Great job capturing the pros and cons. I enjoy your quirky personality. 🙃 I’ve been actively selling for about 8 years on Etsy, and while I agree there are definitely some cons I find the pros outweigh them in the long run. I make jewelry so I’m in a massively saturated market, but I’ve found two mantras very helpful on my journey: 1. “What my competitors do is none of my business.” 2. “Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude” While the fees definitely add up I am thankful they’re still manageable and I don’t have to spend hours upon hours marketing my products because Etsy takes care of a lot of that for me. I really loathe marketing 😑 Thanks again! I enjoyed your video!
I don't believe so. As a small business it'll be down to Etsy to collect and distribute any VAT at the correct rates... I believe. But as you say it IS confusing. So much so that I'll be hiring an accountant from here on in. I do know that Etsy will be collecting EU VAT at the relevant post-Brexit rates from July 1st and we'll see these broken down in our finance sections.
Great video. Sure... there's cons, but if you can find a way to scratch your way to the top, the payoff can be enormous. We started our store in late 2019 and did maybe 100 sales over the first 6 months. The last 12 months, we've done 86,000 sales and are now ranked 180th globally on Etsy. It's been life changing, but also the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
THIS! This is exactly what it is to be an Etsy seller. 😄 It's no get rich quick scheme that's for sure but as you say, if you're prepared to do the grafting (and oh boy is there a lot of that!) then you can really make it work for you. Congratulations on your global ranking by the way, that is no mean feat! 💪
Yeah it's definitely a problem. Not helped by Etsy hiding individual shop names from search on the mobile app. It's things like that that make it harder for our brands to stand out.
@@halfpiint Ok the simple answer is, I'm not sure currently. I know that at one point it was seen as ok.. then not. I *think* as it stands, you are encouraged to link to a website such as a blog as it can help with SEO etc, but it's not ok to link to a stand alone shop where you sell the same items as this is considered fee avoidance. However I strongly recommend that you have a look at Etsy's terms of service as I am not 100% sure what Etsy's current line on this is myself. If you're thinking of linking to a website where you also sell your items, I personally would err on the side of caution and avoid doing so.
For the business identity thing; this can be alleviated through adding a card with your shop name and brand when shipping the product, even a small thank you note means a lot. This is what you’re not getting with Amazon, the feeling that your purchase was meaningful for more than just yourself and you feel great about it
I'm working towards opening my own shop and this has helped alot to clear the fog of what lies ahead! But on top of that, it's made me more determined to say the shop name I buy things from over just "Etsy". Great video, thanks so much!
You're welcome and don't worry too much if you do say "Etsy". It's easily done and even I catch myself doing it occasionally! 🤭 By the way, your username is probably the best I've ever seen. 😄👌💚
Here's the thing, no one can tell you what you should do because no one knows your business and understands your needs better than you do. Both Etsy and Shopify have pros and cons so I'd recommend doing some research into both and seeing what works best for you right now. And don't forget you can always change things later if you want to. Etsy is pretty good if you have a small budget to get started and a small audience because eith Shopify you have to send all of the traffic there yourself. If you're just starting out you might find Etsy a better fit to begin with. 💚
Thanks for the info. Im a decorative artist and Im about to start selling my art. Etsy was the first choice that I have considered but I need to get all the info I can before starting. This was a very helpful video. Despite all the cons, I feel like it is worth a try. So thank you, I now feel a little more confident in getting my products out there.
It's definitely worth a try and don't pay my moaning any mind. The cons can be annoying for sure, but if I didn't make money on Etsy I wouldn't use it so it cant be all that bad. 😁 Good luck!
Thank you, I'm glad you found it useful. Sellers will always have periods when sales may be down which can be down to a number of reasons, not always saturation. Sometimes Etsy are making tweaks to the algorithm, sometimes it's just a slow period for a particular niche.. and we can't underestimate the impact the pandemic has had on businesses too. People are starting to feel the pinch financially so we will be seeing periods of fewer sales. Hang in there though! It'll get better.
😂😂😂 You're welcome? Seriously it does have it's good points too as I also laid out in the video but yes, the cons do mean that everyone has a personal choice to make. 😊
I saw her video! Really sad and it's those bloody offsite ads that are doing it. Etsy pushed sellers over their pain threshold with that one. I still think it's a good place providing you're able to opt out of those, but unfortunately not everyone can.
Very informative and entertaining too. Such a lovely personality and a natural in front of the camera, funny, engaging, expressive, authentic, intelligent and beautiful.
Thank you! This is so insightful. Your comment responses are just as full of valuable nuggets. I think its 2 hrs I’m reading. I’m a long-time etsy seller who knew zip about how it actually works - basic things like SEO, tags etc. Zero knowledge. I’m in a very niche market. my sales come from my blog and IG like 70%. I’ve never taken an ad. Suddenly I had 2 ‘Best Sellers’ and I’m no longer under etsy’s radar. I’ve been crash coursing on youtube. I’m very grateful to you for sharing yr info and experiences. Very, very helpful.
You're very welcome Carol, I'm glad it's helped. And yup, I often lose myself in the comments here too! There are a lot of amazing sellers here though willing to share their experiences and knowledge. It feels just how the Etsy forums used to! 😁💚
Kitty, same here. I considered opening an Etsy shop but began to hear of sellers' discontent starting with the "forced free shipping" policy about a year ago.
I had an Etsy shop from 2012 - 2020 and did really well the first five-six years until the site started making changes. I left because of all the cons you mentioned, and the massive amount of resellers on there posting the same photos from Amazon. Your video was awesome, thanks for the work you put into it. :)
Aw you're welcome Jess, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have another email in my inbox right now from Etsy about something or another. I'm putting off reading it though as there's been so many new fees and what not lately. I don't want to hear about another one!
I felt like I was getting great advice from a big sister thank you so much I’m planning on opening my shop in a few weeks when all my supplies arrives ♥️
Thank you for a really well organized and informative video. I keep going back-and-forth as to whether or not I should start an Etsy shop or take a different approach. After watching this I’m thinking both. Start with Etsy and grow from there. Thank you so much!
Thanks for your opinions. I am considering an Etsy shop, but I noticed the saturation right away. I couldn't find a niche suited to my abilities that wasn't already covered by many vendors. After further examination I noticed that several of those shops seemed to be clearing out inventory or discounting far enough that I wouldn't want to produce anything at that price. I may come back to Etsy, but I will keep looking for now.
If it makes you feel any better that saturation is also a sign that the demand is there. You don't need an empty playing field in order to succeed, although it does make it easier! 😄 And as for the folks selling at ridiculously low prices (resellers mainly) I choose to simply ignore them and price what my item is worth. You can compete on quality and anything else that can make your item unique from the others. Don't give up! Focus on what makes your items unique to everyone else's and roll with that. 😊
Gaawwdd!! I love her PERSONALITY!!!! 💖💖 She's so quiet and cute and energetic and... calm-ish.... :) ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!! AAAAHH!! But I loved this video!! Thank you for making it!! ❤️
Just started my Etsy shop. You voiced some of my “con” concerns. I was just thinking today that maybe having my own website also was a good idea! Thank you for the video 😀
The annoying answer is, it varies from platform to platform based on what you want to do. My advice would be to research some website platforms, find their fees and compare that with how much you're paying each month in Etsy fees. If you find you're paying more in Etsy fees than you would be to have your own website, it's time to look into crossing over. 💚
The concept is great, a market place where people can sell their own made goods. The practice is very similar to a swapmeet. They charge the customer to enter and the seller to have a spot. It stops there though, here with technology they found a way to squeeze every cent out. It's a decent place to start, but I agree branch out. Start looking into your own online shop, etc. As for crowding, now people are running full online campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, RUclips to drive there sells and that is getting crowded.
In my experience I've had great success over only a few months by promoting myself on Instagram, posting my products almost daily, building a following there and in turn my sales come from the people who follow me on my social platforms. Definitely have to put the work in, promote yourself, take quality pictures, and once you find a good niche you will be making sales. Especially over Christmas I made atleast 3000 in the November and December months. On top of my full time job. I make handmade and hand sewn items like fabric decor, gnomes, tiered tray decor, and there is a huge niche of people who love that stuff and repeat buy. But I stress, you must make sure you create and post regularly on social media and your sales will come. Good luck! I've had nothing but positives come from Etsy
A caveat about "giving" coupons: if you haven't set up abandoned cart or thank you coupons before your first sale, you cannot send coupons later. They do not back-date coupons. If you see that an item is in someone's cart, if you set up abandoned cart coupons, they won't get it.
