Clarification: Etsy charges 3% payment processing fee plus 25 cents on the total. Then there is a transaction fee of 6.5% on top of that so a total of 9.5% plus 25 cents. You also pay the initial 20 cent listing fee plus a 20 cent auto renewal sold fee. So $65 cent on the first time sold and 45 cents for each sale thereafter. Etsy forces marketing fees if you ever make over $10K in sales. at an additional 15%. What that means is 24.5% off your entire sale including shipping fees plus 45 cents. That is higher than Amazon. Amazon is 15% transaction fee on handmade, no listing fees, no forced marketing fees, no listing fees, no renewal fees.
@PickleMcTavish maybe it meant digitally produced, like AI produced? I saw a news report and interview with their CEO who said they were tackling the influx of mass produced digitally rendered images flooding their site. I have digital downloads before but they are always digital prints of a hand made painting or instructions on how to make something.
I created an Etsy shop and listed an item before I realized this. They baited me in with a fake claim of their fee structure and then expected me to stick around and sell my own handmade work at a loss. I took down my store in the first week because I knew it just wouldn't be possible to make any money at all with Etsy.
Etsy USED to sell only handmade and vintage goods. In the beginning they were diligent in deleting listings that did not meet their criteria but the mass market sellers started posting items quicker than etsy could delete them.
Etsy started to change in 2017. It is all about making as much money as they can. Their new focus is helping people find the perfect gift. Large business, drop shippers, AI generated items are on every single search. The algorithm no longer shows the newest item first or renewals. It shows listings with favorites, purchases, that have 25% off sales or even higher if you offer free shipping for everything over $35.00. It shows paid ads before it will show any listings in search terms. The challenge is that you may not make a profit. Making sales doesn't mean you are making a profit after all of your costs and fees. It may feel like it, but you are not and that means you have to keep chasing the dollar and constantly listing new items, changing tags and titles to be seen in raw Etsy searches. For many the market is flooded on Etsy with duplications, every page looks the same just a different shop at a different price point. Research shows that the number of people going to Etsy looking items has dropped or is no longer viable or there are so many items in the category that you have 0% chance of ever being seen in that category. You constantly have to spend time reviewing all of your key words and their ratings. Even then you may never be seen in raw Etsy searches. What the testing shows is that if set up Etsy outside marketing option and you offer 25% off Etsy will pay for google ads for your listings that have favorites. They will charge you 15% off the sale including off of the shipping. Within 3 days of having sellable handmade products sales immediately increased all driven by google ads. With 40% of the price up front sucked up plus an addition fee for percentage off the shipping, along with 9.5% in other fees, the remainder is 40% of the sale provided you are now not short on covering your postage. And you still have to deduct your costs. An item that sold for $48.00 yielded a return of $4.25 for 3 hours of work. Definitely not worth selling on Etsy. One could raise the price, but the market will not pay the higher price. Etsy has heard the complaints and is now set up share and save to reduce the fees of 9.5% base for each sale to 3% plus 25 cents if you use the reference add on. That still doesn't stop the 15% off fee for Etsy outside marketing if that buyer first came to your shop via a google ad, then saw your item again on another site that you advertise on. The first question of selling on Etsy, is it worth the time and energy. Second, what is the competition and will you be seen in raw Etsy searches as that is the goal. That means SEO research and application. Simply listing on Etsy will not yield results. Those days are long gone. Even this past Christmas season many commercial business didn't make as much on Etsy. Some less than 50% of what they sold in prior years. Etsy shoppers are looking for the new, fresh, different. Drop shippers or large companies with equipment that makes each items in a fraction of the time and cost of handmade are everywhere. So to vest ones time on Etsy should be done after careful consideration.
Yes! I remember. I used to help list and photograph for a metalsmith and it started in 2011. All of a sudden there were hundreds of the same thing at prices no one here couldn’t compete with.
It's definitely tougher now. Ive tried to sell turned wooden items and most of my items are lost in the sea of mass produced stuff that has killed the market place a bit.
it is a horrendous experience most newbies think they can somehow make money with them but save your time and money and sell pretty much everywhere else they are a joke.
I am selling on eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Shopify for more than 5 years and despite everything Etsy still brings in the highest revenue - ranges from 65-75% of my annual sales , so I'm not quitting it anytime soon
Yeah, it sucks that Etsy is the kingpin for handmade things because they absolutely suck with seller service. My shop has been shut down twice because they think I can’t handle the orders coming in. Which I’m getting things getting sent out on time! And when I contact seller support they can only be reached via email and only respond with a canned response after 2 business days.. and they literally don’t care that I have bills to pay for, wife and kids to take care of and I still have to pay for all the materials and shipping the products up front. Etsy is shit and I hate that I have to stick with them.
