I watched a video yesterday and one thing that sunk in was the concept of, if you opened a pizza place, and you had the choice of where you open it, why would you open it right next to a pizza place? This is competition on etsy - instead of a pizza place, it's everything that people are trying to sell. Put in almost any search and you find hundreds if not thousands of listings for that item. People selling pizza right next to people selling pizza. One has different toppings, one has different crust, one is frozen and you bake it yourself at home but it's all pizza. We have to either sell what others are not selling or make yours different enough and better enough that people buy yours instead of theirs. I have few sales because I'm mostly just another pizza place on a street with hundreds of pizza places. And no, I don't sell pizza on Etsy. It's an analogy.
Another problem for the smaller sellers is the “celebrity seller”, who have extensive marketing. I miss the old Etsy. Like you said change is inevitable.
With holding half of the sale price from the seller is not right no matter how you look at it. If you make a 1500 sale why does Etsy have to withhold 750 from the seller? Waiting 45 days before you get all your money is garbage.
This is a brilliant video and has stopped me from running around the office shouting why? why? why? This puts everything into perspective. Thank you so much Kara xxx
100% accurate. I pivoted back in May June to doing pop ups again. I noticed online sales were dipping and was keeping an eye on it to see if this was just time of year consumer habits, or if there was just a bigger change happing in consumer habits. Although my website and Etsy sales are still happening, they’re not near what they were, and I’ve often related business to an endurance sport. It’s not so much what you’re doing when times are good, it’s when times aren’t as good. That’s when you need the endurance to survive the speed bumps. No one is immune and any business that has weathered years or decades have experienced the same.
@@KaraBuntin I would agree with that. Sales at our pop ups are better than pre pandemic. We were strictly online through the pandemic because sales just exploded, which was fortunate for us, but I think that’s changed.
I agree. I’ve put a lot more focus on doing markets since my online sales were down and that has led to an increase in online sales. It’s definitely an endurance sport! You need to pivot and see what works.
I agree with all of this. I've been selling online for over 20 years. I keep telling myself I have to really think this through. The problem is, I haven't found an answer yet, but thank you for the reminder!!
Thanks Kara! So true. I just wanna say these encouraging words to folks. DON’T QUIT!! Just keep going and making your product and try different avenues to promote yourself and give yourself pep talks and just keep going! It has taken me 5 years to build a successful Etsy Shop with consistent sales. You can do it! It seems to me that Etsy is definitely into established shops with consistent sales, quick turnaround, & great customer service. It’s alot of pressure to keep all that up PLUS be making your product. Be nice to yourself! Don’t quit and you will succeed. 🙌🏻
FWIW, my shop is also 5 years old and used to have consistent sales. I have two "Etsy's Pick" products currently and have had Best Sellers in the past. My turnaround is fast (for the space I'm in which is all custom work) and I've had only 5 star reviews. But my sales are down 75%. I believe its due to the extraordinary amount of competition at dirt cheap prices but I could be wrong. Etsy is no longer a platform that works for me, since I'm not prepared to work for well below minimum wage.
I think being clear eyed about strategy is important. I have a newer shop, where I sell printables for junk journaling. It's a saturated market and most of the people doing this are cranking out product using Ai generated art and selling for bottom dollar. I knew it would be a tough market to compete in because I am an illustrator and I am creating my artwork. However, I am passionate about it and it's really fun for me. I knew I couldn't compete on volume or price point - it was going to come down to quality. And because of that, I have to have a long term marketing strategy that includes educating my customers about the process of creating the art and designs. I also adjusted my expectations about sales - it's all about building up the business over time. I price my products at a higher than average price and I make them more slowly. However, I already have a small but loyal customer base who follows along with me on social media. The community is great, and I'm having fun doing something I love and making a small profit. I'm pretty happy with Etsy, to be honest.
Thing started to change when a new CEO took over. Now it is all about profit for him and the shareholders, not about the sellers and their original works.
Well, when they went public that basically had to be the goal of the business from that point on. The reason they hired Josh to be the CEO was that Chad wasn’t bringing in a profit. If public company isn’t profitable then that’s a problem.
Traffic was the main reason I had an Etsy shop in the first place. Now that’s out. I’m sad about how much time I’ve spent on my listings but I sure have learned a lot since 2008!!!
Oh, they do, and they'll outlast everyone because they have no skin in the game as far as making their products. So will the people who are reselling and dropshipping, they have a different business model and the handmaking part of it has been eliminated. Etsy does shut shops down but there are so many of them it's like chasing your tail.
I appreciate you voicing what I am experiencing. As a POD seller , I know that 2 years ago there were 2.100,500 mugs for sale. At the moment there are 3,500,000+ so yes, things are changing. Etsy also has awful seller support. Nearly impossible to get a person to respond. My shop was suspended and I was told I couldn't even be a buyer! I finally got someone to call me back and they reset everything. Just a glitch! A friend was shut down due to TEMU selling her design And she was shut down for copying. Grateful for my eBay store where I sell physical goods as another income.
I make original pieces of jewelry nothing that anybody could copy because they’re one piece individual and not a line of joy. But I have found going forward selling crafting supplies whether it is kits I make up, or just vintage things people can use for crafting or actual crafting supplies is more profitable anymore for me on Etsy. I have been with them since 2008 and used to sell a lot of my handmade items. I sell only random piece of jewelry anymore and some more of the other items either vintage smalls or supplies. I’m a small seller I’m also on several other platforms, I’m trying to up my game a little bit but I will be paying attention to all of these platforms to keep myself safe. I appreciate creators like you that are giving us warnings and telling us about the changes. The comments are also very informative on your video as well! New subscriber here, thanks for the video!
I have been gradually changing traffic to come to my pattern shop on my own website and that is now becoming much more successful for me than etsy, which is a real pity as etsy used to be my main income. But I think you just do need to adapt and use any different channels and ways to promote traffic that you can. Thanks for your informative video.
I'm doing pretty well on Etsy, but I'm so thankful to you and others who advised us to have our own website. My website is slowly growing, and I'm getting more and more sales there. 😄 I'm excited to start the Pinterest class this winter, too!
I struggled with growing my business from scratch, consistent sales, and trying be proficient with Etsy. So I come to terms with it, I got a day job and will continue my business on the side and not be so dependent on a 3rd party platform. It did take the long struggle bus for me to realize it.
I sell both pod and handmade and am an actual designer / illustrator who does use some bits of clip art sometimes but in a unique way, or do my own illustrations. It’s mind boggling how many non creatives just slap the same piece of unedited clip art on the same mock-up and the marketplace is 80% of essentially the same thumbnail. It makes for a poor shopping experience in my opinion for products like t shirts where this is happening a lot. It all literally is the same art.
Yes!!! I am so sick of seeing channels t showing people how to do that,too. They change the color or one or two simple things, then call it good. Unfortunately, the best/star sellers are still up, so why didn’t the “bot” catch them? There is no originality, anymore. It’s boring and it’s so easy to see who their target audience is. 🤷♀️
I haven't opened my shop yet, but I'm open for the challenge. I've learned to accept things for what they are and go with the natural flow of things. The only thing I have control over is my perspective on things. Thank you for your wisdom
Read their terms of service before you do. You'd come out better to do the work of attracting ppl to YOUR OWN site rather than using Etsy. While I'm not a seller, I read their TOS and I do not understand how anybody is comfortable allowing Etsy THAT much freedom with THEIR property.
@@ZeroChaos80 Thanks for your input. I will eventually transition to creating my own site for the things I'm selling, which are craft items within my field of industry. For now, this is just a starting point, essentially just a boost to get me started with sales, marketing, strategy etc. Going down the Etsy rabbit hole has actually benefited me and my businesses. I've gained a ton of knowledge that can be used in other areas of my life and other businesses. I'm not counting on this for a 6 figures income or a longterm thing, although if it happens, that would be great as well 🙂
The internet is a constantly changing beast. Nothing stays the same for one season. It's technology, and it's moving at faster rates than ever before. Its popularity caused by changes in the economy, consumer behaviour, quick rich attitudes, scammers, AI and worldwide selling mean nothing on ecommerce stays the same for a minute, especially when the ecommerce platforms are businesses that also need to make their buck to stay in business (the bit so many seem to forget). It's impossible to keep up with. And who wants to anyway. For people like us, it makes no difference, so you can only do what you can. You will never beat the internet. It's also hard if you are creative. Under cutters are a thorn in our side. In my mind the only way to survive as a creative business these days on the internet is to have other income streams because the race to the bottom never seems to get old and under cutters aren't going away any time soon.
It's not just the internet, but that's definitely a huge part of this particular shift. This has gone on for decades, people have to change their focus and direction because nothing stays the same. The online ecommerce world moves a lot faster and people don't seem to notice the changes until it's too late.
I have been on Etsy selling for 10 years, and I personally cannot keep up with the computer listing expectation, the social media, expectation and hand making my items I can’t compete with a constant changes. People who now with POD’s sit on the computer all day and don’t make the product have a lot more free time to list, do social media and offer cheaper products.
@@KaraBuntinagreed, I don’t do POD but have 2 Etsy shops, one is downloadables & the other is a physical product and the social media, photos and listings alone is quite honestly overwhelming. Not to mention issues with suppliers & dealing with customers and crappy delivery services
My shop is doing good on etsy. I sell at seasonal craft fairs too. I sell knits, I just really push and focus on the aspect of my stuff being actually hand knit, designed by me, etc. Unrelated, I was recently shopping for a Nintendo 3ds xl, a handheld gaming thingy that Nintendo no longer makes, but isn't super old. I think they came out in 2015. Etsy is flooded with them! They're all hacked too and have illegally downloaded games on them. Like I mean hundreds of games preinstalled. It's ridiculous. That's my biggest complaint about Etsy, they say they'll crack down, and they never do. This Nintendo bit really seems like something that would be easy for them to crack down on. It's not a vintage console. It's like actually illegal game pirating stuff too. Like you're saying, does no good to rant and rage. lol so I just focus on the handmade aspect of my stuff.
It should be easy but if they removed everything that wasn't Etsy-legal they would drop shareholders' profits and that wouldn't fly. So they remove enough to say that they made an effort, but it will never 100% be fixed.