Sometimes you will see a notification under your item on the homepage but as this is a visual nudge for buyers we don't see it consistently. However if you set up an abandoned cart coupon Etsy show you how many people the coupon went out to. What you can't see is who it went out to for privacy reasons.
You a good teacher. Great energy. I start sewing custom products for fun to help my depression and more and more people order. I’m so not good with money. I am an amazing sales and PR person. Like you said, I’ll try it. We will see.
I just recently started my Etsy page and I've only made family sales so far. I keep adding items onto Etsy that differ enough from other people's art/handmade items. I hope I can eventually have enough income to start a website but as for right now, Etsy is the best I can do. Also, the video was great! Thank you for making it and breaking down the pros and cons of it
You're welcome Bryanna! The way you've started out is exactly how most people do so while it may not feel it, you're right on track! This is a quiet period of the year for a lot of people (myself included) so don't be disheartened if sales are hard to come by right now. It gets busier in the lead up to the holidays so now is a great time to prep for that. I'll be starting my Christmas prep next week. Fingers crossed for us both and good luck with your new shop! 👍💚
@@KimBliss I just opened my own shop/page too a few days ago and I hope I have more sales eventually too(also don’t ruin this for me with this video because I already jumped into this)
As of your video and the last one I watched I will tell you this, Etsy can buzz off I’ll find another way like some of the things you mentioned! With that thank you so much for the help I definitely appreciate it all
Thankyou for that, really good. I had my suspicions about the cons and pros. My sister and I have a new Etsy shop, less than a month old. Lots of views and visits but only one small sale. I have started looking elsewhere to advertise my wares, trying to get active, to keep the momentum going. But your vid has helped me a lot.
It is tough in the beginning but if you're getting any traction at all at this early stage then believe me that is a good sign! I've likened it to pushing a rock up a hill. Over time the rock gets smaller and easier to push, but right at the start.. it's work! 😄💪💪💪
Thanks for asking! I have a course but it's on need of updating and I'm going to be moving it to a new platform shortly. I will be letting everyone know when that's launched though so keep an eye out for that! 😉
Aw cheers Ruby! Yeah Etsy does like their fees don't they? "Excuse me seller, did you just sneeze? Because we've just introduced a sneeze fee!" I shouldn't joke.. they might be watching and think it's a good idea. 😄💵
I am in the process of starting my business and I found this video very honest and helpful. Thank you for taking me through the pros and cons of starting a business with Etsy x
😂 very entertaining video. Would love to see a video about your daily workflow, how you organise your time daily/weekly/ monthly to run your business, what tasks you prioritise, what type of goals you have set for your business and how you stay on track. 🐧
Oh that's a great idea! Unfortunately it might have to wait a while as my current daily workflow pretty much consists of eating all the snacks and wondering what day it is. We're in lockdown here and it's really messing with things! 😁 But one day for sure. Thanks for watching. 💚😊
Thank you for posting this! I started selling on Etsy December 2020 with my photography and canvas paintings. The bulk is only prints at the moment and for me it works great. Only because I use a company that offers the drop shipping. I use Instagram/facebook as my platform for advertising and its been working well. I don't get a lot of sales thus yet, but for me charging 20 cents is much better than running and operating a website where I can initially be paying close to 30 a month to sell my products. Maybe over time I'll make the switch over, but for now Etsy works for me. I was watching horror you tube videos of people getting screwed over by Etsy because they couldn't mass produce, but in reality you cannot be mad at not having the upkeep, its your priority to have that..Especially if its handmade artwork. Its the whole concept of you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. I am however thinking of using my paintings on Ebay as a bid platform to gain money because they are a one of a kind. Thank you for the video, you explained things I was thinking or hesitate on.
I'm so glad you found the video helpful Marcy. You're absolutely right with the back scratching metaphor too. 😁 Etsy's policies can be a pain but as a starting point it's still a good platform for sellers. 💚
The thing is if you are beginner it is much cheaper to use some platform like Etsy. Because even if you spend all the money to open your own website, and you manage to attract some customer they still might click on Amazon or Etsy and try to find the same product cheaper. That's just how people work. And the fees are much worse when you have your own website (hosting, domain, transactions fees, advertising, google seo..etc). Etsy is great place to learn.
Exactly this. I don't think people realise that websites are something to work towards rather than jump straight into. You need the budget, the time and energy to work on it plus an established audience. It's next level. 👍💚
This is really great to hear! With so many changes on Etsy and people finding it harder to break through it's great to hear from folk who are making it work. 😊💪
@@KritTeekDeZigns thank you so much. I had quite a following on my social medias (Instagram - 5.4k and Twitter- 3.2k). And I'm part of a lot of groups on Facebook where I advertise very often so that's definitely helped me !
@@essymwende1203 hey! Setting up a shop is super easy! Download the sell on Etsy app. And follow the instructions! There's a bunch of RUclips videos available for setting up shops. Make sure your pictures for listings are top notch and you tag everything appropriately so it reaches your audiences well! I'm sure you'll do amazing!! Let me know your shop name when you set up so I can check it out! Good luck!!
Very good points. People forget that they should concentrate on pushing their own website and real shop. You loose identity on eBay, Etsy, Amazon, you may sell, but in the long run, you end up making them more relevant than yourself. Concentrate on building a trendy website, pay google to advertise and rank it high, hand out flyers to local customers depending on your product. If you have a real shop, the better because hopefully there's no competitor next door meaning all the local customers will come to you only - zero shipping cost, zero fee, direct relationship with your customers :) Plus, you simply cut off the online copycats who view your page only to copy your ideas in order to improve their inferior products, giving you false analytic illusion that oh your views are rising and will turn into sell. You forgot another important cons, the hackers giving you false analytic reading and who will pose as potential buyers and oh, non of these online platforms will advise or protect you about hackers - short story, they're all leaving off you really.
Agreed. That's why you have to see it as a tool that you can use to build your own business rather than it making up your entire business all in itself. You're on it Franck! 👍
I appreciate a lot what you’re doing here, hi from Central America btw. Good video, I’ve been creating new strategies and analyzing about online shops and all that abs this video was really helpful. ☀️
I agree about both of your pros and cons of the fees. I have finally figured out which percent comes out of which amount and then what the total fee amount Etsy would take. However, listing for only .20 cents is great.
It's a tricky one isn't it? There are so many things I love about Etsy and then there are some things (such as some of the issues surrounding fees) that just make me want to throw my laptop at them. To be fair, I think the pros outweigh the cons and fingers crossed that will continue!
I confess to only really trying once and it was complicated but yes, I was able to. That being said this was back in 2019 so it'll be interesting to see how this has changed, if at all when I reopen the shop!
I just sold my first item the other day, luckily a much cheaper one than my higher priced items - I was SO shocked at how much they took!! Definitely not sure I'm up for selling on etsy anymore :(
Ah good old Etsy. Low(ish) fees but so many of them that it really bites. 😖 Congrats on that first sale though. Have you used an Etsy fee calculator to help price your items and work out how much your pay in fees? I use one from a site called crafty base which helps no end. 💚
@@jennymeade8786 Etsy's fees are not that difficult to understand. There is a .20 cent listing fee per listing (renews or ends in three months I think...for another .20 cents), 5% transaction fee when you sell an item, and 3% (of item price and what you charged customer for shipping if you didn't offer free shipping) plus .25 cents for payment processing fee, and that's it. So, in short, .20 cents listing fee, 5% transaction fee, and 3% + .25 cents for payment processing. Other than that, there is only the offsite adds for shops making over a certain high dollar amount of 15%. For example... Your item = $5.00 (example is for single item. If you have 10 if the same exact item that's one listing) Etsy fees: .20 cents listing fee 5% transaction fee when you sell an item = .10 cents 3% + .25 cents for payment processing = .15 cents + .25 cents = .40 cents Total fees: .70 cents You clear $4.30 (This is gross sales, not profit, unless it didn't cost you anything to make your item. Otherwise you have to deduct you product cost from the this.) Let's say it cost $1.00 to make your item. Then that leaves you with $3.40 profit.