@@Painfulwhale360 oh man, I feel your pain as far as trying to reach an actual support person! Just went through it last night after they deactivated a listing I had just spent HOURS editing (a listing I have had in my shop for 6 years mind you, that has sold over 100 times)… after I finished updating all the prices, info, pics, etc., when I hit publish it said no longer available & “deactivated by Etsy”…. No email, no explanation, so I tried their help center and spent 2 hours trying every option to get the little “24 hour live chat” option to come up (they only give you that option for specific problems/categories if you keep selecting “I still need help”….) so I literally had to make up a different problem just to reach the link that allows sellers access to the chat feature. That is super shady to me. I get they want folks to try & troubleshoot first, but it shouldn’t be THAT hard! Ack, sorry for the rant, my initial point was to tell you if you need to reach someone, google “how to reach Etsy support” and they map out exactly which options you should select to have those links finally pop up for you! I’m sorry to hear it’s been a struggle with them… I didn’t know they could shut down your shop for “not keeping up with orders”?! It’s a scary thought since I tend to run late when it’s busy… I also have ADHD and am a single mom of 2, I’d be screwed royally if they did that - It’s hard to keep up when life gets hectic! 😮 I agree about paying fees & shipping directly out of each sale, I hate the way they set that up… used to get one bill for fees & labels each month, I’d love if they went back to that… but they won’t. Ever since Etsy went public, they don’t give AF about the sellers or even customers, they just want to make their cut & keep shareholders happy. Woof.
Thanks for sharing other options. Sadly Etsy is absolutely horrible!!!! I have recently learned how awful they have become and would never start my business there now. There is something to be able to just sell locally. Time to go back to way things used to be. Sell local and do it in cash. We the people are tired of getting screwed over on taxes and fees. It’s criminal! I’d steer clear of Amazon too. None of these apps and platforms really have your best interest in mind, never forget that.
@@debraressel6641 I feel that. People want to pay factory prices for handmade good. Places like Etsy, you dont even make money, you MIGHT make back what you spent in materials. The more you ask to help try to have an actual profit, no body wants to buy it. I love love to crochet and want to sell my items but selling them for the cheap prices people want versus what I myself spent on it between money and time. A large king sized blanket i made for example; I had loads of people trying to get it for 15$! Even a factory man king sized comforter doesn't sell for that cheap!
@@lorikeetvonshweet5669 I get it. The reason I started to sell was my husband. He wanted to know what I was going to do with all the things I was making. Sewing is good therapy for me. I start something and actually finish it! Lol No, but it is sad people do not see the time and cost involved in what you are selling. I would be ashamed to offer someone $15 for a handmade blanket. How then do these other people make the same thing and ask outrageous amounts of money (some claim to include $40 per hour for their time) while we just want a fair price? I guess it’s like you said. I just wish it could be different. Cause i refuse to try yard sales ect. I really want to just sell the items at a fair price and get to enjoy doing what I like to do.
True, cash is the way to go. The IRS always wants there cut but while the millionaires are finding more and more loopholes, the little guy can’t find one. It used to be honorable to hustle and have side incomes to help, not anymore. It just isn’t worth your time and effort.
I've just dumped my Etsy shop, 1 sale in the last 10 month's and after various fees and taxes along with postage, I was left with less than 50% of the product cost. eBay on the other hand, has brought in £100's in the last 90 days and I was selling on Etsy, exactly what I had on eBay !!!
When I pay my annual taxes is when it becomes apparent how much they do truly get. In addition to the commission fees, after all is said and done they get about 1/3 of my "Gross" income and I don't even advertise with them. After overhead and material expenses, I'm lucky to generate 30% of my Gross sales and Net Income and I'm charging far more than a 300% profit margin against my cost to make the goods. *"Very Depressing from where Etsy once was at"*
@@stevenfoulger6066 I have a couple of friends who do house clearance 's , sometimes the owner's ask them to throw out old or damaged furniture, as the council charges them to dump items, they're more than happy to give them to me. As I have open fireplaces, the unusable wood goes up the chimney. 👍👍👍
@@CottageontheCorner they bring the traffic to the shops they like. I swear they have my shop hidden despite my shop's SEO. Have you paid close attention to their emails, commercials, etc? If you're not popular, you're invisible, they don't care how good your pictures are or what you're selling. They just care about those that are bringing them the big bucks.
