This week I thought it would be interesting to focus my blog on Etsy. It's truly amazing to me that there are so many people who still haven't even heard about this wonderful Internet site and it's been around for almost 10 years now. Truth be told, Etsy had been around for about 5-6 years before I even heard about it. It was crochet and knit night at the Purple Iris, our local yarn shop. I was there with my daughter when someone in the group mentioned it. It wasn't until a year or so later when I registered to become a member and then another year before I opened up my shop, Purse O'nality by Mary.
Etsy is an e-commerce website that was launched in 2005. It is comprised of handmade and vintage items as well as supplies. The original founders of Etsy were Robert Kalin, Chris Maguire and Haim Schoppik; however, they all have moved on to other opportunities.
Etsy is a marketplace where its heart and soul is the global community. It is comprised of individual shops and buyers searching for something unique. You could think of it as one huge craft fair on the Internet where each shop, with its own character and appeal through shop banners and photographs, tries enticing shoppers to buy from their shop. The shoppers, on the other hand, have plenty of choices since Etsy has something for everyone. In fact as of December 2014, Etsy has currently over 1.4 million sellers and almost 20 million active buyers. There are over 54 million registered users. In my opinion, it's a wonder how people even find my shop!
Etsy differs from EBay and Amazon in that the latter two don't restrict what one can sell. As stated earlier, a viable Etsy shop falls into one of 3 categories: 1) handmade by the shop owner or a member of the shop; 2) vintage items that are at least 20 years or older, and 3) a supply shop. A supply shop has tools to help make something or a basic supply to do the handmade project such as zippers, purse frames, beads, etc. Etsy doesn't allow resellers. In other words, you can't buy a scarf and then turn around and sell it in your shop. Also a shop must disclose everyone who is associated with the shop.
Etsy has some truly wonderful and amazing shops. I thought I would post some of my favorite shops this week and believe me, there are plenty to choose. So from time to time I'm going to post some of my favorite shops and tell you why I chose them. Here are some of my favorite shops in no particular order.
1. On my list is Upstyle, which is a supply and purse shop. I chose this store for a couple of reasons. I did a blog tutorial with some modifications based on a design that Robin had created and with her permission. I have bought several purse frames and chains from her. She has always given me outstanding customer service and answered any questions I have about her products.
Large Box Clamshell Minaudiere Clutch in Various Chain Lengths $60.00+ |
Turquoise Patio Porch Cord Crochet Rug 35" Round Pineapple Pattern $80.00+ |
Hand Crochet Kentucky Derby Hat $85.00 |
9 Inch Brights YKK Sampler Pack of 10 Zippers $5.00 |
Fall Photography 8 X 10 Reflection of Trees $24.95 |
Best All Purpose Wooden Spoon $42.00 |
60-1000 Pieces of Precut Folded Custom Clothing Labels $20.00+ |
8. My last shop is SEO Web Design. Mary, the shop owner, has been instrumental in helping me with my own SEO. She has taught me a lot, and I'm still learning from her. Her success guide book is simple to understand and can be easily put into practice. It also makes a great reference. In addition to this, she does custom web designing and shop banners. If you want to know more about SEO, this is the go to shop for online Etsy success.
Etsy Shop SEO Success Guide $14.90 |
Your Mood, Your Style, Your Personality |
No comments:
Post a Comment