Hey Robert, unfortunately you forgot VAT (and other versions of this) that are tacked on to many of these fees for some sellers. Trust me, it adds up! 😄
Thank you so much! I had no idea about anything...now all of my questions were answered! I want to start selling handmade jewellery on etsy. Your video is really helpful.
Thank you for your open and honest thoughts and insight. I'm just restarting following the previous psychic purge a number of years ago. I've heard a bit of the drama already, so appreciated this very much. Love your accent which definitely sounds more English, not so Welsh, lol. (I used to live in the Rhondda, but also lived in Hants, Berks and Wilts.)
Haha, yes my accent is probably a topic for a whole other video as there's something of a story behind that one! And good luck with your return to Etsy. It definitely has its advantages providing you're willing to let some things slide (numerous fees etc, etc, etc 😋). Diolch am gwylio Lori! 💚
Great advice thank you, I have just found your channel and am going to binge watch🤣I have just opened my etsy shop so this was a big help I had no idea they done coupons I am going to look into that now, thank you so much for sharing, loved your personality. 😊
Oh wow Deborah that's a real compliment thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and got some value from it. Those coupons are really handy so definitely go and have a tinker with them. 😊👍
Cheers Yazied! I have to lead with my humour otherwise my presentation goes all wooden and I end up just sitting there, talking to the camera and not blinking.. it's not a good look. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching! 😁
Thank U so much. Great advice and I love your personality! I'm about to start an Etsy shop and your video was the first one I chose to watch. This info will help❤
Oh wow that's such a compliment thank you! I'm glad it helped. Etsy can be a pickle sometimes for sure but I still rate it as a good place to start a business. Good luck with your shop Mandy! 😊💚
You are a hoot! I really enjoyed this video, and truly appreciate your openness and candid opinions. They are spot on, and I’m pretty sure we could be BFFs! 😉
Yes! Really good list. I would add to the downsides: Etsy unfortunately also opened their door to non-handmade goods a few years ago with a policy change. So, not only is it saturated, but you are competing directly with goods that are not handmade and that are being priced and presented as if they are. (I think this is a downside to buyers, too, especially since many of them still see Etsy as selling ONLY handmade.) But, not having to figure out taxes for each buyer might just be enough to make up for that. 😉😅
Reselling in the handmade category has always been a problem on Etsy but nothing like it is now. And drop shipping is now an increasing trend I'm seeing too. Both go against Etsy's policies officially but I'm not seeing them do much about either. 🙄
@@KimBliss YES! So true. I *have* managed to get Etsy to shut down a couple of flagrant offenders in my own field (I make papier-mache masquerade-type masks, so it's a pretty niche market and easy for me to find those that are blatant resellers), but doing so takes some real time and effort. In order to get them to pay attention, I have to report several items from the offending shop, including multiple links to the exact same item being sold elsewhere (ebay, amazon, etc.) within each report. After sending in a dozen or so of these, I then also report the shop as a whole. As you can imagine, this is often more headache than it's worth, so I've taken to just warning my own customers and followers to be aware that policy changes have meant they may not actually be getting handmade on Etsy anymore and to be savvy shoppers. Such a pain to put that onus on the customers, though.
That's terrible that they only took them down after you essentially did their work for them. What's the point of having policies if you're not going to enforce them?! But well done for doing it. I live in hope that Etsy will do *something* about it soon otherwise they'll destroy the reputation of Etsy being a great place for handmade for good. 😔
Etsy will only remove the shop (or give them a warning) if they are in breach of policies. It's not unfair to expect all Etsy sellers to abide by the rules of the platform they sell on.
Thank you so much I really loved your informal video on quite a complex business topic. You made me laugh, you are so relatable and easy to listen to. Highly recommend it to my clients starting a new business.
How nice to have a quiet factual video, so well presented. I have had an Etsy account for a long time and always thought Etsy was more leaning toward individual and handmade products but disappointingly I see a lot of mass produced knitwear and fashion on there.Frankly I am looking at somewhere that really deals with handmade items, or UK made items. I will move away from there this winter.
Hi Vivienne, are you UK based? If so you could try Folksy. I haven't sold on there for many years so can't vouch for how good a platform it currently is but it's both UK and handmade based so could be worth a look for you?
I love this video. It's light, thorough and effective. I agree with all of your pros and cons, but have managed to work around the free shipping thing. I looked at my conversion rate, and decided to spread out my shipping costs among my items. My free shipping minimum is less than Etsy's suggested and it seems to be working.
Thanks Beth and that's very cool regarding the free shipping! I might look to test this out myself once my shop is open again. Just need to get this pandemic out the way now.... Thanks for sharing! 💚
That's a really interesting point actually and I think it's why, despite Etsy's cons I'm still happy to sell on there for the time being. They really aren't doing anything that many other platforms aren't also doing.
Oh my goodness I’m so glad I found your videos! Your personality is just awesome. Thank you for making this! I’ve just started a POD shop with my own website and was thinking about adding another sales channel with Etsy. Seems like it may not be a bad idea, although I think I’ll have to raise prices a little to accommodate the, I dunno, Estyness? Haha. The only thing I really hate about Etsy is that there is no such thing, at least for people on a small scale, as free shipping. So for them to boost those types of products was a bit shady. But we have to adapt. Aside from that, Etsy seems like a decent sales platform. Thanks again!
Aw cheers Matt! And I love the use of the word "Etsyness", that is fantastic. 👌 I have to agree with you on the free shipping too, there's no such thing. You either pay for it in the shipping portion or it gets shifted into the cost of the item but the customer is paying for it regardless. Etsy I believe have backed off on the free shipping 'encouragement' for now but what was really interesting is that when I reopened my shop recently and added a new shipping profile, Etsy prompted me to complete a short questionnaire asking if there was anything they could do that would change my mind about offering free shipping. So I expect them to be returning to this subject in the not too distant future. 🙄 Still, other than those blips of 'Etsyness', yeah it's a good place to start. Thanks for watching!
@@KimBliss There's no other way to describe it, really. Good or bad, it's the essence of Etsy. Etsyness. Haha. So I set up my shop a couple of hours ago and, while it wasn't an initial suggestion, they did just ask me if I wanted to provide a free shipping guarantee for my shop. As you can guess, they say it will give me "priority in search," or something to that effect. So all in all, they're up to their old tricks. But I'm fine with it, especially as it's just another channel for me to sell on. I can adapt. Anyway, thanks for the response and I hope you're having a wonderful evening!
Thanks Mariana! I can't quite believe so many have decided to join me for the ride and I'm not really sure what comes next but it'll be fun to find out! 😁💚
I appreciate a person, especially a woman, who gets straight to the point and makes logical relevant points. This video was very informative. subscribed liked and now commented!!!
Oh dear. I'm very happy to have you on board Craig (welcome!) but getting to the point is not my strong point... as you will soon see when you watch a couple more videos. I must've got lucky with this one! 😄 Thanks for watching!
I’m UK based and my accountant has calculated that all the various “complicated” Etsy fees you talk about, total around 20%. AND, if you sell something through Offsite ads, it’s another 12 or 15% depending what level of Etsy sales you’ve had in the past 12 months. Many many sellers do not realise this. Be aware folks
Yup! As I said it can definitely add up. Although it has to be said that it's not going to be 20% for each and every seller so each will have to do their own math.
Yikes!! My ebay fees have been a solid 13% for years, even with the managed payments (they were 9% with roughly 3% PayPal fees, although I took a lot of hits on sales less than $10.). Add in shipping, and my total costs are roughly 30% of gross. Not too bad.
@@pmg1180 - in the UK, round about that, yes. My accountant actually calculated for me it is a total of 18.87% fees. In the UK, Etsy also charge us VAT on all the different fees. I don’t know what total fees are charged in other countries
Very informative! I really appreciate the honesty of the pro's and cons. Gives much to think about. I'm contemplating multiple platforms (at least 2 to start). Thank you so much and continued success with your works!