@@CottageontheCornerAs a fellow Etsy shop owner, I'd actually have to disagree on that. I've had 2 shops now going on 6 years and the fees have been doing nothing but consistently increasing. The fact that they take a percentage of shipping costs is also nonsensical and greedy. The 20 cent listing fee isn't the end of the world but some of the other fees are just getting ridiculous. Take this for example, this morning I woke up to a sale totaling $52.80 which consists of the 7 items I sold ($43.75 total), taxes (0.28 - New Jersey) and shipping ($8.77). Now, I'm not one those Etsy sellers that tries to make a profit off of shipping. Whatever the shipping in my shop calculates to (based on location... from me to the customer), weight and dimensions.. it is what it is. Out of that sale totaling $58.20, mind you... the $8.77 goes straight to the USPS once I purchase the shipping label, HOWEVER...Etsy took 6.5% of the shipping total (which means that in actuality, I now have to cover that cost out of my own pocket, to make up the difference). In addition, there's a 6.5% "transaction fee" on each of the individual 7 items ($2.85 total), cc processing fee which they state is 3% of the order total + .25¢ ($1.83), then the listing/re-listing fees ($1.40). At the end of it, I was left with $43.02, which when you deduct the cost of the item... labor (aka my time to make the products), gas (to go to my studio warehouse as well as the post office), packaging, labels, shipping supplies (box, tape, etc), I probably made about $30 profit from that sale which isn't terrible. I'm grateful for Etsy but honestly, at the end of the day, Etsy is making MILLIONS of $$$ off of us and I haven't heard any stories of an ETSY seller really coming up in the world. I'm sure there may be a few out there but I don't know them. I continue to keep my stores because it keeps me busy and motivated, alongside with my main business. I'm definitely not there because I'm raking in the dough. 🤣 I like to make my customers happy and I pride myself in being a star seller. I hope your Etsy journey will be a positive and successful one! :)
First Question to Answer: Where is your customer going to look for your product? Where will they go to find you? No matter what platform is most affordable, it will mean nothing if your customer can't find you or doesn't look for you on that alternative platform. Start with the popular venue first, then branch out to other venues once you have a customer base.
I've spent so much time pondering this question and decided to go with the Etsy Plus plan. Figuring I'll focus on Etsy and Instagram. My decision was made after Copilot confirmed that's where most go looking for what I will be selling.
There's also My Community Made! There are no listing fees, no commission fees, and fast customer support. They only charge $5 per month for 50 listings. USA based only. Everything sold on the platform has to be handmade or vintage, and you get your money quickly (within a day or two of sale).
Owning your own store is not the answer. I had my store since 1999. You have to build it (OMG). You have hosting fees, gateway fees, transaction fees. And the biggest problem was security. My store was getting hacked several times a month. With Shopify, eBay, and Estsy, I have never been hacked. The fees they charge is worth not building and maintaining my own site. Trust me!
I will second this information. The added hidden costs of running an online shop on Shopify and others are the many fees your stand alone shop will require just to operate besides the monthly fees: shipping and purchase apps must be paid for, among other issues. I never shut down the Etsy shop (since 2008) and use it now as my selling site. Even there, don't count on the Etsy search to help a customer find your shop and product, that needs to be done by you, just like running a Shopify storefront. p.s. I also sell on Ebay, which can be surprisingly successful (better search than Etsy, shoppers will find you more easily on Ebay)
Don’t forget to include what PayPal takes, around 3%, when you sell something. So, it’s not just that these places take their cut. On top of that PayPal will take their cut.
Etsy allowed Asian factories on the platform to boost it's value before going public on the stock exchange. The original purpose of being a platform for craftsmen went out the window in favor of share price. Then the subtle fee increases, referral fees and the like, and giving preference in searches to free shipping steadily eats away at the profit of the people actually doing the work so that investors can profit for doing nothing.
Yeah, I'm not feeling it anymore. I've had 2 shops for over 5 years now. It initially started off slow (as I expected) but then got busy and i was pulling in a good deal of sales daily & weekly on a consistent basis for years. Then during Covid, I was bringing in more money in a month than the average that my marketing company that I've had for 13yrs was doing. Fast forward to Nov 2023, I took a brief leave from Etsy because I typically have to go out of the country for work for 2 months from Mid Nov - Mid Jan and once i returned, I lost my start seller badge (which I've had since day 1 of it starting), I've noticed that the fees are higher, then they put my account on a "reserve" for about a month becauae they found it odd that all of a sudden i was making sales... Duh, that's what happens when your shop's open and available to customers. 🙄 Now fast forward to May, the traffic's died down because all of my loyal and repeat customers have made their purchases. I barely come up in searches and for some strange reason now, I've only had 1 sale in the past week. 😡 It wasng down this slow when I first stated and had absolutely NO customers or marketing budget. I just checked my shop and I'm at $7 net profit for the MONTH. Wth!?
Etsy also takes part of your cost of shipping ( all fees add up to almost 13% per sale) AND they can and DO put your account in reserve for all new sellers AND whenever they want for all sellers. For 90 days they hold min 75% of your money even if you've made a sale. Better hope you have enough supplies in case you draw the shot straw.