Yes, Etsy is different now. My sales have drop dramatically, I don't have any explanations for that . Probably this is the influence of the economy. So sad, I love Etsy ❤ Thank you for your videos ❤
I have thought of this book many times as an ecommerce - reseller - and now POD --- and have finally decided - it is sadly - time to move on :( --- c'est la vie...
I haven't had a sale for nearly 6 months, and I'm also frustrated. I'm trying not to let it bother me, but it's hard. I'm thinking about getting off etsy after only a little over a year of being on etsy. I make jewelry, and my most satisfying thing is to make jewelry to donate to 2 animal shelter thrift shops. Some of my etsy stuff goes there...and really sells. Go figure. I have to keep my full-time job, and etsy is a side job, so I feel sorry for those who are relying on etsy for their income. I hope you get more sales SOON!
My competitor has over 200 and ALL the photos are stolen from Shien. They also brought their listings 15 times and left 15 5-star reviews with fake photos in a row! I've email Etsy about 3 times over the past year and they won't do anything (seller has had over 50,000 sales). Why are Etsy protecting those breaking the law? Its not an equal playing field for the rest of us :(
How do you know that they brought their listing 15 times? I agree with reporting them over stolen photos from Shien, but at this point maybe you should just focus on your own store and making it a success, otherwise you run the risk of becoming bitter.
@@oliviamercaedes Sometimes you can clearly see that people have bought from themselves and left reviews for themselves, because they use their own names. I'm not kidding, I've seen people do it.
They made a fake account and left the 15 reviews in a row with photots. We both sell sewing patterns. No one can buy and make 15 garments in that quick amount of time. all the photos are of different girls and are pixelated like they got them from instagram. How do I report to store to Etsy so it gets remove? They are taking sales from the rest of us honest stores. @@KaraBuntin
They are literally taking sales from the rest of us. It's not a fair playing field when they are breaking the rules and we arent. It is in my store's best interest to stop others cheating. I sell sewing patterns, its a very niche market.@@oliviamercaedes
Etsy started shifting about 2 years ago. Slow at first but moving more quickly now. I have been selling since 2012. Over time my products have changed and continue to do so. If you don't evolve and offer products people want to buy you will have no sales. Good topic.
I think it started farther back than that, but the pandemic really lit a fire under them. They grew so fast in an unnatural way they're basically trying to catch up to themselves at this point.
I think it started when Etsy hired the CEO from Ebay. I could see where business model was evolving within 2 years of that. Now Etsy even wants sellers to accept bids on listings.@@KaraBuntin
I sell vintage glass and other vintage items, whatever I think is unique and pretty. I haven't made a sale in over 3 weeks. I'm a "Star Seller," and was doing great back in August. Something weird is definitely going on. I even went to a vintage market a couple weeks ago and barely made enough to pay for the space, people just looking and keep walking by. I think people are worried about the economy and scared to spend money right now.
From a consumer perspective its not "scared to spend money or worried about the economy" the bad economy has already hit my household and every person I know. We're taking out loans and running up debt just to buy groceries, let alone anything not absolutely necessary. No one I know is making it right now. The economy is already bad, inflation is bad, just no one in the mainstream is talking about it.
Etsy shut down my shop after 14 years... No email.... no notice or anything... I had to call their customer service number... They told me that I had to upload a photo of my drivers license or else not use the platform... It pisses me off! What about all the resellers and sweat shops in China and India who don't even follow the rules? Are they going to be forced into uploading a photo ID? I doubt it. It took all afternoon, but Etsy finally did turn my store back on again... It took the wind out of my sails and scared me...
Etsy changed years ago, in all the ways you articulated so well. It is why the site lost me as a customer at that point. They should have ditched the handmade mantle then. It would have made life easier for the company and its sellers. Regardless, you are spot on about your recommendations. Best wishes to everyone going forward. Just remember that marketing must always be a key component of your business skills set. Cheers, Ardith
I’ve been seeing this with my perennial plant business, large nursery/greenhouses are selling on Etsy, making it hard for small backyard growers to compete. Kara, thanks for responding to my comment on your previous video about these things happening. Great video once again👍
This resonated so strongly with me. I used to sell Wordpress blog templates for $40+ on Etsy in 2017. Post-pandemic… Geez! It’s getting harder and harder to sell things for $25, even. And the Etsy AI flagging 10+ of my new listings for reasons I couldn’t understand (likely stock photos?) and being able to get ZERO support or answer/clarifications from a human on Etsy… heartbreaking in so many ways -I’ve been in Etsy literally since it launched and have been feeling like leaving it now.
@@KaraBuntin no doubt!! Have a great day Kara and thank you for all the work you put into not only keeping us online sellers going but providing a platform for all of us online sellers to feel connected! Your Facebook group has kept me going on many occasions through all the Etsy changes and giving me a kick in the butt to keep working on my website. I want you to know that I truly appreciate all your hard work and valuable time! Danielle Foley (wisecaregiving shop- digital seller for home care business templates)
There's no competing- making original, handmade goods vs ripoffs that design nothing, make nothing & ship nothing. I'm not working to break even + 10%. I'd rather walk dogs. Etsy is the McDOnald's of 'craft' shows. Not a seller, but a landlord. All they care about is getting more sellers paying for listings & ads.
That’s 100% right about Etsy being the landlord. And the people who can outlast the handmade seekers are the ones who are happy working for the 10% because this isn’t their primary income source.
Your outlook of Etsy and reality is refreshing. Thank you. I. use WordPress, however, I follow the industry/topic of using platforms that take a lot of freedoms away.
I used to sell handmade on etsy but for a number of years all I've listed is an instructional pdf that would sell seasonally with barely any work on my part. This year sales are down. This is verifying what I already thought. For me, etsy is a waste of time. I want to do higher end handmade again so I'm researching ways to make it worthwhile.
I wouldn't start higher-end anything on Etsy at this point, the purchase protection has a $250 limit, so it's too easy for customers to scam damage or lost packages to get refunds that they'll withdraw from your account.
I listen to your podcasts and your lives while I work my "day job" because I have not been able to make enough to have my side business on Etsy sustain me. Anyway, this was a very good podcast that gave me lots of food for thought. I don't have any concrete questions at the moment, but I will think on this and chew on it for a bit. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
I find what you posted here right on the money. Although I have some sales, I don’t think I will reach my Etsy goals with my tote bag shop given the landscape. I’ve been contemplating what to do about it for months. I make more money from ads on my blogs. But instead of ditching Etsy completely, I may sell my vintage jewelry collection there. Before going through the hassle, however, I’m going to see how much I would make by selling it to a local business. Wish me luck. -Elizabeth
Yes it has changed. I’m working hard to figure it out. I’m at a point where I’m working to get my own website. I just gotta see which one will work best for me and I’m a little tech challenged. I can do the basics. I am watching Etsy and how it’s changing things daily and it has affected my shop.
I really gotta say to the other designers out there that AI and stable diffusion are really a godsend for us to compete with the amateur artists. If you learn how to use the tools, the way that I have, you can create models based off of your own work, and then produce your own work at the same scale as the amateurs but yours will be much higher quality. Basically, it’ll be the same quality as the things that you painstakingly make but then you can train the model on your own work and scale it
The problem isn't the AI, it's that so many people are using passive-income style ways to sell online that the landscape for handmade artists selling online has changed. Take AI completely out of it and you still have dropshippers and resellers who have flooded every marketplace with lots of the same things that they had no hand in making, they're just making a little side income.
Online space should be viewed differently to where the people who make the platform what it is are the actual shareholders for the platform…they’re viewing sellers as employees who have no stake in the overall companies profits…Etsy and eBay especially rely on sellers who are selling products they the seller provides not what the company/platform sells…it’s not an affiliate program so without sellers there is no business…with the brick and mortar store..the store owner has legal say and rights over the business with online that’s not the case but we are expected to just adapt to the platforms expectations and cost without any say in the changes or any cut of the profits made…motivate sellers to sell better quality products and meet their shipping expectations etc by giving them a percentage of the profits for their success …they definitely punish sellers for returns or lost packages etc….if u pay for a store membership but u have no benefit in the end…what’s the point…
I've been selling online for more than 20 years now. (Not the things I sell on etsy, though) In fact, we (our family business) had one of the first online presences in my hometown, for sure the first online shop. I've seen countless changes come an go. Right now, I think there is a slight tendency back to brick+mortar, small business, family owned for "want to haves". Like decoration, nice things, individual things. The "need to have" things are online and won't come back. Do I like that - who cares, I have to deal with it. BTW, etsy shows me "shipped from Germany" all in a sudden when I do searches. Did I say local might be more and more trending? In your absence, you missed an uproar from European sellers when etsy made changes that made all our shops illegal over night, without advance notice. (I mean, really "dangeróusly against the law" illegal, not "maybe a little shady" illegal.) They took it back after 3 days, it must have been a massive flood of mails and messages 🤣🤣🤣
@@KaraBuntin Deleted the sellers information from the shops. As a German / European shop operator, I’am legally obliged to keep the information about the adress and contact details about my company available by only one click for the visitors from every single page of my shop. This is the "Impressum" or "Imprint" which is visible and clickable at the bottom of the page. Until... etsy decided otherwise. They simply took it away and quoted "if you need to get in touch with the vendor, do so via etsy messages" Which, in European perspective, is shady and untrustworthy - and illegal. And puts a vendor in high risk of being fined. In the thousands. After they tried to convince us in the forum of t h e i r interpretation of European Consumer Protection Laws for some days ( I mean, what do we know?), they finally gave in and changed it back. I sware, the lawyers already had €€€ signs in their eyes in those 3 days...
One more add.... my daughter started selling wholesale and her income tripled the first 3 months (vs. Etsy alone). She started on Faire, then did email marketing to stores all around the country and it's just really taken off.
That wouldn't work for a lot of handmade businesses though. It's too work-intensive to do wholesale and make enough of a profit to beat going to get a job working for someone else.
emailed. She's sells game day merch for college football season. She hired a VA to run down shops in the major college towns who primarily sell to sororities and students. She had a nice email brochure and a link to her Faire shop, which shows the good reviews and probably offered peace of mind that she's legit. She's also had a lot of repeat customers. Not 100% sure what will happen when college football season is over lol. But for now she's really doing well.@@giovannigreenard8008
If she's selling anything that's directly team-related please make sure that she knows to get the licensing from the colleges and teams. If they don't license the use of their team colors, logos, or names, she can get in trouble for copyright and trademark infringement.