Great video, easy delivery and loving the honesty. I didn't know that Etsy dealt with tax. That's interesting... I am debating about Etsy as use another lesser known platform atm and its been a good training ground.... But Etsy does seem to be the big move to make to grow... Hmmm
Thanks for watching Amy! Etsy does have some issues, as you saw me moan about in the video there. But all that being said, it still has a lot going for it and I still find it a great tool to use for my own business so despite it's downside, I do recommend giving it a go. Good luck!
Brilliant video! You certainly have a way of making things crystal clear lol I have found this so useful to the point where I'm actually having second thoughts about where and how I sell my business. Thank you so much!
As a college student that makes earrings as a side-hustle, I'm considering moving to Etsy, but I'm concerned about the fees. From what I've seen here and In other videos it sounds like it should pretty okay, at least for what I'm working towards. A side business to get me through extra spending and also a creative outlet, I don't think working towards a website is doable for me because I'm not looking to do this full time, I'm a student just trying to get by. This video helped me so much, thank you!
as an Etsy customer, I always wondered how sellers feel about Etsy so thank you for your honest video. Overall it seems they're a better platform than food delivery apps, for example, my sister has a restaurant in them and the fees are ridiculous. Oh and btw I am always interested in knowing more about the seller on Etsy, I see if they have Instagram, their Etsy page, and their location. As a customer, my favorite part is being able to buy stuff from creative people from anywhere in the world! If I am asked, I do say I bought from Etsy, but also where the artist is from
I’m surprised: in my experience Etsy takes about 10% of fee, And if this selling was from Etsy ad it could be even 15%! I am working with Etsy almost 10 years.
I think what's hard about the etsy that exists now (vs. 15 years ago when I first signed up) is that it's more geared towards places that have low cost labor or more mass produced "handmade" items at this point. It's really a disappointment. As a single person doing your handmade thing in a higher cost of living country like the US, there are real limits on how much you can make. If you can't automate or "farm out" some of your labor, you're stuck competing with places where the cost of living is a fraction of where you live and your items can seem overpriced until you find some niche where your items really aren't easily reproduced elsewhere or finding some items that you create and the market wants that are low priced (like digital content). I think etsy can be good for some exposure, but crappy for those of us that are still actually making handmade items. It's sad that they cannibalized their original intent in the search for more money. Thanks for this video!
Oh Melissa, I really feel you on this. This is it in a nutshell. I do wonder how much further Etsy can go with their 'compete with Amazon at all costs' model because as you say, Etsy exists as a handmade platform (or at least it was) and they're close to killing that off entirely. And then what? 🤷♀️
OMG... this is my first video of yours that I've stumbled upon. I must say, I could watch you talk about anything... even whale poop! Great video, very organized, great delivery, great humor, and every entertaining (and well edited). Well done my lady!!!!!!!! (yes, this one deserved that many exclams). (subbed immediately)
Would you agree with these pros and cons? What would you add yourself?
Great job capturing the pros and cons. I enjoy your quirky personality. 🙃 I’ve been actively selling for about 8 years on Etsy, and while I agree there are definitely some cons I find the pros outweigh them in the long run. I make jewelry so I’m in a massively saturated market, but I’ve found two mantras very helpful on my journey:
1. “What my competitors do is none of my business.”
2. “Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude”
While the fees definitely add up I am thankful they’re still manageable and I don’t have to spend hours upon hours marketing my products because Etsy takes care of a lot of that for me. I really loathe marketing 😑
Thanks again! I enjoyed your video!
@@nicholepartney3295 Those are excellent mantras Nicole! It sounds like you're coming at selling on Etsy with the perfect attitude, nice one! 👍
Yes I have you are working from Long time and you know everything about etsy yes you are successful seller az well thanks
Have the UK VAT changes post-Brexit changed anything? I'm so confused!
I don't believe so. As a small business it'll be down to Etsy to collect and distribute any VAT at the correct rates... I believe. But as you say it IS confusing. So much so that I'll be hiring an accountant from here on in. I do know that Etsy will be collecting EU VAT at the relevant post-Brexit rates from July 1st and we'll see these broken down in our finance sections.
Great video. Sure... there's cons, but if you can find a way to scratch your way to the top, the payoff can be enormous. We started our store in late 2019 and did maybe 100 sales over the first 6 months. The last 12 months, we've done 86,000 sales and are now ranked 180th globally on Etsy. It's been life changing, but also the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
THIS! This is exactly what it is to be an Etsy seller. 😄 It's no get rich quick scheme that's for sure but as you say, if you're prepared to do the grafting (and oh boy is there a lot of that!) then you can really make it work for you. Congratulations on your global ranking by the way, that is no mean feat! 💪
What do you sell ?
In my opinion as a customer, Etsy is a great alternative to Amazon for buying some products.
You've given every Etsy seller here hope and we love you! 😁 Suck it Amazon.
@@KimBliss 😁
They both suck and suck the blood out of the struggling middle class
Especially when you want something a bit more specific
" Dont put all your business eggs into the etsy basket" - love that, it's a very smart tips!
Thank you! It's my advice in a nutshell. 😄
What other baskets are available besides eBay?
That will depend on what you sell but off the top of my head, any other platform that you can sell on! Even craft fairs and brick & mortar shops.
@@KimBliss I'll be selling embellished face masks
the loss of shop identity is SOO true I remember I asked my friend once where she got something and she told me “etsy”
Yeah it's definitely a problem. Not helped by Etsy hiding individual shop names from search on the mobile app. It's things like that that make it harder for our brands to stand out.
@@KimBliss Does etsy allow you to link to your own website?
@@halfpiint Ok the simple answer is, I'm not sure currently. I know that at one point it was seen as ok.. then not. I *think* as it stands, you are encouraged to link to a website such as a blog as it can help with SEO etc, but it's not ok to link to a stand alone shop where you sell the same items as this is considered fee avoidance. However I strongly recommend that you have a look at Etsy's terms of service as I am not 100% sure what Etsy's current line on this is myself. If you're thinking of linking to a website where you also sell your items, I personally would err on the side of caution and avoid doing so.
@@KimBliss Thank you. No I'm not considering anything that causes stress. Just checking options before joining.
When celebs get stuff Etsy . I often hear Etsy and no mention of the shop or that it was a shop on Etsy
For the business identity thing; this can be alleviated through adding a card with your shop name and brand when shipping the product, even a small thank you note means a lot. This is what you’re not getting with Amazon, the feeling that your purchase was meaningful for more than just yourself and you feel great about it
I greatly appreciate a REALITY perspective... A number of things you have brought to my attention I never even knew existed.
I'm so pleased it was helpful for you! 😊
I'm working towards opening my own shop and this has helped alot to clear the fog of what lies ahead! But on top of that, it's made me more determined to say the shop name I buy things from over just "Etsy". Great video, thanks so much!
You're welcome and don't worry too much if you do say "Etsy". It's easily done and even I catch myself doing it occasionally! 🤭 By the way, your username is probably the best I've ever seen. 😄👌💚
@@KimBliss is esty good or try another website?
Etsy is definitely good to try. I've been using is for 14 years now.
@@KimBliss but I’m worried because people are say things is it best to us Shopify or just use esty
Here's the thing, no one can tell you what you should do because no one knows your business and understands your needs better than you do. Both Etsy and Shopify have pros and cons so I'd recommend doing some research into both and seeing what works best for you right now. And don't forget you can always change things later if you want to. Etsy is pretty good if you have a small budget to get started and a small audience because eith Shopify you have to send all of the traffic there yourself. If you're just starting out you might find Etsy a better fit to begin with. 💚
Thanks for the info. Im a decorative artist and Im about to start selling my art. Etsy was the first choice that I have considered but I need to get all the info I can before starting. This was a very helpful video. Despite all the cons, I feel like it is worth a try. So thank you, I now feel a little more confident in getting my products out there.
It's definitely worth a try and don't pay my moaning any mind. The cons can be annoying for sure, but if I didn't make money on Etsy I wouldn't use it so it cant be all that bad. 😁 Good luck!
Hope your account is not suspended or closed.
