WHAT in the WORLD is ETSY, really!...Thursday, January 2, 2014

Etsy was created as a place for people to SELL their HANDMADE items.  It has grown and people all over the world have shops filled with most ANYTHING your heart can desire.  RECENTLY, Etsy has changed their policy and is going to allow some people to sell items that are associated with manufacturers.  This makes me sad and I see ONCE AGAIN, those of us who STRUGGLE to compete with the BIG MACHINES  that allow products to be mass produced, that we find ourselves in another struggle  to sell our handmade items and to compete with the cheaper prices that come with mass-producing…sigh…=(

http://www.etsy.com/shop/romalandwoodcrafts 

Etsy, like Facebook, offers its own language.  You can admire, follow and then you can Create Treasuries!  When my friend, Robyn, told me about a treasury, I accused her of making up words…she is, after all, originally from South Africa!  Teeheeheheeee…BUT I found she was RIGHT and I quickly apologized to her.  She is a GREAT success story on Etsy as is my friend, Elfie!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/thepresentplace 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/paintingfromtheheart 

At the top of each shop is a heart.  IF you click on the heart, the heart will turn pink and you are THEN an admirer!  Over each item you are also given the option to ADMIRE an item.  You can EVEN Follow people by clicking on the follow button that is on the left of each shop.  You can see how many sales a shop has and the rating for each shop…When you admire shops and items, you then allow those who FOLLOW you to see what you like and in turn gives them an opportunity to admire an item also.  The fact is, the MORE we can get people to ADMIRE our shops and our art, then the chance of selling goes up for us!  

When YOU get an account on Etsy, you are able to admire and follow people and to make a WANT list for you.  It is NEVER too early to start thinking about that NEXT gift you wish to purchase!  You can ALSO create treasuries!  This is where you find 16 items from your favorite shops and group them together for others to admire.  YES, it is ANOTHER way to expose people to OUR items that we are selling.  I LOVE the idea that we have to share OTHER people’s art in a treasury...a great way to PAY IT FORWARD and to encourage our peers.

So, the bottom line with treasuries, is that it is a WAY to promote OUR work so MORE people can see OUR creations.  The more people who SEE our art, the more of a chance we have at SELLING…and YES, THAT is the purpose of us being on ETSY…we want to SELL.

I belong to a TEAM on Etsy.  The Old Farmhouse Gathering Team is a WONDERFUL group of artisans (over 300 shops) who work together to help each other promote their work.  We are able to share ideas and to encourage each other, and yes, it goes way beyond just supporting each other with our creations…we get to encourage each other in our daily walk through life.  I am HONORED to be a part of the OFG TEAM…you can find the THOUSANDS of items from this team by doing a search of OFG TEAM.  I am in AWE of the creativity of people.

TO ME, there is something charming about knowing that someone got a splinter in their hand or pricked their finger with a needle and BLED in order to create something unique JUST FOR YOU!  THAT is what I LOVE about Handmade.  I am THANKFUL to have a place to sell, that is reasonably priced and is FUN to interact with people from all over the world, and YES, I have “convo’d” with people ALL over the world. 

The latest promotion, that is explained in the blog BEFORE this one, encourages you to VISIT our about pages and to learn about us.  We have some pretty amazing stories. I THINK when you get to KNOW us, then you will WANT to support us.  From now until January 16, IF you go to my about page, you will see an icon that you can hover over to get a special TREAT!

I hope this helps You to understand a little more about Etsy.  I am HONORED to have a shop on ETSY and even more humbled to have made 22 sales!  Keep ME in mind, and my fellow artisans, when you start to make YOUR shopping list for the upcoming year.  WE NEED you to help us…Blessings to YOU…~charlotte♥