Thanks for that Kara! What's really frustrating is that my shop is being shown more to just local buyers (I'm in Canada)..I used to get 80% of orders from the US. When I search to buy as a customer myself..most of what I see is from Vietnam, China sellers?? How is that being environmentally firendly having items shipped from there and not locally as they claim???
I'm a graphic designer and a watercolor artist. I'm perplexed where to head my business. I can't compete with cheap 2$ AI bundles of 300 images. Even if I started doing AI images too, the market will be ovelflowed with them soon anyway! I'm looking for solutions how to survive as a graphic designer and an artist, but I don't have answers yet. The only idea I have right now is to nich down and sell for a very specific customer. Oh, one more thing: those people are not even working on their own! They are paying for assistants to generate ai images for them! (I found out it in an Etsy podcast!). Now, how do we compete with that?!..
@@KaraBuntin I know people are pretty down on AI images for Etsy sellers. I just opened a shop mostly because I thought it would be fun. And I love designing mugs so much, I can tell you that. Love it. Most of my images come off of canva or creative Fabrica, that I then manipulate. But I have a joyful time doing the designing. I spend a lot of time in Canva, creating scenes and having fun. I have spent hours and hours doing this. In my opinion, times are hard for a lot of people, especially since Covid. And people don’t have a lot of money to spend. AI is cheap. I do needlework and paper crafts mostly as hand crafts, but trying to get my money’s worth in a finished project is too expensive for most folks. My husband always says why buy something for $5 when you can make it for $50. Then I would add, and then try and sell it for $100. Exaggeration, but to the point. And that has always been true. Etsy evolved because times and people and technology evolved. Etsy makes money off of sellers. Bottom line. Although I will agree that a lot of AI artwork is garbage, there is some skill, creativity, and time that goes into creating beautiful AI images. In the short term, though, AI sucks with images. It takes a lot of patience, time and effort to get images that you want, that don’t have extra appendages or a cat with a dogs head, or some other kind of weird generation. Believe me, I know this to be true. So it has its limitations. And a lot of that is even on creative Fabrica. You have to watch and see what you’re downloading to use. AI has its place though. Something that someone told me when I decided to open a store in a sea of stores and an already saturated market with print on demand, etc. is that my attitude has to be one of fortitude and endurance. What I would say to the watercolor artist above, is yes you can compete. Maybe you can’t sell your original artwork for the price that you want to sell it for. But you could sell the prints just as, or nearly as, inexpensively as an AI image and maybe even out sell them. I have been to places that sell artwork and people are asking an astronomical amount of money for just a print of their original artwork. I know time went into the original piece. But like I said, before, most people can’t afford that. So if you want to compete, consider evolving with it. If you are a graphic designer, you could also generate some very interesting images and then manipulate them yourself, put them up on Etsy and sell the digital items. Become the assistant they are paying for, then side hustle your artwork. Sorry, I know that was a little long-winded. I guess I am just in defense for us newbies yet have understanding for the long time. handmade sellers.
@@KaraBuntin yeah.. I don't allow myself to panic and keep brainstorming, but sometimes I've got this devastating feeling that whatever I'm trying to launch right now is a lost cause from the beginning. But I don't allow myself to feel this way. We are creatives after all, we'll find some solutions
I love watercolors & admire artists talents! I buy some digital designs & found nothing so far that’s AI created that I would remotely consider. It’s sad that artists are being pushed out & I might see the shortage of beautiful watercolor art.
What I'm seeing on Etsy now, though, is that the AI stuff is overtaking the real handmade artwork. That someone made with a brush and pen or paints and their own neurology, without a computer being involved. It's not a good or bad situation, it is what it is, but the fact is that it's so easy to churn out AI images whether they're good or not, people post them and the competition goes up and prices go down. That's the issue and it's what people who are artists have to deal with.
So that’s why brick and motar stores are closing everywhere, and labor jobs are short staffed. Most of them from before the pandemic have learned how to make a profit without any skills whatsoever! AI will be the end of our thriving economy, and the “Matrix” may be the future. Glad I am 60 and won’t see this country fall hopefully. 😢 I’ve actually been fortunate enough to land a consistent pop up event just 35 minutes from my home, just when my husband went on disability too. I am actually grateful that I’m not relying on Etsy.
@@KaraBuntin Yup! I just started doing consignment with a local store. It's been years since I've done consignment, but since eBay went downhill for me in June 2022 and Etsy did the same this March, it's either try something new like this or get a day job! I've sold about $200 in a week!
OMG! How many of us are trying to sell, anywhere, because someone (who shall remain nameless) beat it into our ears that "maybe you only make a dollar, but it's a dollar more than what you had yesterday". She sure had a run... I would give $ to see what sort of profit my "competition" actually makes on Etsy (I make different, so same only by item name). The resellers are making a buck or two per item, the real made by hand items don't charge for their time. They probably make 2-3X their cost of yarn and think they are doing well.
Omg I hate that too. Like, taking and editing photos, uploading, writing tags and description. It’s not easy or else everyone would be making tons of money doing it
Yeah I see sooooo many people on YT not even directly related to being a product type business owner telling everyone "just make this, and put it on Etsy". Not helping us, at all but they get their views on YT and that's all they care about.
I’m doing much better with local events. I am thinking about quitting Etsy completely and building my own website. The competition is insane on Etsy and I do not like the direction they are going. My domain is linked to my patterns by Etsy but I will be taking it off and creating my own website separate from Etsy so that I can slowly shift away from this platform. What a shame for those of us who actually enjoy the process of creating authentic pieces and have a love for the arts BUT also want to make a living.
Everything you are saying is so true! I sell watercolor digital art also. I had to (wait for it…….) niche down 😱 I am now thinking of putting my art on some pod items.
The more dangerous situation is people who are using AI and are also trying to make a business. People who are using AI and are also trying to build a business will be much more invested in getting their products seen and sold than someone who is just trying to make a couple extra bucks with AI. These are the people you should be scared of. Because they have the understanding that this technology is the future and their integrating it into their business strategy. Not just to make an extra buck but to build a business around this technology. The people who are resisting it will be the people who are left behind. I guarantee in the next year or so Etsy will have some type of AI integration in their systems. And you not understanding this technology will only put you behind everybody who does understand and is willing to use it.
It depends if you're a digital seller or not. Ai doesn't affect most people as far as business goes unless you're a visual artist. But it's definitely something that people should think about and figure out if and how they want to incorporate it into their own businesses.
@@joannewittenbrook8051 I'm still waiting for the paperless society...On the other hand, the toll booths on the highway don't use people anymore, so some changes do get rid of things completely.
I make physical products and have been for 3 years. Even with competition, and attempts to relay folks to my website, etsy have still impacted the traffic recently...
I tried etsy over 10 years ago. I had the impression that many big companies would lift ideas and designs for free. Copy and make it cheaper for mass market. Why would anyone pay full price for your design if there’s a cheaper option? Left after 2 months. I’m retiring soon and going to find a better place for a boutique. great quality and copyright my designs. if a company wants a piece of the idea, we can negotiate a licensing agreement. No freebies for the browsing in etsy.🤨🧐
I had my shop for 4 months 500 products and was suspended 8 days ago and have no idea as to why ?? have not been given a change or a first warning all my mocks up are from sellers that use the product in the photos I even ordered samples , I have no idea I have never infringed or used trademark designs or titles. But I see a ton of people using them. Also they are holding onto my money this is not good and disrespectful on how they treat their sellers there could of been a much better way to handle this instead of waking up and your shut down with no warning
It's probably the mockups, but only Etsy will be able to tell you. You'll have to keep harassing them about it, but you might not get a good answer. Did you file an appeal yet? You can do that here: help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/6298920789271-How-to-File-an-Appeal-for-a-Permanently-Suspended-Account?segment=selling
My account was just a buyer account. I don't sale anything. It was permanently suspended! No email or anything. But although I've asked several times, the customer service refuse to tell me and say I have to wait on an email. I filed an appeal and then Monday, I looked at it and the screen that showed my appeal was accepted and I could expect an answer in two weeks, was changed to a screen saying it was simply suspended and then changed again to show permanently suspended. And at no point have I gotten an email from anything other than the one that they sent after you chat or something, and even that was dumb because they sent an email telling they were sorry for that "alarming email" or "alarming email" I forget exactly. Either way, sellers are consumers that are paying for some service from etsy. They need to start how ETSY is violating Consumer Laws. I wrote my Attorney General's office, the FTC, and the BBB. People need to demand much better and definitely more immediate Consumer laws.
I used the Have Them Call You feature. Turns out my shop was showing as opened on their end. They fixed the glitch and all was well. But why put us thru this? So much could be done to honor the seller.
The proliferation of AI is crazy. A design is created in minutes. In most of the AI art there are big areas that look like something melted. It surprises me that they are selling as much POD with it as they are.
I agree. I can spot an AI design a mile off, they all look the same. I make a point of saying my designs are non- AI, and hope customers get sick of AI art; it all looks the same to me. People will always want something new or different so eventually they'll get bored with the same styles popping up everywhere.
@@jacquietibbetts7660I agree. I'm not an artist but I can tell AI art a mile off. There's always something freakish and just 'off' about it. A computer cannot (yet anyway) match the human brain (even in the subconscious). AI 'art' makes the hairs on the back of my neck restless! You're so right, they do all look the same. You can tell which software made them too, they have the same style. It's all soulless! It's still a novelty, so here's hoping folk get bored of it ..... 🤞😁
It looks lifeless and soulless. It does all look the same. Sure they make cute baby animals and pretty flowers, but just look at it, it feels cold and lifeless. I do use AI for ideas, sometimes, but, if I ever did use it, I would add something to it. These people are just prompting the AI, but they aren’t creative people, themselves, so they just use the image, as is, rather than adding a human touch to it. I have heard some people will not buy it, but, unfortunately, some don’t have a clue what it is.