Most honest Etsy review I have seen. On Etsy Facebook groups, so many shops not selling. Way too many sellers. X
Thank you, I'm glad you found it useful. Sellers will always have periods when sales may be down which can be down to a number of reasons, not always saturation. Sometimes Etsy are making tweaks to the algorithm, sometimes it's just a slow period for a particular niche.. and we can't underestimate the impact the pandemic has had on businesses too. People are starting to feel the pinch financially so we will be seeing periods of fewer sales. Hang in there though! It'll get better.
You just managed to talk me out of opening a Etsy shop. Thank you.
😂😂😂 You're welcome? Seriously it does have it's good points too as I also laid out in the video but yes, the cons do mean that everyone has a personal choice to make. 😊
'Mixed Media Girl' is leaving, too, as are a few others!
Apparently, Etsy is not so great anymore!!
I saw her video! Really sad and it's those bloody offsite ads that are doing it. Etsy pushed sellers over their pain threshold with that one. I still think it's a good place providing you're able to opt out of those, but unfortunately not everyone can.
Bugbear!? Is that slang for you or D&D lingo? ;)
@@tritun5154 I mean it as slang for something that annoys me. But a quick Google search has just informed me of its other meaning. 🤣
I know I'm a year late, but I do enjoy Kim's dramatic pauses and dry sarcasm. It's spot on for this topic.
Very informative and entertaining too. Such a lovely personality and a natural in front of the camera, funny, engaging, expressive, authentic, intelligent and beautiful.
Thank you! This is so insightful. Your comment responses are just as full of valuable nuggets. I think its 2 hrs I’m reading. I’m a long-time etsy seller who knew zip about how it actually works - basic things like SEO, tags etc. Zero knowledge. I’m in a very niche market. my sales come from my blog and IG like 70%. I’ve never taken an ad. Suddenly I had 2 ‘Best Sellers’ and I’m no longer under etsy’s radar. I’ve been crash coursing on youtube. I’m very grateful to you for sharing yr info and experiences. Very, very helpful.
You're very welcome Carol, I'm glad it's helped. And yup, I often lose myself in the comments here too! There are a lot of amazing sellers here though willing to share their experiences and knowledge. It feels just how the Etsy forums used to! 😁💚
Everyone keeps telling me to open an Etsy shop, your video was extremely helpful in my decision not to! Thank you 🙏
Kitty, same here. I considered opening an Etsy shop but began to hear of sellers' discontent starting with the "forced free shipping" policy about a year ago.
Good decision
I had an Etsy shop from 2012 - 2020 and did really well the first five-six years until the site started making changes. I left because of all the cons you mentioned, and the massive amount of resellers on there posting the same photos from Amazon. Your video was awesome, thanks for the work you put into it. :)
Aw you're welcome Jess, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have another email in my inbox right now from Etsy about something or another. I'm putting off reading it though as there's been so many new fees and what not lately. I don't want to hear about another one!
@@KimBliss I don't blame you. I feel like they come out with a new fee at least weekly. haha
I felt like I was getting great advice from a big sister thank you so much I’m planning on opening my shop in a few weeks when all my supplies arrives ♥️
Aw you're very welcome Lorena! And best of luck with your new shop when it opens. 💚😊
7:08 Right after you said “It’s gonna get salty” a sunchips commercial played
Really?!! Oh wow, the adsense algorithm is ON IT. 😄
Thank you for a really well organized and informative video. I keep going back-and-forth as to whether or not I should start an Etsy shop or take a different approach. After watching this I’m thinking both. Start with Etsy and grow from there. Thank you so much!
I think that's the perfect way forward Heather! Best of luck! 👍
Thanks for your opinions. I am considering an Etsy shop, but I noticed the saturation right away. I couldn't find a niche suited to my abilities that wasn't already covered by many vendors. After further examination I noticed that several of those shops seemed to be clearing out inventory or discounting far enough that I wouldn't want to produce anything at that price. I may come back to Etsy, but I will keep looking for now.
If it makes you feel any better that saturation is also a sign that the demand is there. You don't need an empty playing field in order to succeed, although it does make it easier! 😄 And as for the folks selling at ridiculously low prices (resellers mainly) I choose to simply ignore them and price what my item is worth. You can compete on quality and anything else that can make your item unique from the others. Don't give up! Focus on what makes your items unique to everyone else's and roll with that. 😊
Gaawwdd!! I love her PERSONALITY!!!! 💖💖 She's so quiet and cute and energetic and... calm-ish.... :) ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!! AAAAHH!! But I loved this video!! Thank you for making it!! ❤️
Oh my gosh this comment made me smile! Thank you for watching Kay and I'm chuffed you enjoyed it! 😁💚x
Just started my Etsy shop. You voiced some of my “con” concerns. I was just thinking today that maybe having my own website also was a good idea! Thank you for the video 😀
You're very welcome Colleen and yes, I can't recommend working towards building your own website enough. Best of luck!
how much does a website cost?
The annoying answer is, it varies from platform to platform based on what you want to do. My advice would be to research some website platforms, find their fees and compare that with how much you're paying each month in Etsy fees. If you find you're paying more in Etsy fees than you would be to have your own website, it's time to look into crossing over. 💚
Thank you for taking the time to educate us based on your experiences! Xoxo
You're welcome Carmen! 💚
The concept is great, a market place where people can sell their own made goods. The practice is very similar to a swapmeet. They charge the customer to enter and the seller to have a spot. It stops there though, here with technology they found a way to squeeze every cent out. It's a decent place to start, but I agree branch out. Start looking into your own online shop, etc. As for crowding, now people are running full online campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, RUclips to drive there sells and that is getting crowded.
In my experience I've had great success over only a few months by promoting myself on Instagram, posting my products almost daily, building a following there and in turn my sales come from the people who follow me on my social platforms. Definitely have to put the work in, promote yourself, take quality pictures, and once you find a good niche you will be making sales. Especially over Christmas I made atleast 3000 in the November and December months. On top of my full time job. I make handmade and hand sewn items like fabric decor, gnomes, tiered tray decor, and there is a huge niche of people who love that stuff and repeat buy. But I stress, you must make sure you create and post regularly on social media and your sales will come. Good luck! I've had nothing but positives come from Etsy
A caveat about "giving" coupons: if you haven't set up abandoned cart or thank you coupons before your first sale, you cannot send coupons later. They do not back-date coupons. If you see that an item is in someone's cart, if you set up abandoned cart coupons, they won't get it.
How can you tell if an item is in someone’s cart?
Sometimes you will see a notification under your item on the homepage but as this is a visual nudge for buyers we don't see it consistently. However if you set up an abandoned cart coupon Etsy show you how many people the coupon went out to. What you can't see is who it went out to for privacy reasons.
greetings from indonesian etsy seller:) I love how cheerful you are to encourage all of us here, well spoken! Thanks
Greetings! Thanks so much for your kind words, I'm glad you liked it. You have to try and stay cheerful when it comes with Etsy sometimes. 😁💚
You a good teacher. Great energy. I start sewing custom products for fun to help my depression and more and more people order. I’m so not good with money. I am an amazing sales and PR person. Like you said, I’ll try it. We will see.
Thank you and good luck with your shop! It really can be a great place to get started. 👍💚
Great video! I am getting as much information as I can before I start my etsy shop. You have given me some good information. Thank you
You're welcome Enid! Etsy can be a pickle sometimes but I still maintain that it's one of the best places to get started selling homemade online. 😁👍
I just recently started my Etsy page and I've only made family sales so far. I keep adding items onto Etsy that differ enough from other people's art/handmade items. I hope I can eventually have enough income to start a website but as for right now, Etsy is the best I can do.
Also, the video was great! Thank you for making it and breaking down the pros and cons of it
You're welcome Bryanna! The way you've started out is exactly how most people do so while it may not feel it, you're right on track! This is a quiet period of the year for a lot of people (myself included) so don't be disheartened if sales are hard to come by right now. It gets busier in the lead up to the holidays so now is a great time to prep for that. I'll be starting my Christmas prep next week. Fingers crossed for us both and good luck with your new shop! 👍💚
@@KimBliss I just opened my own shop/page too a few days ago and I hope I have more sales eventually too(also don’t ruin this for me with this video because I already jumped into this)
@@alibrennan5977 Ali love, you're dealing with Etsy now. Time to armour up! 😄
As of your video and the last one I watched I will tell you this, Etsy can buzz off I’ll find another way like some of the things you mentioned! With that thank you so much for the help I definitely appreciate it all
You just made me laugh into my coffee Jenny! 😄 I'm glad the video was helpful. 💚
@@KimBliss lol 😂 glad I made you giggle lol
Thankyou for that, really good. I had my suspicions about the cons and pros.
