scammy attitude that resellers have , it’s ruining the platform. Your comment is a good explanation of people who are willing to ignore the rules of a platform to serve their own interests, and are willing to turn a site that’s supposed to be one thing into something else. In this case resellers are turning Etsy into the flea market, and what’s going to happen is that Etsy will lose credibility with customers and ruin itself because they’re not kicking the resellers off.

@wendym2987 Жыл бұрын

If that's the case, then why do resellers lie and state it's handmade?? Because there's no other option because reselling is not allowed

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

@@wendym2987 Yeah, they're liars and they know it's not allowed.

@wendym2987 Жыл бұрын

What about sellers who buy things like water bottles and then just put a name on it? I feel personally that they shouldn't be allowed but would like to hear your thoughts on that

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

It’s not what we feel personally, it’s what Etsy allows. If Etsy says that’s okay, which they do because adding something creates a different item (personalized vs non-personalized) then it’s allowed.

@wendym2987 Жыл бұрын

@@KaraBuntin I know they allow it. I just don't think they should and just wondered if you agree that they allow it.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

@@wendym2987 Again, it's not my opinion that matters. I would call that hand-decorated, not handmade, but Etsy isn't a handmade platform at this point. Their playground, their rules.

@jennamakesbugs Жыл бұрын

You should meet a graphic designer and see how they work. I think you will find that they spend the same time, apply experience and cumulative knowledge, and need to know their tools and materials the same as any hand crafter. Remember as well that there are plenty of other types of designers who can sell a single file repeatedly.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

I don’t know why people seem to think i was slamming graphic designers in this video. I didn’t say that designers don’t do work, i said that’s allowed on Etsy and it falls under handmade. What i DID say was that buying a piece of clipart and putting it on a POD item without changing anything about it isn’t allowed on Etsy, but I also don’t think that’s graphic design.

@digitalfineart8356 Жыл бұрын

So I’ve been wondering and maybe you have some insight on this. So digital files/designs are a product that is like a supply? For example, digital scrapbook paper, print out cards and basically any image file created to be printed out. Is it a finished product or a supply to make something? This is not a snarky question, I’m really asking. 😋 Thanks for any insight you may have on this.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

That's a good question, but if you say that you made it then Etsy marks it as either "handmade" or "handmade supply" based on whether you say that it's a finished product or a supply. So the handmade policies would cover those, and it would be considered handmade, because they're original designs. The grey area is when people are taking files that they've taken from file sharing sites and reselling them as-is and saying they're a supply. What happens then is that technically that would fit under the commercial supply category on Etsy, but you would have to have a license to sell the file as-is, which I've never seen on any file-sharing site that's legitimate. Most of those have rules about how you can use the digital assets that you get from them, and they all say (as far as I've seen) that you can't sell a digital file as-is because that's violating the original designer's copyright. When you buy a file the copyright doesn't transfer to you, it stays with the original designer, so you still have to follow their terms of use regardless of where you're using the file. So even if Etsy says it's a supply, and you have a commercial license to use it, that commercial license has to give you permission to sell the file itself, and I've never seen one that gives that permission. Supplies are basically defined as physical items that can be used to make more physical items, so it really defaults to the license of the digital asset itself, and if you didn't design it yourself, you probably don't have the right to sell it. Etsy also define supplies as things that can't be used as-is, so you can't list a blank tshirt and claim that it's a supply, because it can be used as a shirt even if it's not altered. www.etsy.com/legal/policy/craft-supplies/239327031264

@digitalfineart8356 Жыл бұрын

@@KaraBuntin Right. I can’t imagine just using a file you bought or acquired and plugging it onto Etsy as is because you are then basically stealing. (I would think). It seems that graphics designed by the seller as printables for crafting (like digital paper) are a supply like because the buyer uses it to make a finished product. So yeah, a handcrafted design. One of a kind to the designer’s shop. Thanks for putting out all this useful info. 😊

@MiracolaB Жыл бұрын

I'm a graphic designer and sell print-on-demand products with my designs. Often people think I'm a dropshipper, which is an insult because I design all prints by myself. Most people don't understand the difference between dropshipping and POD. It is the prints on the POD-items that sells, unprinted POD-items don't sell.

@kevingraham2733 Жыл бұрын

Etsy's marketplace includes handmade items, vintage items, and craft supplies. Reselling is only allowed in the vintage and craft supplies categories. Everything listed in our Handmade category must be made or designed by you, the seller. Reselling is not allowed in Handmade.

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

Yes

@BayyVibes Жыл бұрын

If drop shipping and reselling is not allowed, then why is there multiple companies that use Esty integration? I enjoy most of your videos but definitely do not agree with everything you said, and I say just let people do what they want and if they get shut down then that's on them....

@KaraBuntin Жыл бұрын

It’s not a matter of me saying it, go read the terms of use in the Etsy legal section where it says that dropshipping and reselling isn’t allowed.

@ForceSabersUK Жыл бұрын

this is a huge issue for what i sell which is handmade to order lightsabers. and i lose around 80% of my sales to 3rd party reseller and drop shippers and etsy wont do a thing about it. it's so unfair when everything i make is handmade to order.