setlab Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 I've been giving a lot of thought into selling on etsy lately. I've never really sold much of my work before and it seems like a good place to start. What do you guys make that sells well there? I was thinking small things at first, wall hooks, bottle openers, maybe RR spike knives? Well made, does that stuff sell quickly there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 I have found that wherever there is a low barrier to entry, the competition will be high, the pay will be low, and the required hustle to stay afloat will be grueling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
setlab Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 Just skimming through the first listings that pop up it looks like everyone with an angle grinder and RR track anvil is selling stuff they made in 15 minutes. Wondering if buyers skimm past that stuff or is the market so saturated with that stuff there you'd be lucky to have anyone find your listing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 An associate has told me your stuff gets buried on etsy due to the volume. She has some beautiful work, but it's no help. Robert Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 38 minutes ago, Anachronist58 said: An associate has told me your stuff gets buried on etsy due to the volume. She has some beautiful work, but it's no help. Robert Taylor If your doing the same thing everyone else does then that's going to happen. Pricing, style and market all have effects. Etsy isn't as bad as ebay about penny pinching but your not going to hit the home run either. Art pieces have the hardest time standing out, even if it's very nice. Your always going to get the most from commissioned pieces. That's my goal, to get the commissioned work. That stems from the "Hey, I saw you made that, can you do this for me?" yes sir, $ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 I have a hard time finding anything on Etsy , so I now avoid it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 The key, go in with low expectations and you won't be disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senft Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Occasionally though you see some things like this- Link to esty sales site removed. Tons of sales, he's getting good prices too. What is the secret to this? Obviously you have to do much work to promote the Etsy store to get the traffic to yours, you can't just put a few things up and expect everyone to find it right away... but what are these people doing to get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Senft, I can't answer for Etsy sellers but your response got me thinking. I'm the Chief Estimator for an Electrical Contractor and things are slowing down in Construction right now just like they did this time last year. When I look over the records for last year, things were awfully tight but we squeaked through with a few small jobs. The noteworthy thing about those jobs was that every one of them was for an established client with a history of winning similar work to what they were bidding. We bid to tons of firms doing all sorts of work during the slow time last year. Not a single project came of the "cast a wider net" approach. I suspect the answer to your question is that Wayfarer Forge established themselves ahead of this decline, which has correspondingly raised their profile in the buyers market. A quick look at their website leads me to think it's the same Gerald Boggs that's a member here. A quick read of the bio leads me to think Mr. Boggs commercial work predates Etsy by quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 I usually only get a few etsy sales a month. Some hoofpicks, bottle openers, spike knives, hooks, things like that. The market is so flooded w the same kind of things that it's hard to even get people to your page, although it improves a little when you keep adding new ads. What's worse, is a lot of the hobbiests drive down prices by unloading their stuff for far less than it's worth, because it's not important to them, or because it is and sales = approval. I'm making a little money there, but I'm not sure it's where I would focus my attention. One thing I have noticed though, if you get someone in and you make them happy, a lot of time they'll spread word of mouth or send you a message asking for something again later. I try to include a business card and a letter with everything that sells on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senft Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 On 9/2/2016 at 6:38 AM, Senft said: Occasionally though you see some things like this- Link to esty sales site removed. Really?? This was just to illustrated a point, or reasonable question relevant to the discussion. Based on Rockstar's response it was probably a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 It was considered advertising as it sent viewers to a sales site with no return to IForgeIron from sales. After a long time of making such links and referrals with NO return to IFI for using the IFI site to promote other sales sites, or even a thank you from the buyer for saving them money, or the seller for making a sale, we looked at the back links, where they in return linked to IForgeIron. Buyer made money, seller made money, with NO return and no links back to IForgeIron. We still have to pay the license fees, server bills, countless hours of labor, etc. IForgeIron has been on line for over 15 years. When was the last time you wrote a check to IForgeIron for a great idea that saved you time or made you money? Or even posted a thank you to the fellow that took the time to present the idea or project on the site? And why not? A simple Thank You takes only seconds to compost and post, and encourages more great ideas and projects to be posted in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senft Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Yes, I clearly have no value whatsoever and will leave! trying to figure out how to delete account though..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.C. Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Wow...I thought working with our hands usually made us tougher..gave us calluses and nice thick skin.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 You have value both to the site and the blacksmithing community, and that value increases as you help others. Sharing your knowledge starts a conversation where you exchange ideas with others. You both win, and grow in the craft. The issue here is not sharing knowledge, we do that with each new post. The issue is keeping the site on line and running. I do not mind helping others that return the favor and help back. I do have issues with passing out referrals and getting nothing, not even a thank you, in return. Did you contact the esty seller and ask him for permission to use photos of his work in order to illustrate your post and the discussion? The esty seller is a member of IForgeIron and when ever I ask, he was ALWAYS gracious with his information and his allowing the site to use his photos and designs to show to others. You have not been kept from going to the esty site, ebay site, or any other site, and doing a search for blacksmithing or any other subject that would interest you. In doing so you gather ideas for projects that you think you can make and sell, making you money from their ideas, projects, designs, and efforts. Did you take a few seconds to send them an email thanking them for using their ideas or designs so you could reproduce those projects or designs and make you money? If not, then why not. Without that idea or design you would NOT have made the money from the sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 lots of people here help the site in different ways to repay help we have got, I try to help those with questions if I can, my business cards have an ifi link on them and instructions for the forges I make contain a link too. I have often thanked people who have helped me in some way and normally if I make something similar to what I have seen here it is made my way and is inspired by the one I seen as I have a different skill set, I do avoid trying to copy others work ( and it would be a poor copy if I did it ). you could make a donation however small or buy some merchandize none of the above is compulsory, you can do it if you want to advertizing other sites that make money from it is not liked here the way to sell anywhere online is to get established with a reputation and then you will have customers, I sell on 2 online sales sited and have done for over 12 years now so I am known but you dont get that without a lot of hard work over years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Selling on etsy is hit-n-miss. Some shops do great. Others do poorly. From my experience, researching through the various smithing shops there, you absolutely must produce something that's as nice as what others are producing. Photos are critically important and bad photos can make a good product look like trash. Can you make money on those sites? Only if you go into it with a solid reputation and customer base to begin with. If you're hoping it will open some doors and make you a ton of sales..... you can accomplish that after several years of hard Public Relations work, getting out on all the various forums to let people know you have stuff for sale on that site. If you simply list things and hope shoppers will see it, you're in for some serious disappointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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