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Like most woodworkers trying to market our passion we often get frustrated trying to sell a product and/or service. Other than by word of mouth, we try venues like the internet, Ebay, Craigslist and craft shows but rarely to a great degree of success. Why? To be honest my only thought is that we are not targeting the correct demographic. It’s like trying to sell a car at a truck store, people will buy it but at a ridicules price and at the end of the day it ends up costing us money:(
Just the other day I came across Etsy.com. It appears that the site has been around for awhile but what makes Etsy different is that they cater to those of us looking to buy and sell handmade, unique items. A quick look around confirms that the prices are more in line with actual costs and the audience are those who aren’t looking for a bargain but quality and something unique.
Setting up shop couldn’t be easier. Registration is pretty typical, contact info, log-in, password, etc and the only additional item needed to sell is a valid credit card. A paypal account is suggested as well. Fees don’t seem too high with a 20 cent insertion fee per item and 3.5% of the sale. Once you are signed up you are provided a store front with your user name keep this in mind when you set up your account.
With this in mind I decided to give it a try myself. Check me out at rjoneswoodworks.etsy.com
We’ll see how it goes and I will keep you all posted.