A lot of new sellers daily. And I see lots of similar designs or prints. I wonder if they are from the same shops or people are copying others' designs? Too many same mockups and too many mockup sellers who sell the same stuff.
I 100% feel your pain. I started my Etsy shop about 8 months ago. 6 of the 8 months were not profitable and not just not profitable but I took a loss of income. This was mainly because I spent so much on getting ads running and getting the required sales and reviews for the shop. But it was all part of the plan for Q4. I knew that if I could get the shop up and running in the slow months that Q4 will be very good for me. And so far this month has shown that to be true. This is the first month where I've had sales every single day.
I had never ordered anything through Etsy until about 2 months ago. My payment through paypal went to someplace in Ireland. then I found out the "seller" lived in in Europe (Belgium?). I thought to myself "OK. the product may take a little longer to get to me in Canada. At one point I tried to contact the seller with no results. Tried to contact Etsy - no results. Then I tried PayPal - no results there either. As a result I'm "out" $40. So... my lesson to me is ~~~ I will NEVER order through Etsy again !!!! PERIOD!
Etsy payment go through Ireland for us European sellers. That’s where Etsy is based here. So that’s perfectly normal. If you haven’t received your item file a claim through Etsy and they will refund.
Etsy is the ultimate race to the bottom. Make superb products that sell for £1 even though the price you're selling at doesn't cover the cost of materials, the point is you're making a sale. And they expect you to pay for the privilege of making yourself poorer than you were before. Not for me
Interesting discussion...thank you. I have a very small ( by some standards) Etsy shop and so far am very happy with how it is progressing. I only opened 4 months ago and both sales and traffic are improving. As I handmake everything myself and in a relatively niche market, I don't want to be 'run off my feet'. I'm also an aged pensioner, so I don't want to break any selling records, nor spend all day on social media to boost sales. I think everybody has different goals..for me, having Etsy do my 'work' is just fine. Perhaps those selling in an already flooded market catorgory will find the going tougher.
At this point taking it slow and easy is going to be the least frustrating way to sell. The people who expect a full-time income in a month are going to be disappointed.
Shortly after Etsy started, I was under the impression that they were only going to sell things made by individual people - nothing mass produced and not even supplies - it was a place for hte handcrafter to sell their products. It wasn't long until I saw that wasn't how it worked - so I quit even looking at Etsy as right away they became nothing more than another ebay or amazon to me. Most of it wasn't handmade and certainly not unique. I think I tried to make up a store all those years ago (15+)...
They started allowing people to use Print on Demand manufacturers a while back, that's when it really got bad with people taking advantage of that. The people who are really designing things on their own have to compete with the Canva-copycats who don't design anything.
@@KaraBuntin to the OGs, it always seems like it was just “a little while ago.” Ironically, my FB memories just popped up a post I’d made about the big change to allow “production partners”… it was 10 years ago. 😂 Ah, the legacy of Three Bird Nest.
UGH.... You really kill me with how much sense you make. I feel like what we are competing against all the NOISE in the marketplace. To me, that's the current issue. Cutting through the noise when a customer is searching for product.
Starting in January I'm going to start preparing to sell in person. In my state there are fairs and festivals all year round, so I'm going to give it a go and see what happens. At the very least, maybe I'll have some fun.
I have no idea, I've never done a video dedicated to that specifically. It might have been during a live video but I don't remember which one. In general, I haven't talked about it because of the lingering copyright issues that need to be worked out.
@@KaraBuntin 23:18 is what I was referring to, I thought it would be interesting to review that if you had it available somewhere, but no biggie if you don't
@@soundofsilence21 Oh, that was this one: ruclips.net/video/YVdy2UrkznU/видео.html but we weren't discussing AI art specifically, it was just something that we noticed as far as WI printables crowding out everything on search results and driving prices down. It was more of an aside and an observation about the devaluing of printable wall art than talking about it as a subject. It's where the Shadowmyths section starts in the middle part of the video.
I would like to "figure it out" but how do you get support from Etsy? Something has changed with their listing process which blocks me from adding any listings. I have reached out 4 times through chat and e-mail but they keep referring me to an automated database and policies without answering my question....
Can you not add anything at all? That's a technical glitch, maybe post about it in the technical bugs in the Etsy forums. They do pay attention to that section of the forums. Their chat help isn't going to be able to help you at all.
Thank you Kara for your quick reply. I think it has to do with selecting a production partner. I list vintage items, books and coins so I do not have any production partners but the system will not let me move forward. It is unfortunate that they do not have better tech support. I will look up technical bugs in the etsy forum. Thanks!@@KaraBuntin
@@harryvangrieken6950 That is caused by early in your listing if you have said it was made by another company. If you then put finished product and list it as when made as a newish item you have to select your "production partner". If it is vintage and you put the vintage year in you won't need to list a production partner. Hope this makes sense..
I don't know how anyone can stand selling on Etsy. There is zero customer support. I've noticed Chinese "stores" are selling directly from their factories in China, like on Amazon, Ebay, Etsy as well. Amazon is full of Chinese sellers selling items very cheaply. To be an Amazon seller is impossible in some categories, like clothing, because the Chinese severely undercut prices. You can't compete with that.
Constructive thought: Chapters for your videos. I bet yo'd get a bunch more involvement on RUclips if you went back and broke it down to four chapters or so.
I honestly don't have time to do that. It's a podcast, it's relatively short and rambling, and I can barely keep up with the involvement I have already!
Kara, I knew you were knowledgeable, and wise but I didn't know what a great story teller you are 😆That story of the woman behind you in the car was so well told; I was laughing over the choice of words to describe the situation! I listened to every word of this vid too and you're spot-on with the attitude of how to handle change. I think you must know of Mel Robbins chill-vibe too. I swear, we would be great friends
Yes so many things on Etsy I see on Temu or another site even same picture. 😢 They have to be lying because when you do the listing you have to pick if you made it or if another company did or if it’s a supply or vintage
Recently, I bought fabric from an Etsy shop ( Australia)...pack of 5 pieces. Not long after , Temu put in my FB feed the Exact fabrics, but smaller pieces. I notified the local seller and she adjusted her listing. So, did Temu steal her photo or use the same pic from her supplier ?
@@susanjacquier5358 I don't know, but Temu tends to steal listing photos, then they send you something that's not the same as in the picture, but a lower quality. They like to steal luxury item photos and send you fake junk.
I have my own website but right now it’s directing people to Etsy. I need to figure out inventory management because it’s hard when I’m selling supplies on 3 sites and I don’t have a million of each item and I like to have a good amount on Etsy and Michael’s. My competition has lots more listings than me. Most have 2k or more. I have about 300.
I think the time has come where mediocracy wont get you far. There is to much competition for the basic things is see on the internet including the tacky AI addition.
I watched a video yesterday and one thing that sunk in was the concept of, if you opened a pizza place, and you had the choice of where you open it, why would you open it right next to a pizza place? This is competition on etsy - instead of a pizza place, it's everything that people are trying to sell. Put in almost any search and you find hundreds if not thousands of listings for that item. People selling pizza right next to people selling pizza. One has different toppings, one has different crust, one is frozen and you bake it yourself at home but it's all pizza. We have to either sell what others are not selling or make yours different enough and better enough that people buy yours instead of theirs. I have few sales because I'm mostly just another pizza place on a street with hundreds of pizza places. And no, I don't sell pizza on Etsy. It's an analogy.
I've always looked for low competition.
Another problem for the smaller sellers is the “celebrity seller”, who have extensive marketing. I miss the old Etsy. Like you said change is inevitable.
Kara, you are adding value to the Etsy community. Hats off to you! Thank you for all your great informative videos. 👍
Thank you so much!
With holding half of the sale price from the seller is not right no matter how you look at it. If you make a 1500 sale why does Etsy have to withhold 750 from the seller? Waiting 45 days before you get all your money is garbage.
Get out of that. That's horrible I got out back in 2013
This is a brilliant video and has stopped me from running around the office shouting why? why? why? This puts everything into perspective. Thank you so much Kara xxx
Thanks!
Etsy not responding to customers and sellers is just ridiculous. How can they not provide customer service and expect anyone to have faith in them?.
That's always been an "interesting" thing about Etsy.
I used the chat yesterday and Etsy responded right away and solved my issue
100% accurate. I pivoted back in May June to doing pop ups again. I noticed online sales were dipping and was keeping an eye on it to see if this was just time of year consumer habits, or if there was just a bigger change happing in consumer habits. Although my website and Etsy sales are still happening, they’re not near what they were, and I’ve often related business to an endurance sport. It’s not so much what you’re doing when times are good, it’s when times aren’t as good. That’s when you need the endurance to survive the speed bumps. No one is immune and any business that has weathered years or decades have experienced the same.
That's interesting, because I've been thinking that in-person is the new online. I was going to do my next podcast about that.
@@KaraBuntin I would agree with that. Sales at our pop ups are better than pre pandemic. We were strictly online through the pandemic because sales just exploded, which was fortunate for us, but I think that’s changed.
I agree. I’ve put a lot more focus on doing markets since my online sales were down and that has led to an increase in online sales. It’s definitely an endurance sport! You need to pivot and see what works.
Another great dose of reality. I love how you talk sense in a sea of hyperbole.
I appreciate that!
I agree with all of this. I've been selling online for over 20 years. I keep telling myself I have to really think this through. The problem is, I haven't found an answer yet, but thank you for the reminder!!
Thanks for listening!
Thanks Kara! So true. I just wanna say these encouraging words to folks. DON’T QUIT!! Just keep going and making your product and try different avenues to promote yourself and give yourself pep talks and just keep going! It has taken me 5 years to build a successful Etsy Shop with consistent sales. You can do it! It seems to me that Etsy is definitely into established shops with consistent sales, quick turnaround, & great customer service. It’s alot of pressure to keep all that up PLUS be making your product. Be nice to yourself! Don’t quit and you will succeed. 🙌🏻
But be willing to be honest with yourself and make adjustments, too!
FWIW, my shop is also 5 years old and used to have consistent sales. I have two "Etsy's Pick" products currently and have had Best Sellers in the past. My turnaround is fast (for the space I'm in which is all custom work) and I've had only 5 star reviews. But my sales are down 75%. I believe its due to the extraordinary amount of competition at dirt cheap prices but I could be wrong. Etsy is no longer a platform that works for me, since I'm not prepared to work for well below minimum wage.