My sister and I have a new Etsy shop, less than a month old. Lots of views and visits but only one small sale.
I have started looking elsewhere to advertise my wares, trying to get active, to keep the momentum going.
But your vid has helped me a lot.
It is tough in the beginning but if you're getting any traction at all at this early stage then believe me that is a good sign!
I've likened it to pushing a rock up a hill. Over time the rock gets smaller and easier to push, but right at the start.. it's work! 😄💪💪💪
Just found your channel, you are great at giving info and hilarious!♡
Why thank you very much! It helps to have a sense of humour when dealing with Etsy I find. 😄
@@KimBliss agreed! Do you offer services for helping with Etsy related sales by chance?
Thanks for asking!
I have a course but it's on need of updating and I'm going to be moving it to a new platform shortly. I will be letting everyone know when that's launched though so keep an eye out for that! 😉
I loved the ending "not you Etsy" Lol, that gave me a good laugh.
They get very little love and smiles from me these days! 😄
🤣🤣
Loved this! First time watching your channel and loved your energy and explanations. You’re so right about all the fees adding up - they are sneaky!!
Aw cheers Ruby! Yeah Etsy does like their fees don't they? "Excuse me seller, did you just sneeze? Because we've just introduced a sneeze fee!" I shouldn't joke.. they might be watching and think it's a good idea. 😄💵
I am in the process of starting my business and I found this video very honest and helpful. Thank you for taking me through the pros and cons of starting a business with Etsy x
You're welcome Zena. As much as I moan about Etsy, it still feels like the best place for handmade sellers starting out right now. Good luck! 💚
Very well presented and informative.I love your delivery.
Thanks so much!
😂 very entertaining video. Would love to see a video about your daily workflow, how you organise your time daily/weekly/ monthly to run your business, what tasks you prioritise, what type of goals you have set for your business and how you stay on track. 🐧
Oh that's a great idea! Unfortunately it might have to wait a while as my current daily workflow pretty much consists of eating all the snacks and wondering what day it is. We're in lockdown here and it's really messing with things! 😁 But one day for sure. Thanks for watching. 💚😊
@@KimBliss Same here. Im in the UK too. 😂 Looking forward to things getting back to normal. x
Thank you for posting this! I started selling on Etsy December 2020 with my photography and canvas paintings. The bulk is only prints at the moment and for me it works great. Only because I use a company that offers the drop shipping. I use Instagram/facebook as my platform for advertising and its been working well. I don't get a lot of sales thus yet, but for me charging 20 cents is much better than running and operating a website where I can initially be paying close to 30 a month to sell my products. Maybe over time I'll make the switch over, but for now Etsy works for me. I was watching horror you tube videos of people getting screwed over by Etsy because they couldn't mass produce, but in reality you cannot be mad at not having the upkeep, its your priority to have that..Especially if its handmade artwork. Its the whole concept of you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. I am however thinking of using my paintings on Ebay as a bid platform to gain money because they are a one of a kind. Thank you for the video, you explained things I was thinking or hesitate on.
I'm so glad you found the video helpful Marcy. You're absolutely right with the back scratching metaphor too. 😁 Etsy's policies can be a pain but as a starting point it's still a good platform for sellers. 💚
The thing is if you are beginner it is much cheaper to use some platform like Etsy. Because even if you spend all the money to open your own website, and you manage to attract some customer they still might click on Amazon or Etsy and try to find the same product cheaper. That's just how people work. And the fees are much worse when you have your own website (hosting, domain, transactions fees, advertising, google seo..etc). Etsy is great place to learn.
Exactly this. I don't think people realise that websites are something to work towards rather than jump straight into. You need the budget, the time and energy to work on it plus an established audience. It's next level. 👍💚
Very well summarized all the pros and cons. Thank you for putting it all together.
You're very welcome Megha, thanks for watching! 💚
What a great video for someone considering starting a new handmade business. I love your personality and how you let it come through in your video.
Aw cheers Robb, that's really kind of you to say. 😁
Etsy was such an amazing choice for me. I started a couple week ago and have almost made an extra £300 ontop of my regular wage. It's amazing
This is really great to hear! With so many changes on Etsy and people finding it harder to break through it's great to hear from folk who are making it work. 😊💪
Wow. It must be what you're selling. Been on Etsy since 2017 and sales are now drip drip. Congrats on your current accomplishments.
@@KritTeekDeZigns thank you so much. I had quite a following on my social medias (Instagram - 5.4k and Twitter- 3.2k). And I'm part of a lot of groups on Facebook where I advertise very often so that's definitely helped me !
@@wintershowling7591 can you please guide me on how to start etsy shop (selling digital prints is my idea)
@@essymwende1203 hey! Setting up a shop is super easy! Download the sell on Etsy app. And follow the instructions! There's a bunch of RUclips videos available for setting up shops. Make sure your pictures for listings are top notch and you tag everything appropriately so it reaches your audiences well! I'm sure you'll do amazing!! Let me know your shop name when you set up so I can check it out! Good luck!!
Very good points. People forget that they should concentrate on pushing their own website and real shop. You loose identity on eBay, Etsy, Amazon, you may sell, but in the long run, you end up making them more relevant than yourself. Concentrate on building a trendy website, pay google to advertise and rank it high, hand out flyers to local customers depending on your product. If you have a real shop, the better because hopefully there's no competitor next door meaning all the local customers will come to you only - zero shipping cost, zero fee, direct relationship with your customers :)
Plus, you simply cut off the online copycats who view your page only to copy your ideas in order to improve their inferior products, giving you false analytic illusion that oh your views are rising and will turn into sell. You forgot another important cons, the hackers giving you false analytic reading and who will pose as potential buyers and oh, non of these online platforms will advise or protect you about hackers - short story, they're all leaving off you really.
Agreed. That's why you have to see it as a tool that you can use to build your own business rather than it making up your entire business all in itself. You're on it Franck! 👍
I appreciate a lot what you’re doing here, hi from Central America btw. Good video, I’ve been creating new strategies and analyzing about online shops and all that abs this video was really helpful. ☀️
Hey Christian, I'm glad you found it helpful. Thanks so much for watching! 👍😁
I agree about both of your pros and cons of the fees. I have finally figured out which percent comes out of which amount and then what the total fee amount Etsy would take. However, listing for only .20 cents is great.
It's a tricky one isn't it? There are so many things I love about Etsy and then there are some things (such as some of the issues surrounding fees) that just make me want to throw my laptop at them. To be fair, I think the pros outweigh the cons and fingers crossed that will continue!
Have you been able to actually balance their statements with what the fees are supposed to be? I’ve never been able to actually reconcile them.
I confess to only really trying once and it was complicated but yes, I was able to. That being said this was back in 2019 so it'll be interesting to see how this has changed, if at all when I reopen the shop!
I just sold my first item the other day, luckily a much cheaper one than my higher priced items - I was SO shocked at how much they took!! Definitely not sure I'm up for selling on etsy anymore :(
Ah good old Etsy. Low(ish) fees but so many of them that it really bites. 😖 Congrats on that first sale though. Have you used an Etsy fee calculator to help price your items and work out how much your pay in fees? I use one from a site called crafty base which helps no end. 💚
Hi, could you give a example of how much they took overrall? How much was the cost and how much did they take? What did you walk away with? Thanks
Yes! Especially for folks who sell smaller items!
@@jennymeade8786 Etsy's fees are not that difficult to understand. There is a .20 cent listing fee per listing (renews or ends in three months I think...for another .20 cents), 5% transaction fee when you sell an item, and 3% (of item price and what you charged customer for shipping if you didn't offer free shipping) plus .25 cents for payment processing fee, and that's it. So, in short, .20 cents listing fee, 5% transaction fee, and 3% + .25 cents for payment processing. Other than that, there is only the offsite adds for shops making over a certain high dollar amount of 15%. For example...