I think being clear eyed about strategy is important. I have a newer shop, where I sell printables for junk journaling. It's a saturated market and most of the people doing this are cranking out product using Ai generated art and selling for bottom dollar. I knew it would be a tough market to compete in because I am an illustrator and I am creating my artwork. However, I am passionate about it and it's really fun for me. I knew I couldn't compete on volume or price point - it was going to come down to quality. And because of that, I have to have a long term marketing strategy that includes educating my customers about the process of creating the art and designs. I also adjusted my expectations about sales - it's all about building up the business over time. I price my products at a higher than average price and I make them more slowly. However, I already have a small but loyal customer base who follows along with me on social media. The community is great, and I'm having fun doing something I love and making a small profit. I'm pretty happy with Etsy, to be honest.
Thing started to change when a new CEO took over. Now it is all about profit for him and the shareholders, not about the sellers and their original works.
Well, when they went public that basically had to be the goal of the business from that point on. The reason they hired Josh to be the CEO was that Chad wasn’t bringing in a profit. If public company isn’t profitable then that’s a problem.
They did that too Ebay and Amazon sellers got it started then they abandon the sellers
Traffic was the main reason I had an Etsy shop in the first place. Now that’s out. I’m sad about how much time I’ve spent on my listings but I sure have learned a lot since 2008!!!
definitely!
Thank you about the under cutters. I get tired of hearing they can’t last. That they don’t affect you.
Oh, they do, and they'll outlast everyone because they have no skin in the game as far as making their products. So will the people who are reselling and dropshipping, they have a different business model and the handmaking part of it has been eliminated. Etsy does shut shops down but there are so many of them it's like chasing your tail.
I appreciate you voicing what I am experiencing. As a POD seller , I know that 2 years ago there were 2.100,500 mugs for sale. At the moment there are 3,500,000+ so yes, things are changing. Etsy also has awful seller support. Nearly impossible to get a person to respond. My shop was suspended and I was told I couldn't even be a buyer! I finally got someone to call me back and they reset everything. Just a glitch! A friend was shut down due to TEMU selling her design And she was shut down for copying. Grateful for my eBay store where I sell physical goods as another income.
I REALLY needed to hear this message; thank you!❤
I make original pieces of jewelry nothing that anybody could copy because they’re one piece individual and not a line of joy. But I have found going forward selling crafting supplies whether it is kits I make up, or just vintage things people can use for crafting or actual crafting supplies is more profitable anymore for me on Etsy. I have been with them since 2008 and used to sell a lot of my handmade items. I sell only random piece of jewelry anymore and some more of the other items either vintage smalls or supplies. I’m a small seller I’m also on several other platforms, I’m trying to up my game a little bit but I will be paying attention to all of these platforms to keep myself safe. I appreciate creators like you that are giving us warnings and telling us about the changes. The comments are also very informative on your video as well! New subscriber here, thanks for the video!
Thanks!
I have been gradually changing traffic to come to my pattern shop on my own website and that is now becoming much more successful for me than etsy, which is a real pity as etsy used to be my main income. But I think you just do need to adapt and use any different channels and ways to promote traffic that you can. Thanks for your informative video.
Which site did you use to create your website
Well said! Thank you for saying it out loud!
Thanks for listening
Took most of my listings off Etsy, going for my own site, just too many headaches with them now
I'm doing pretty well on Etsy, but I'm so thankful to you and others who advised us to have our own website. My website is slowly growing, and I'm getting more and more sales there. 😄 I'm excited to start the Pinterest class this winter, too!
That is awesome!
I struggled with growing my business from scratch, consistent sales, and trying be proficient with Etsy. So I come to terms with it, I got a day job and will continue my business on the side and not be so dependent on a 3rd party platform. It did take the long struggle bus for me to realize it.
Sometimes it takes a while, considering there are so many people claiming that it's super easy.
Thank you! Just a confirmation of what I was actually thinking. I appreciate it : )
Glad it was helpful!
I sell both pod and handmade and am an actual designer / illustrator who does use some bits of clip art sometimes but in a unique way, or do my own illustrations. It’s mind boggling how many non creatives just slap the same piece of unedited clip art on the same mock-up and the marketplace is 80% of essentially the same thumbnail. It makes for a poor shopping experience in my opinion for products like t shirts where this is happening a lot. It all literally is the same art.
Right, and those people aren't going to be shamed into going away because they don't care! That's what we're up against right now.
Yes!!! I am so sick of seeing channels t showing people how to do that,too. They change the color or one or two simple things, then call it good. Unfortunately, the best/star sellers are still up, so why didn’t the “bot” catch them? There is no originality, anymore. It’s boring and it’s so easy to see who their target audience is. 🤷♀️
spot on 💯
I haven't opened my shop yet, but I'm open for the challenge. I've learned to accept things for what they are and go with the natural flow of things. The only thing I have control over is my perspective on things. Thank you for your wisdom
Very true, and a good attitude when you're dealing with Etsy.
Read their terms of service before you do. You'd come out better to do the work of attracting ppl to YOUR OWN site rather than using Etsy. While I'm not a seller, I read their TOS and I do not understand how anybody is comfortable allowing Etsy THAT much freedom with THEIR property.
@@ZeroChaos80 Thanks for your input. I will eventually transition to creating my own site for the things I'm selling, which are craft items within my field of industry. For now, this is just a starting point, essentially just a boost to get me started with sales, marketing, strategy etc. Going down the Etsy rabbit hole has actually benefited me and my businesses. I've gained a ton of knowledge that can be used in other areas of my life and other businesses. I'm not counting on this for a 6 figures income or a longterm thing, although if it happens, that would be great as well 🙂
The internet is a constantly changing beast. Nothing stays the same for one season. It's technology, and it's moving at faster rates than ever before. Its popularity caused by changes in the economy, consumer behaviour, quick rich attitudes, scammers, AI and worldwide selling mean nothing on ecommerce stays the same for a minute, especially when the ecommerce platforms are businesses that also need to make their buck to stay in business (the bit so many seem to forget). It's impossible to keep up with. And who wants to anyway. For people like us, it makes no difference, so you can only do what you can. You will never beat the internet. It's also hard if you are creative. Under cutters are a thorn in our side. In my mind the only way to survive as a creative business these days on the internet is to have other income streams because the race to the bottom never seems to get old and under cutters aren't going away any time soon.
It's not just the internet, but that's definitely a huge part of this particular shift. This has gone on for decades, people have to change their focus and direction because nothing stays the same. The online ecommerce world moves a lot faster and people don't seem to notice the changes until it's too late.
I have been on Etsy selling for 10 years, and I personally cannot keep up with the computer listing expectation, the social media, expectation and hand making my items I can’t compete with a constant changes. People who now with POD’s sit on the computer all day and don’t make the product have a lot more free time to list, do social media and offer cheaper products.
I think they're starting to feel it too, though, the competition has increased so much the people who increased it are also feeling the change.
@@KaraBuntinagreed, I don’t do POD but have 2 Etsy shops, one is downloadables & the other is a physical product and the social media, photos and listings alone is quite honestly overwhelming. Not to mention issues with suppliers & dealing with customers and crappy delivery services
My shop is doing good on etsy. I sell at seasonal craft fairs too. I sell knits, I just really push and focus on the aspect of my stuff being actually hand knit, designed by me, etc. Unrelated, I was recently shopping for a Nintendo 3ds xl, a handheld gaming thingy that Nintendo no longer makes, but isn't super old. I think they came out in 2015. Etsy is flooded with them! They're all hacked too and have illegally downloaded games on them. Like I mean hundreds of games preinstalled. It's ridiculous.
That's my biggest complaint about Etsy, they say they'll crack down, and they never do. This Nintendo bit really seems like something that would be easy for them to crack down on. It's not a vintage console. It's like actually illegal game pirating stuff too. Like you're saying, does no good to rant and rage. lol so I just focus on the handmade aspect of my stuff.
It should be easy but if they removed everything that wasn't Etsy-legal they would drop shareholders' profits and that wouldn't fly. So they remove enough to say that they made an effort, but it will never 100% be fixed.
Yes, Etsy is different now. My sales have drop dramatically, I don't have any explanations for that . Probably this is the influence of the economy. So sad, I love Etsy ❤ Thank you for your videos ❤
Thanks for watching!
Thanks
Thank you!
I’m aging myself but a while ago there was a book Move with the Cheese which is very much in line with this. So true.
Yeah, I've never read that but a lot of people recommend it.
I have thought of this book many times as an ecommerce - reseller - and now POD --- and have finally decided - it is sadly - time to move on :( --- c'est la vie...
I haven’t got a sale for about a week now. So frustrated and depressed. Keep telling myself keep going… 😢
A lot of people are feeling the same way, unfortunately.
I haven't had a sale for nearly 6 months, and I'm also frustrated. I'm trying not to let it bother me, but it's hard. I'm thinking about getting off etsy after only a little over a year of being on etsy. I make jewelry, and my most satisfying thing is to make jewelry to donate to 2 animal shelter thrift shops. Some of my etsy stuff goes there...and really sells. Go figure. I have to keep my full-time job, and etsy is a side job, so I feel sorry for those who are relying on etsy for their income. I hope you get more sales SOON!
10 years ago Etsy actually posted our items to google and they would show on search. Those were the good old days.
They have the market pages now so it sends traffic to Etsy, not your shop. Unless it's an ad.
Right, used to be a direct listing - no more.@@KaraBuntin
My competitor has over 200 and ALL the photos are stolen from Shien. They also brought their listings 15 times and left 15 5-star reviews with fake photos in a row! I've email Etsy about 3 times over the past year and they won't do anything (seller has had over 50,000 sales). Why are Etsy protecting those breaking the law? Its not an equal playing field for the rest of us :(
They might not for much longer, they're on a takedown rampage right now.
How do you know that they brought their listing 15 times? I agree with reporting them over stolen photos from Shien, but at this point maybe you should just focus on your own store and making it a success, otherwise you run the risk of becoming bitter.
@@oliviamercaedes Sometimes you can clearly see that people have bought from themselves and left reviews for themselves, because they use their own names. I'm not kidding, I've seen people do it.
They made a fake account and left the 15 reviews in a row with photots. We both sell sewing patterns. No one can buy and make 15 garments in that quick amount of time. all the photos are of different girls and are pixelated like they got them from instagram. How do I report to store to Etsy so it gets remove? They are taking sales from the rest of us honest stores. @@KaraBuntin
They are literally taking sales from the rest of us. It's not a fair playing field when they are breaking the rules and we arent. It is in my store's best interest to stop others cheating. I sell sewing patterns, its a very niche market.@@oliviamercaedes
Etsy started shifting about 2 years ago. Slow at first but moving more quickly now. I have been selling since 2012. Over time my products have changed and continue to do so. If you don't evolve and offer products people want to buy you will have no sales. Good topic.
I think it started farther back than that, but the pandemic really lit a fire under them. They grew so fast in an unnatural way they're basically trying to catch up to themselves at this point.
I think it started when Etsy hired the CEO from Ebay. I could see where business model was evolving within 2 years of that. Now Etsy even wants sellers to accept bids on listings.@@KaraBuntin
I sell vintage glass and other vintage items, whatever I think is unique and pretty. I haven't made a sale in over 3 weeks. I'm a "Star Seller," and was doing great back in August. Something weird is definitely going on. I even went to a vintage market a couple weeks ago and barely made enough to pay for the space, people just looking and keep walking by. I think people are worried about the economy and scared to spend money right now.
I agree
From a consumer perspective its not "scared to spend money or worried about the economy" the bad economy has already hit my household and every person I know. We're taking out loans and running up debt just to buy groceries, let alone anything not absolutely necessary. No one I know is making it right now. The economy is already bad, inflation is bad, just no one in the mainstream is talking about it.
It's good to see a True OG in the market lol very well thought out and said
Thanks
Took me 3 months to get my first sale, and since then I have been on a slow growth. I am happy that every month my sales getting better each month.
SLow growth is usually the most sustainable kind of growth.
Etsy shut down my shop after 14 years... No email.... no notice or anything... I had to call their customer service number... They told me that I had to upload a photo of my drivers license or else not use the platform... It pisses me off! What about all the resellers and sweat shops in China and India who don't even follow the rules? Are they going to be forced into uploading a photo ID? I doubt it. It took all afternoon, but Etsy finally did turn my store back on again... It took the wind out of my sails and scared me...
That’s the identity verification they have to do now, they spot check people, or so it seems.
This hasn't been asked of me yet..
Same thing happened to me. It scared me spitless but I uploaded the info and was back on line in an hour.
Excellent Video you are so right.
Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Etsy changed years ago, in all the ways you articulated so well. It is why the site lost me as a customer at that point. They should have ditched the handmade mantle then. It would have made life easier for the company and its sellers. Regardless, you are spot on about your recommendations. Best wishes to everyone going forward. Just remember that marketing must always be a key component of your business skills set. Cheers, Ardith
Next week I'll be talking about that.
I’ve been seeing this with my perennial plant business, large nursery/greenhouses are selling on Etsy, making it hard for small backyard growers to compete. Kara, thanks for responding to my comment on your previous video about these things happening. Great video once again👍
Thanks, that's exactly the kind of things I'm talking about in general, it's not just digital even though that's the example I used.
This resonated so strongly with me. I used to sell Wordpress blog templates for $40+ on Etsy in 2017. Post-pandemic… Geez! It’s getting harder and harder to sell things for $25, even. And the Etsy AI flagging 10+ of my new listings for reasons I couldn’t understand (likely stock photos?) and being able to get ZERO support or answer/clarifications from a human on Etsy… heartbreaking in so many ways -I’ve been in Etsy literally since it launched and have been feeling like leaving it now.
Yep.
Hi Kara- excellent video! Facing the truth and adjusting has definitely helped my business on Etsy:)!!!
It's the only thing you can do if you want to survive at this point.
@@KaraBuntin no doubt!! Have a great day Kara and thank you for all the work you put into not only keeping us online sellers going but providing a platform for all of us online sellers to feel connected! Your Facebook group has kept me going on many occasions through all the Etsy changes and giving me a kick in the butt to keep working on my website. I want you to know that I truly appreciate all your hard work and valuable time! Danielle Foley (wisecaregiving shop- digital seller for home care business templates)
There's no competing- making original, handmade goods vs ripoffs that design nothing, make nothing & ship nothing. I'm not working to break even + 10%. I'd rather walk dogs. Etsy is the McDOnald's of 'craft' shows. Not a seller, but a landlord. All they care about is getting more sellers paying for listings & ads.
That’s 100% right about Etsy being the landlord. And the people who can outlast the handmade seekers are the ones who are happy working for the 10% because this isn’t their primary income source.
Your outlook of Etsy and reality is refreshing. Thank you. I. use WordPress, however, I follow the industry/topic of using platforms that take a lot of freedoms away.
Any marketplace is going to limit your options, for sure.
I used to sell handmade on etsy but for a number of years all I've listed is an instructional pdf that would sell seasonally with barely any work on my part. This year sales are down. This is verifying what I already thought. For me, etsy is a waste of time. I want to do higher end handmade again so I'm researching ways to make it worthwhile.
I wouldn't start higher-end anything on Etsy at this point, the purchase protection has a $250 limit, so it's too easy for customers to scam damage or lost packages to get refunds that they'll withdraw from your account.
I listen to your podcasts and your lives while I work my "day job" because I have not been able to make enough to have my side business on Etsy sustain me. Anyway, this was a very good podcast that gave me lots of food for thought. I don't have any concrete questions at the moment, but I will think on this and chew on it for a bit. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
Thanks for listening
I find what you posted here right on the money. Although I have some sales, I don’t think I will reach my Etsy goals with my tote bag shop given the landscape. I’ve been contemplating what to do about it for months.
I make more money from ads on my blogs. But instead of ditching Etsy completely, I may sell my vintage jewelry collection there. Before going through the hassle, however, I’m going to see how much I would make by selling it to a local business. Wish me luck.
-Elizabeth
That sounds like a good plan.
@@KaraBuntin Thanks. I have come to respect your opinion. I appreciate your input. -Elizabeth
Yes it has changed. I’m working hard to figure it out. I’m at a point where I’m working to get my own website. I just gotta see which one will work best for me and I’m a little tech challenged. I can do the basics. I am watching Etsy and how it’s changing things daily and it has affected my shop.
My next podcast will address this.
I really gotta say to the other designers out there that AI and stable diffusion are really a godsend for us to compete with the amateur artists. If you learn how to use the tools, the way that I have, you can create models based off of your own work, and then produce your own work at the same scale as the amateurs but yours will be much higher quality. Basically, it’ll be the same quality as the things that you painstakingly make but then you can train the model on your own work and scale it
The problem isn't the AI, it's that so many people are using passive-income style ways to sell online that the landscape for handmade artists selling online has changed. Take AI completely out of it and you still have dropshippers and resellers who have flooded every marketplace with lots of the same things that they had no hand in making, they're just making a little side income.
Online space should be viewed differently to where the people who make the platform what it is are the actual shareholders for the platform…they’re viewing sellers as employees who have no stake in the overall companies profits…Etsy and eBay especially rely on sellers who are selling products they the seller provides not what the company/platform sells…it’s not an affiliate program so without sellers there is no business…with the brick and mortar store..the store owner has legal say and rights over the business with online that’s not the case but we are expected to just adapt to the platforms expectations and cost without any say in the changes or any cut of the profits made…motivate sellers to sell better quality products and meet their shipping expectations etc by giving them a percentage of the profits for their success …they definitely punish sellers for returns or lost packages etc….if u pay for a store membership but u have no benefit in the end…what’s the point…
AMEN! Adapt, adjust and move forward always. Traffic is key and you cannot generate it on Etsy, your own store is VITAL now. Awesome video. :)
Thank you
There’ll be a new competition for Etsy soon enough
There’s already goimagine but people bitch about that not being Etsy, then they bitch about Etsy.
I've been selling online for more than 20 years now. (Not the things I sell on etsy, though) In fact, we (our family business) had one of the first online presences in my hometown, for sure the first online shop. I've seen countless changes come an go.
Right now, I think there is a slight tendency back to brick+mortar, small business, family owned for "want to haves". Like decoration, nice things, individual things. The "need to have" things are online and won't come back. Do I like that - who cares, I have to deal with it.
BTW, etsy shows me "shipped from Germany" all in a sudden when I do searches. Did I say local might be more and more trending?
In your absence, you missed an uproar from European sellers when etsy made changes that made all our shops illegal over night, without advance notice. (I mean, really "dangeróusly against the law" illegal, not "maybe a little shady" illegal.) They took it back after 3 days, it must have been a massive flood of mails and messages 🤣🤣🤣
ooh, what did they do?
@@KaraBuntin Deleted the sellers information from the shops. As a German / European shop operator, I’am legally obliged to keep the information about the adress and contact details about my company available by only one click for the visitors from every single page of my shop. This is the "Impressum" or "Imprint" which is visible and clickable at the bottom of the page. Until... etsy decided otherwise. They simply took it away and quoted "if you need to get in touch with the vendor, do so via etsy messages" Which, in European perspective, is shady and untrustworthy - and illegal. And puts a vendor in high risk of being fined. In the thousands.
After they tried to convince us in the forum of t h e i r interpretation of European Consumer Protection Laws for some days ( I mean, what do we know?), they finally gave in and changed it back.
I sware, the lawyers already had €€€ signs in their eyes in those 3 days...
One more add.... my daughter started selling wholesale and her income tripled the first 3 months (vs. Etsy alone). She started on Faire, then did email marketing to stores all around the country and it's just really taken off.
That wouldn't work for a lot of handmade businesses though. It's too work-intensive to do wholesale and make enough of a profit to beat going to get a job working for someone else.
Cold emailed or called?
emailed. She's sells game day merch for college football season. She hired a VA to run down shops in the major college towns who primarily sell to sororities and students. She had a nice email brochure and a link to her Faire shop, which shows the good reviews and probably offered peace of mind that she's legit. She's also had a lot of repeat customers. Not 100% sure what will happen when college football season is over lol. But for now she's really doing well.@@giovannigreenard8008
If she's selling anything that's directly team-related please make sure that she knows to get the licensing from the colleges and teams. If they don't license the use of their team colors, logos, or names, she can get in trouble for copyright and trademark infringement.