Your item = $5.00 (example is for single item. If you have 10 if the same exact item that's one listing)
Etsy fees:
.20 cents listing fee
5% transaction fee when you sell an item = .10 cents
3% + .25 cents for payment processing = .15 cents + .25 cents = .40 cents
Total fees: .70 cents
You clear $4.30 (This is gross sales, not profit, unless it didn't cost you anything to make your item. Otherwise you have to deduct you product cost from the this.) Let's say it cost $1.00 to make your item. Then that leaves you with $3.40 profit.
Hey Robert, unfortunately you forgot VAT (and other versions of this) that are tacked on to many of these fees for some sellers. Trust me, it adds up! 😄
As someone trying to start an Etsy SHop and figure out how everything works, I'd like to Thank you so much for this video
You're so welcome! I know I listed Etsy's cons in this video but I still maintain that it's a good place to get started selling handmade online. 😁👍
Thank you so much! I had no idea about anything...now all of my questions were answered!
I want to start selling handmade jewellery on etsy. Your video is really helpful.
I'm glad it helped. Thanks for watching! 💚👍
Thank you for taking the time to explain things in detail!
You're very welcome! 😊👍
Nice to see a balanced viewpoint for once! Well done!
Thank you. 😁
finally a video that is realistic, not only about how I made a fortune on Etsy, without mentioning the cons. Thanks a lot :-)
You're welcome. I'm always a bit suspicious of those "make a kabillion dollars on Etsy" type videos. I suspect their shop stats look very different!
Thank you for your open and honest thoughts and insight. I'm just restarting following the previous psychic purge a number of years ago. I've heard a bit of the drama already, so appreciated this very much. Love your accent which definitely sounds more English, not so Welsh, lol. (I used to live in the Rhondda, but also lived in Hants, Berks and Wilts.)
Haha, yes my accent is probably a topic for a whole other video as there's something of a story behind that one! And good luck with your return to Etsy. It definitely has its advantages providing you're willing to let some things slide (numerous fees etc, etc, etc 😋). Diolch am gwylio Lori! 💚
Great advice thank you, I have just found your channel and am going to binge watch🤣I have just opened my etsy shop so this was a big help I had no idea they done coupons I am going to look into that now, thank you so much for sharing, loved your personality. 😊
Oh wow Deborah that's a real compliment thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and got some value from it. Those coupons are really handy so definitely go and have a tinker with them. 😊👍
Helpful video. I’m still indecisive about starting my wholesale body butters on the platform but I am glad I stumbled upon this video
I've been using Etsy for 14 years now and I'm still indecisive about it so you're not alone! 😄
@@KimBliss 😀.
That was great it simplified my decision on starting an Etsy shop. Thank you!
You're welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful. 😁
Brilliant video! Loved your delivery - kept me really engaged. Thank You. Love your humour 😊
Cheers Yazied! I have to lead with my humour otherwise my presentation goes all wooden and I end up just sitting there, talking to the camera and not blinking.. it's not a good look. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching! 😁
Thank U so much. Great advice and I love your personality! I'm about to start an Etsy shop and your video was the first one I chose to watch. This info will help❤
Oh wow that's such a compliment thank you! I'm glad it helped. Etsy can be a pickle sometimes for sure but I still rate it as a good place to start a business. Good luck with your shop Mandy! 😊💚
You are a hoot! I really enjoyed this video, and truly appreciate your openness and candid opinions. They are spot on, and I’m pretty sure we could be BFFs! 😉
Aw Amy love what a gorgeous thing to say THANK YOU.😁 💚💚💚
Great video! I have my own bussiness since 4 years on social media and i think expending on Etsy is a great choice. Thanks for sharing pros and cons!
You're welcome Antonia! 😊💚
Yes! Really good list. I would add to the downsides: Etsy unfortunately also opened their door to non-handmade goods a few years ago with a policy change. So, not only is it saturated, but you are competing directly with goods that are not handmade and that are being priced and presented as if they are. (I think this is a downside to buyers, too, especially since many of them still see Etsy as selling ONLY handmade.) But, not having to figure out taxes for each buyer might just be enough to make up for that. 😉😅
Reselling in the handmade category has always been a problem on Etsy but nothing like it is now. And drop shipping is now an increasing trend I'm seeing too. Both go against Etsy's policies officially but I'm not seeing them do much about either. 🙄
@@KimBliss YES! So true.
I *have* managed to get Etsy to shut down a couple of flagrant offenders in my own field (I make papier-mache masquerade-type masks, so it's a pretty niche market and easy for me to find those that are blatant resellers), but doing so takes some real time and effort. In order to get them to pay attention, I have to report several items from the offending shop, including multiple links to the exact same item being sold elsewhere (ebay, amazon, etc.) within each report. After sending in a dozen or so of these, I then also report the shop as a whole. As you can imagine, this is often more headache than it's worth, so I've taken to just warning my own customers and followers to be aware that policy changes have meant they may not actually be getting handmade on Etsy anymore and to be savvy shoppers. Such a pain to put that onus on the customers, though.
That's terrible that they only took them down after you essentially did their work for them. What's the point of having policies if you're not going to enforce them?!
But well done for doing it. I live in hope that Etsy will do *something* about it soon otherwise they'll destroy the reputation of Etsy being a great place for handmade for good. 😔
@@amandacarroll2621 you should be ashamed of shutting down peoples livelihood just because your product cant compete.
Etsy will only remove the shop (or give them a warning) if they are in breach of policies. It's not unfair to expect all Etsy sellers to abide by the rules of the platform they sell on.
Thank you so much I really loved your informal video on quite a complex business topic. You made me laugh, you are so relatable and easy to listen to. Highly recommend it to my clients starting a new business.
Thanks so much Olivia, that's really kind of you to say! 💚
How nice to have a quiet factual video, so well presented. I have had an Etsy account for a long time and always thought Etsy was more leaning toward individual and handmade products but disappointingly I see a lot of mass produced knitwear and fashion on there.Frankly I am looking at somewhere that really deals with handmade items, or UK made items. I will move away from there this winter.
Hi Vivienne, are you UK based? If so you could try Folksy. I haven't sold on there for many years so can't vouch for how good a platform it currently is but it's both UK and handmade based so could be worth a look for you?
The most informative video amongst thw rest that I've read
Thank you ❤️
You're very welcome and thanks for watching!
Thanks for making this video. Loved the pros and cons side of Etsy.Cheers...
You're very welcome, glad you found it informative Tony. :)
I was your 1,000th subscriber‼️🥳 so congrats on 1k
Yeees! Thanks so much much for your support and putting a smile on my face this morning. Now I just have to figure out what comes next! 😄💚
Very insightful. Makes sense to use Etsy as a stepping stone.
As stepping stones go, it's a really useful one. 😊
You are awesome and those eyes are definitely a best seller! Great personality to boot keep up the good work ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love this video. It's light, thorough and effective. I agree with all of your pros and cons, but have managed to work around the free shipping thing. I looked at my conversion rate, and decided to spread out my shipping costs among my items. My free shipping minimum is less than Etsy's suggested and it seems to be working.
Thanks Beth and that's very cool regarding the free shipping! I might look to test this out myself once my shop is open again. Just need to get this pandemic out the way now.... Thanks for sharing! 💚
So helpful! Love your personality and clear advice 🥰🌿
Aw thanks Vanessa! 💚😁
Very helpful video ma'am! Definitely makes me think and see all the pros and cons. Love the accent as well! 😊 Thanks for sharing!
You're very welcome Brian and thanks for watching! 😁👍
Excellent, honest business evaluation. Thanks.
You're welcome Sandy. 😊
Thank you so much for this video! I have found it so straight forward and helpful! I'll look forward to more of your videos 😁
Aw thanks India! 😊
"Encouraged with a cattle prod" 😁 love it
Pretty much how Etsy introduce most of their policies these days. Not that I'm bitter. 😄
@@KimBliss I have looked at other art marketing sites and the same cons seem to come up every time.
That's a really interesting point actually and I think it's why, despite Etsy's cons I'm still happy to sell on there for the time being. They really aren't doing anything that many other platforms aren't also doing.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Etsy. I enjoyed your personable approach.