@@KaraBuntin She’s aware of the laws. But she’s 32 years old and I’ve learned telling her what to do is a fat mistake lol.
Thanks for that Kara! What's really frustrating is that my shop is being shown more to just local buyers (I'm in Canada)..I used to get 80% of orders from the US. When I search to buy as a customer myself..most of what I see is from Vietnam, China sellers?? How is that being environmentally firendly having items shipped from there and not locally as they claim???
It's not, but I bet a lot of those people are saying that they ship from closer to you. It's shady.
You said it so well! That is unfortunately the reality!
Thanks, and yes, it is.
Great video and very timely.
Thanks!
I'm a graphic designer and a watercolor artist. I'm perplexed where to head my business. I can't compete with cheap 2$ AI bundles of 300 images. Even if I started doing AI images too, the market will be ovelflowed with them soon anyway! I'm looking for solutions how to survive as a graphic designer and an artist, but I don't have answers yet. The only idea I have right now is to nich down and sell for a very specific customer. Oh, one more thing: those people are not even working on their own! They are paying for assistants to generate ai images for them! (I found out it in an Etsy podcast!). Now, how do we compete with that?!..
You can’t. Unless you become one of the people they hire to churn out AI garbage. It’s a very scary time for designers.
@@KaraBuntin I know people are pretty down on AI images for Etsy sellers. I just opened a shop mostly because I thought it would be fun. And I love designing mugs so much, I can tell you that. Love it. Most of my images come off of canva or creative Fabrica, that I then manipulate. But I have a joyful time doing the designing. I spend a lot of time in Canva, creating scenes and having fun. I have spent hours and hours doing this. In my opinion, times are hard for a lot of people, especially since Covid. And people don’t have a lot of money to spend. AI is cheap. I do needlework and paper crafts mostly as hand crafts, but trying to get my money’s worth in a finished project is too expensive for most folks. My husband always says why buy something for $5 when you can make it for $50. Then I would add, and then try and sell it for $100. Exaggeration, but to the point. And that has always been true. Etsy evolved because times and people and technology evolved. Etsy makes money off of sellers. Bottom line. Although I will agree that a lot of AI artwork is garbage, there is some skill, creativity, and time that goes into creating beautiful AI images. In the short term, though, AI sucks with images. It takes a lot of patience, time and effort to get images that you want, that don’t have extra appendages or a cat with a dogs head, or some other kind of weird generation. Believe me, I know this to be true. So it has its limitations. And a lot of that is even on creative Fabrica. You have to watch and see what you’re downloading to use. AI has its place though. Something that someone told me when I decided to open a store in a sea of stores and an already saturated market with print on demand, etc. is that my attitude has to be one of fortitude and endurance. What I would say to the watercolor artist above, is yes you can compete. Maybe you can’t sell your original artwork for the price that you want to sell it for. But you could sell the prints just as, or nearly as, inexpensively as an AI image and maybe even out sell them. I have been to places that sell artwork and people are asking an astronomical amount of money for just a print of their original artwork. I know time went into the original piece. But like I said, before, most people can’t afford that. So if you want to compete, consider evolving with it. If you are a graphic designer, you could also generate some very interesting images and then manipulate them yourself, put them up on Etsy and sell the digital items. Become the assistant they are paying for, then side hustle your artwork. Sorry, I know that was a little long-winded. I guess I am just in defense for us newbies yet have understanding for the long time. handmade sellers.
@@KaraBuntin yeah.. I don't allow myself to panic and keep brainstorming, but sometimes I've got this devastating feeling that whatever I'm trying to launch right now is a lost cause from the beginning. But I don't allow myself to feel this way. We are creatives after all, we'll find some solutions
I love watercolors & admire artists talents! I buy some digital designs & found nothing so far that’s AI created that I would remotely consider. It’s sad that artists are being pushed out & I might see the shortage of beautiful watercolor art.
What I'm seeing on Etsy now, though, is that the AI stuff is overtaking the real handmade artwork. That someone made with a brush and pen or paints and their own neurology, without a computer being involved. It's not a good or bad situation, it is what it is, but the fact is that it's so easy to churn out AI images whether they're good or not, people post them and the competition goes up and prices go down. That's the issue and it's what people who are artists have to deal with.
So that’s why brick and motar stores are closing everywhere, and labor jobs are short staffed. Most of them from before the pandemic have learned how to make a profit without any skills whatsoever! AI will be the end of our thriving economy, and the “Matrix” may be the future. Glad I am 60 and won’t see this country fall hopefully. 😢 I’ve actually been fortunate enough to land a consistent pop up event just 35 minutes from my home, just when my husband went on disability too. I am actually grateful that I’m not relying on Etsy.
In-person sales are looking good right now for a bunch of reasons.
@@KaraBuntin Yup! I just started doing consignment with a local store. It's been years since I've done consignment, but since eBay went downhill for me in June 2022 and Etsy did the same this March, it's either try something new like this or get a day job! I've sold about $200 in a week!
We were in Pittsburgh the same week for a wedding! Thank you for your helpful videos:)
You weren't' behind me in your car, were you?
LOLOL!! @@KaraBuntin It was probably my mother.
This was a great video. Really insightful. Got me really thinking. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Definitely, change is here.
Yep, time to admit it to ourselves.
Kara, I'd love to hear your opinion about Michael's "Makerplace" platform and other places to sell online besides Etsy. Thanks!
I haven't been hearing much about it after the first announcement of it.
OMG! How many of us are trying to sell, anywhere, because someone (who shall remain nameless) beat it into our ears that "maybe you only make a dollar, but it's a dollar more than what you had yesterday". She sure had a run...
I would give $ to see what sort of profit my "competition" actually makes on Etsy (I make different, so same only by item name). The resellers are making a buck or two per item, the real made by hand items don't charge for their time. They probably make 2-3X their cost of yarn and think they are doing well.
She's not the only one to beat that drum. She learned it from someone else who's still teaching it to more people.
I love how people say to just put something up on Etsy, it takes me days to upload something🤣🤣🤣🤣 I’m so confused!!!!
You get used to it!
Omg I hate that too. Like, taking and editing photos, uploading, writing tags and description. It’s not easy or else everyone would be making tons of money doing it
Yeah I see sooooo many people on YT not even directly related to being a product type business owner telling everyone "just make this, and put it on Etsy". Not helping us, at all but they get their views on YT and that's all they care about.
I’m doing much better with local events. I am thinking about quitting Etsy completely and building my own website. The competition is insane on Etsy and I do not like the direction they are going. My domain is linked to my patterns by Etsy but I will be taking it off and creating my own website separate from Etsy so that I can slowly shift away from this platform. What a shame for those of us who actually enjoy the process of creating authentic pieces and have a love for the arts BUT also want to make a living.
I think your approach of in-person sales is a good one, I talk about this in the podcast that's coming up this week.
Everything you are saying is so true! I sell watercolor digital art also. I had to (wait for it…….) niche down 😱
I am now thinking of putting my art on some pod items.
I have another idea in my next podcast this week, but it's not a bad idea to diversify.
The more dangerous situation is people who are using AI and are also trying to make a business. People who are using AI and are also trying to build a business will be much more invested in getting their products seen and sold than someone who is just trying to make a couple extra bucks with AI. These are the people you should be scared of. Because they have the understanding that this technology is the future and their integrating it into their business strategy. Not just to make an extra buck but to build a business around this technology. The people who are resisting it will be the people who are left behind. I guarantee in the next year or so Etsy will have some type of AI integration in their systems. And you not understanding this technology will only put you behind everybody who does understand and is willing to use it.
It depends if you're a digital seller or not. Ai doesn't affect most people as far as business goes unless you're a visual artist. But it's definitely something that people should think about and figure out if and how they want to incorporate it into their own businesses.
Forget AI, people will soon pay a premium for reality.
When you live long enough you have seen a lot of things that will supposedly take over. But they usually don’t
@@joannewittenbrook8051 I'm still waiting for the paperless society...On the other hand, the toll booths on the highway don't use people anymore, so some changes do get rid of things completely.
I make physical products and have been for 3 years. Even with competition, and attempts to relay folks to my website, etsy have still impacted the traffic recently...
There are a lot of people feeling the effects of Etsy changes and the economy in general.
awesome content. Thank you !
Glad you liked it!
I tried etsy over 10 years ago. I had the impression that many big companies would lift ideas and designs for free. Copy and make it cheaper for mass market. Why would anyone pay full price for your design if there’s a cheaper option? Left after 2 months. I’m retiring soon and going to find a better place for a boutique. great quality and copyright my designs. if a company wants a piece of the idea, we can negotiate a licensing agreement. No freebies for the browsing in etsy.🤨🧐
They steal ideas from everywhere, copyright theft is running rampant online.
When I joined in 2011, every page was handmade/vintage. Now, it's like eBay 2.0.
Yep
I had my shop for 4 months 500 products and was suspended 8 days ago and have no idea as to why ?? have not been given a change or a first warning all my mocks up are from sellers that use the product in the photos I even ordered samples , I have no idea I have never infringed or used trademark designs or titles. But I see a ton of people using them. Also they are holding onto my money this is not good and disrespectful on how they treat their sellers there could of been a much better way to handle this instead of waking up and your shut down with no warning
It's probably the mockups, but only Etsy will be able to tell you. You'll have to keep harassing them about it, but you might not get a good answer. Did you file an appeal yet? You can do that here: help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/6298920789271-How-to-File-an-Appeal-for-a-Permanently-Suspended-Account?segment=selling
My account was just a buyer account. I don't sale anything. It was permanently suspended! No email or anything. But although I've asked several times, the customer service refuse to tell me and say I have to wait on an email. I filed an appeal and then Monday, I looked at it and the screen that showed my appeal was accepted and I could expect an answer in two weeks, was changed to a screen saying it was simply suspended and then changed again to show permanently suspended. And at no point have I gotten an email from anything other than the one that they sent after you chat or something, and even that was dumb because they sent an email telling they were sorry for that "alarming email" or "alarming email" I forget exactly. Either way, sellers are consumers that are paying for some service from etsy. They need to start how ETSY is violating Consumer Laws. I wrote my Attorney General's office, the FTC, and the BBB. People need to demand much better and definitely more immediate Consumer laws.