You're welcome, glad you found it useful! 😊
Seems a genuine feedback. Thanks
You're welcome! 💚
Oh my goodness I’m so glad I found your videos! Your personality is just awesome.
Thank you for making this! I’ve just started a POD shop with my own website and was thinking about adding another sales channel with Etsy. Seems like it may not be a bad idea, although I think I’ll have to raise prices a little to accommodate the, I dunno, Estyness? Haha.
The only thing I really hate about Etsy is that there is no such thing, at least for people on a small scale, as free shipping. So for them to boost those types of products was a bit shady. But we have to adapt. Aside from that, Etsy seems like a decent sales platform.
Thanks again!
Aw cheers Matt! And I love the use of the word "Etsyness", that is fantastic. 👌 I have to agree with you on the free shipping too, there's no such thing. You either pay for it in the shipping portion or it gets shifted into the cost of the item but the customer is paying for it regardless.
Etsy I believe have backed off on the free shipping 'encouragement' for now but what was really interesting is that when I reopened my shop recently and added a new shipping profile, Etsy prompted me to complete a short questionnaire asking if there was anything they could do that would change my mind about offering free shipping. So I expect them to be returning to this subject in the not too distant future. 🙄
Still, other than those blips of 'Etsyness', yeah it's a good place to start. Thanks for watching!
@@KimBliss There's no other way to describe it, really. Good or bad, it's the essence of Etsy. Etsyness. Haha.
So I set up my shop a couple of hours ago and, while it wasn't an initial suggestion, they did just ask me if I wanted to provide a free shipping guarantee for my shop. As you can guess, they say it will give me "priority in search," or something to that effect. So all in all, they're up to their old tricks. But I'm fine with it, especially as it's just another channel for me to sell on. I can adapt.
Anyway, thanks for the response and I hope you're having a wonderful evening!
Thank you for explaining this. I have been reading all the policies and going crosseyed so thank you.
Yes there are a lot of them! 😄
Love your presentation! Clear, concise and to the point. Very informative, too. (I despise "chatty" videos.)
Thanks Lori!
So helpful thank you!
You're welcome Kristina! Thanks for watching. 😊💚
You're close to being monetized! Congratulations! Your videos are very helpful!
Thanks Mariana! I can't quite believe so many have decided to join me for the ride and I'm not really sure what comes next but it'll be fun to find out! 😁💚
Thank you for this, it was really helpful.
You're welcome Catherine, I'm glad it helped!
Very helpful video, thanks for making it. I was looking for a good video about opening a first time shop. I’m thankful yours popped up.
I'm glad it helped Ashley, thanks for watching! 😊💚
Excellent video that explains the current situation for new and not so new Etsy sellers. Thank you. Great sense of humour too.
Cheers! I'm glad you enjoyed it. 😊
I appreciate a person, especially a woman, who gets straight to the point and makes logical relevant points. This video was very informative. subscribed liked and now commented!!!
Oh dear. I'm very happy to have you on board Craig (welcome!) but getting to the point is not my strong point... as you will soon see when you watch a couple more videos. I must've got lucky with this one! 😄 Thanks for watching!
I’m UK based and my accountant has calculated that all the various “complicated” Etsy fees you talk about, total around 20%. AND, if you sell something through Offsite ads, it’s another 12 or 15% depending what level of Etsy sales you’ve had in the past 12 months. Many many sellers do not realise this. Be aware folks
Yup! As I said it can definitely add up. Although it has to be said that it's not going to be 20% for each and every seller so each will have to do their own math.
Yikes!! My ebay fees have been a solid 13% for years, even with the managed payments (they were 9% with roughly 3% PayPal fees, although I took a lot of hits on sales less than $10.). Add in shipping, and my total costs are roughly 30% of gross. Not too bad.
Wait, are you telling me that if you made about 10,000 dollars and they kept 2,000 dollars? If I understand the math.
@@pmg1180 - in the UK, round about that, yes. My accountant actually calculated for me it is a total of 18.87% fees. In the UK, Etsy also charge us VAT on all the different fees. I don’t know what total fees are charged in other countries
I use a fees calculator for just this reason . So many hidden costs 😫
First time watching your channel and I've now subscribed. Love your explanations and energy.
Aw thank you! 😊💚
Very informative! I really appreciate the honesty of the pro's and cons. Gives much to think about. I'm contemplating multiple platforms (at least 2 to start). Thank you so much and continued success with your works!
Thank you and good luck to you to!
Thanks so much. So informative!
You're very welcome, I'm glad you found it useful!😊
Great video, easy delivery and loving the honesty. I didn't know that Etsy dealt with tax. That's interesting... I am debating about Etsy as use another lesser known platform atm and its been a good training ground.... But Etsy does seem to be the big move to make to grow... Hmmm
Thanks for watching Amy! Etsy does have some issues, as you saw me moan about in the video there. But all that being said, it still has a lot going for it and I still find it a great tool to use for my own business so despite it's downside, I do recommend giving it a go. Good luck!
Clear, good advice, and very well presented. Plenty of food for thought.
Thanks for watching Kezia! 💚
Brilliant video! You certainly have a way of making things crystal clear lol I have found this so useful to the point where I'm actually having second thoughts about where and how I sell my business.
Thank you so much!
You're welcome Julie, thanks for watching! 😊
As a college student that makes earrings as a side-hustle, I'm considering moving to Etsy, but I'm concerned about the fees. From what I've seen here and In other videos it sounds like it should pretty okay, at least for what I'm working towards. A side business to get me through extra spending and also a creative outlet, I don't think working towards a website is doable for me because I'm not looking to do this full time, I'm a student just trying to get by. This video helped me so much, thank you!
I'd definitely recommend giving Etsy a go for sure, especially starting out with a side hustle. Good luck with your shop Lizmarie! 💚
it’s a good way of learning business and how to run one
as an Etsy customer, I always wondered how sellers feel about Etsy so thank you for your honest video. Overall it seems they're a better platform than food delivery apps, for example, my sister has a restaurant in them and the fees are ridiculous. Oh and btw I am always interested in knowing more about the seller on Etsy, I see if they have Instagram, their Etsy page, and their location. As a customer, my favorite part is being able to buy stuff from creative people from anywhere in the world! If I am asked, I do say I bought from Etsy, but also where the artist is from
Oh my gosh the food delivery apps must be another level fee-wise!
Edwinconsult __ on Instagram helped improved my sales.. I’d recommend
Informative, fun and sweet! Thanks and keep it up :)
You're welcome! 👍
Valuable information shared in a funny and entertaining way. Love it!! Thank you for sharing and making it fun to watch! 🥰🤭
You're welcome Leticia! Thanks for watching. 💚😁
I’m surprised: in my experience Etsy takes about 10% of fee, And if this selling was from Etsy ad it could be even 15%!
I am working with Etsy almost 10 years.
They do add up don't they. It's still just about cheaper than the alternatives online, but only just.
I think what's hard about the etsy that exists now (vs. 15 years ago when I first signed up) is that it's more geared towards places that have low cost labor or more mass produced "handmade" items at this point. It's really a disappointment. As a single person doing your handmade thing in a higher cost of living country like the US, there are real limits on how much you can make. If you can't automate or "farm out" some of your labor, you're stuck competing with places where the cost of living is a fraction of where you live and your items can seem overpriced until you find some niche where your items really aren't easily reproduced elsewhere or finding some items that you create and the market wants that are low priced (like digital content). I think etsy can be good for some exposure, but crappy for those of us that are still actually making handmade items. It's sad that they cannibalized their original intent in the search for more money. Thanks for this video!
Oh Melissa, I really feel you on this. This is it in a nutshell. I do wonder how much further Etsy can go with their 'compete with Amazon at all costs' model because as you say, Etsy exists as a handmade platform (or at least it was) and they're close to killing that off entirely. And then what? 🤷♀️
okay this was very helpful - and she's so entertaining to listen to!
Well now this has just made my morning. Thanks Grace! 😁💚
OMG... this is my first video of yours that I've stumbled upon. I must say, I could watch you talk about anything... even whale poop! Great video, very organized, great delivery, great humor, and every entertaining (and well edited). Well done my lady!!!!!!!! (yes, this one deserved that many exclams). (subbed immediately)
Well now that is a compliment thank you! 😄