I used the Have Them Call You feature. Turns out my shop was showing as opened on their end. They fixed the glitch and all was well. But why put us thru this? So much could be done to honor the seller.
The proliferation of AI is crazy. A design is created in minutes. In most of the AI art there are big areas that look like something melted. It surprises me that they are selling as much POD with it as they are.
It's because people don't care, unfortunately. Most people don't care about the origin of their printable wall art. Some do, most don't.
I agree. I can spot an AI design a mile off, they all look the same. I make a point of saying my designs are non- AI, and hope customers get sick of AI art; it all looks the same to me. People will always want something new or different so eventually they'll get bored with the same styles popping up everywhere.
@@jacquietibbetts7660 One would hope.
@@jacquietibbetts7660I agree. I'm not an artist but I can tell AI art a mile off. There's always something freakish and just 'off' about it. A computer cannot (yet anyway) match the human brain (even in the subconscious). AI 'art' makes the hairs on the back of my neck restless! You're so right, they do all look the same. You can tell which software made them too, they have the same style. It's all soulless! It's still a novelty, so here's hoping folk get bored of it ..... 🤞😁
It looks lifeless and soulless. It does all look the same. Sure they make cute baby animals and pretty flowers, but just look at it, it feels cold and lifeless. I do use AI for ideas, sometimes, but, if I ever did use it, I would add something to it. These people are just prompting the AI, but they aren’t creative people, themselves, so they just use the image, as is, rather than adding a human touch to it. I have heard some people will not buy it, but, unfortunately, some don’t have a clue what it is.
A lot of new sellers daily. And I see lots of similar designs or prints. I wonder if they are from the same shops or people are copying others' designs? Too many same mockups and too many mockup sellers who sell the same stuff.
They're copying each other.
Pittsburgh here! Can’t get there from here is our motto 😂
Whoever designed your roads was sadistic!
Not getting sales this month
A lot of people say the same thing. I'm getting sales but it's not the same for everyone.
I 100% feel your pain. I started my Etsy shop about 8 months ago. 6 of the 8 months were not profitable and not just not profitable but I took a loss of income. This was mainly because I spent so much on getting ads running and getting the required sales and reviews for the shop. But it was all part of the plan for Q4. I knew that if I could get the shop up and running in the slow months that Q4 will be very good for me. And so far this month has shown that to be true. This is the first month where I've had sales every single day.
I haven't sold anything on etsy for almost 6 months, and I never had many sales even when things were better.
I had never ordered anything through Etsy until about 2 months ago. My payment through paypal went to someplace in Ireland. then I found out the "seller" lived in in Europe (Belgium?).
I thought to myself "OK. the product may take a little longer to get to me in Canada. At one point I tried to contact the seller with no results. Tried to contact Etsy - no results. Then I tried PayPal - no results there either. As a result I'm "out" $40. So... my lesson to me is ~~~ I will NEVER order through Etsy again !!!! PERIOD!
You can file a purchase protection claim through Etsy and get a refund if you didn’t receive the product.
Etsy payment go through Ireland for us European sellers. That’s where Etsy is based here. So that’s perfectly normal.
If you haven’t received your item file a claim through Etsy and they will refund.
Pay Pal is from Ireland.
Etsy is the ultimate race to the bottom. Make superb products that sell for £1 even though the price you're selling at doesn't cover the cost of materials, the point is you're making a sale. And they expect you to pay for the privilege of making yourself poorer than you were before. Not for me
A lot people seem to think that’s how to do it, unfortunately. But you don’t have to play that game.
I have no intention of following that path, don't worry
Interesting discussion...thank you. I have a very small ( by some standards) Etsy shop and so far am very happy with how it is progressing. I only opened 4 months ago and both sales and traffic are improving. As I handmake everything myself and in a relatively niche market, I don't want to be 'run off my feet'. I'm also an aged pensioner, so I don't want to break any selling records, nor spend all day on social media to boost sales.
I think everybody has different goals..for me, having Etsy do my 'work' is just fine.
Perhaps those selling in an already flooded market catorgory will find the going tougher.
At this point taking it slow and easy is going to be the least frustrating way to sell. The people who expect a full-time income in a month are going to be disappointed.
Shortly after Etsy started, I was under the impression that they were only going to sell things made by individual people - nothing mass produced and not even supplies - it was a place for hte handcrafter to sell their products. It wasn't long until I saw that wasn't how it worked - so I quit even looking at Etsy as right away they became nothing more than another ebay or amazon to me. Most of it wasn't handmade and certainly not unique. I think I tried to make up a store all those years ago (15+)...
They started allowing people to use Print on Demand manufacturers a while back, that's when it really got bad with people taking advantage of that. The people who are really designing things on their own have to compete with the Canva-copycats who don't design anything.
@@KaraBuntin to the OGs, it always seems like it was just “a little while ago.” Ironically, my FB memories just popped up a post I’d made about the big change to allow “production partners”… it was 10 years ago. 😂 Ah, the legacy of Three Bird Nest.
@@jenniferschildt6635Three Birds Nest! I haven't heard that shop name in a very long time
Interesting chat. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it
UGH.... You really kill me with how much sense you make.
I feel like what we are competing against all the NOISE in the marketplace.
To me, that's the current issue. Cutting through the noise when a customer is searching for product.
Yes!
Do newer/smaller wall artists have a chance anymore on Etsy? I also sell large mousepads and see that AI POD has taken over that as well
It's definitely harder than it used to be, but it can work.
Thank you 😊😊😊
You are so welcome
Starting in January I'm going to start preparing to sell in person. In my state there are fairs and festivals all year round, so I'm going to give it a go and see what happens. At the very least, maybe I'll have some fun.
My podcast next week is going to go down this exact path.
FUD, love it
That's an old one but it seems like a lot of people haven't heard it. It's what the gurus prey on!
Where's the link to the SEO channel video where you discussed AI art?
I have no idea, I've never done a video dedicated to that specifically. It might have been during a live video but I don't remember which one. In general, I haven't talked about it because of the lingering copyright issues that need to be worked out.
@@KaraBuntin 23:18 is what I was referring to, I thought it would be interesting to review that if you had it available somewhere, but no biggie if you don't
@@soundofsilence21 Oh, that was this one: ruclips.net/video/YVdy2UrkznU/видео.html but we weren't discussing AI art specifically, it was just something that we noticed as far as WI printables crowding out everything on search results and driving prices down. It was more of an aside and an observation about the devaluing of printable wall art than talking about it as a subject. It's where the Shadowmyths section starts in the middle part of the video.
I would like to "figure it out" but how do you get support from Etsy? Something has changed with their listing process which blocks me from adding any listings. I have reached out 4 times through chat and e-mail but they keep referring me to an automated database and policies without answering my question....
Can you not add anything at all? That's a technical glitch, maybe post about it in the technical bugs in the Etsy forums. They do pay attention to that section of the forums. Their chat help isn't going to be able to help you at all.
Thank you Kara for your quick reply. I think it has to do with selecting a production partner. I list vintage items, books and coins so I do not have any production partners but the system will not let me move forward. It is unfortunate that they do not have better tech support. I will look up technical bugs in the etsy forum. Thanks!@@KaraBuntin
@@harryvangrieken6950 That is caused by early in your listing if you have said it was made by another company. If you then put finished product and list it as when made as a newish item you have to select your "production partner". If it is vintage and you put the vintage year in you won't need to list a production partner. Hope this makes sense..
😂 love the title
Thanks!
I don't know how anyone can stand selling on Etsy. There is zero customer support.
I've noticed Chinese "stores" are selling directly from their factories in China, like on Amazon, Ebay, Etsy as well.
Amazon is full of Chinese sellers selling items very cheaply. To be an Amazon seller is impossible in some categories, like clothing, because the Chinese severely undercut prices. You can't compete with that.
Exactly. And Etsy has become the same thing. Not to the same extent, but it's definitely the same thing at this point.
Constructive thought: Chapters for your videos. I bet yo'd get a bunch more involvement on RUclips if you went back and broke it down to four chapters or so.
I honestly don't have time to do that. It's a podcast, it's relatively short and rambling, and I can barely keep up with the involvement I have already!
Kara, I knew you were knowledgeable, and wise but I didn't know what a great story teller you are 😆That story of the woman behind you in the car was so well told; I was laughing over the choice of words to describe the situation! I listened to every word of this vid too and you're spot-on with the attitude of how to handle change. I think you must know of Mel Robbins chill-vibe too. I swear, we would be great friends
Thanks!
I just subbed because she IS a great story-teller!!
Etsy sales things from Wish , Temu . Etc .
And they still your pictures 😢
Right, so it's a cycle of photo theft and Etsy taking listings down because the photos were stolen, it's a mess.
Yes so many things on Etsy I see on Temu or another site even same picture. 😢 They have to be lying because when you do the listing you have to pick if you made it or if another company did or if it’s a supply or vintage
Recently, I bought fabric from an Etsy shop ( Australia)...pack of 5 pieces. Not long after , Temu put in my FB feed the Exact fabrics, but smaller pieces. I notified the local seller and she adjusted her listing. So, did Temu steal her photo or use the same pic from her supplier ?
@@susanjacquier5358 I don't know, but Temu tends to steal listing photos, then they send you something that's not the same as in the picture, but a lower quality. They like to steal luxury item photos and send you fake junk.
I have my own website but right now it’s directing people to Etsy. I need to figure out inventory management because it’s hard when I’m selling supplies on 3 sites and I don’t have a million of each item and I like to have a good amount on Etsy and Michael’s. My competition has lots more listings than me. Most have 2k or more. I have about 300.
It gets nuts trying to keep up.
I think the time has come where mediocracy wont get you far. There is to much competition for the basic things is see on the internet including the tacky AI addition.
yes, exactly.
They changed in 2013. Their fees were up every week.
Is it me or is this a whole lot about nothing, like the Seinfeld episode only not funny?
It’s you
@@KaraBuntin haha agreed. You've got great insight into this and I'm glad I watched your video!!