Sandra what do you mean by putting your account in reserve? I have not had a sale in almost 30 days. I can’t help but think they have something to do with that. They keep wanting me to sign up for other things with them and I haven’t, so maybe by not advertising ect. It’s their punishment?
while I agree that etsy charges way too much, you can't simply add 6.5% fee twice, and make it 13%. That's not how math works. 6.5% on the sale + 6.5% on the charge would be exactly the same as 6.5% on sale + fee.
*It is crazy what's happened to Etsy. Once an all Artisan site has gone the way of eBay and a large following of resellers who buy products from Amazon, Aliexpress and Alibaba for instance are reselling on Etsy 😢 . I've been ranked in the Top 1% of all Etsy Sellers for the last 11 years according to eRank Analytics however I to have seen a major decline in traffic. Where I originally was selling an average of 130 Handcrafted Rings per day, I now am lucky to get 6 sales a day yet still ranked in the Top 1% of all Etsy stores so the question isn't why did my sales decline, but rather where did Etsy buyers go and I think it's again due to the lack of enforcement on those who are turning it into a reseller site for pretty much anything and not Artisan / handcrafted product direct any longer.*
I'm fairly new to Etsy. I haven't liked my experience with them. At any rate, they do appear to have left their artisan/handcrafted roots. I have been active for a few months with 0 sales.
@@drinkinslim That seriously sucks but I'll tell you from experience, it typically isn't your product or art that isn't selling, it's typically the way it's marketed. I have a degree in marketing from UCLA and find that a full time job here doing heavy analytical research and using utilities to compare our keywords, how we present our ads, keeping up to speed with Etsy's constantly changing algorithms all to keep that leading edge. In fact Etsy just changed their edge again and it has to do with how now all photos should be shown with a white background and nothing busy around it because they in turn will lead other customers who are looking at "similar items" (thus the reason their AI recognition needs a plain white backdrop) in order to recommend your ads to others. Well when you have a thousand items for sale and each ad has or should have 10 pictures and 1 short video each, that comes out to 10,000 new photos for someone like me and not as simple to do even with all the additional tools and services I pay for in bulk editing, etc and can take months. This is just one example of tweaking to get your ad to work right with Etsy if you are a seller but the changes are limitless. I even belong to a number of Etsy academies and sites to constantly be up to date and just like you, I've seen a massive decline in sales like mentioned previously. I went from an average of 135 sales a day to around half a dozen to maybe a dozen a day and I'm working "really hard" 17 hours a day, 7 days a week to get those! On an important note I'll share is despite what others are selling their items for, don't get into a bidding war with them. You're going to fine as I have many times through the years where I will lower my prices, have constant sales and as I battle against competition thinking this will win me more sales that it only "undervalues my product" and almost every single time without fail, I'll roll back to a much higher price and ironically will double my sales because at the end of the day, while there are a few people looking for the best price of something, most feel they are getting the best quality and craftsmanship if they pay for it by picking the higher priced item. Proof of this is in my income. Despite going from 135 sales a day to less than a dozen a day, my income is still on the incline annually and I make far more today than I did years ago despite the decline in numbered sales. Instead of selling rings at $40 each, I'm selling a single ring at $400. It simply makes one sale equate to ten. Hope this helps.
@@PatriotCoinRings Thank you very much for your comment! Can you suggest any good Etsy academies and sites that are worth joing? Thank you and have a great day.
Yeah, I don't know why all of these kind of people keep stating Shopify as an alternative to a Marketplace. It's ridiculous. I don't even know why people talk about Shopify at all. You can just have your own hosting account and throw any ole shopping cart software on it and not pay that monthly fee.
@@CS-uc2ohIf you have a store hosted on any platform, you still have to pay a monthly or yearly fee. And you would also need to pay for a shopping cart app and money processing fees (like to Stripe or PayPal, etc.)
I was on Etsy from the beginning. Yesterday I sold a $55 product and netted less than $20 after a small $9 postage fee and their ASTROnomilogical fees!! That's ludacris!! Never again. Etsy will fail!
@Mia Pia I'm really hurt😪. #1 I've been an Etsy seller since 2005 and #2 a You Tuber since 2008, you joined YT a week ago?? Are you a bot or a hired Etsy employee?
@Mia Pia And I reported your comment as misinformation, simply because this is indeed the internet and you had every means of asking me if I was being sarcastic.
@@paulcarr2207 they bumped up the processing fee to 6.5% it was only 2.5% before they’re becoming money hungry and the market this year was ultra low compared last year
and that’s not even the worst yet, they are now adding taxes at checkouts. the buyers and sellers are both paying for the platforms’s taxes. which is not there before.
Also half the shops are cover stores for Chinese manufacturers and products are being imported and labeled as handmade by them when they aren’t and also being drop shipped. The site no longer has anything to do with actually supporting small businesses/artisans.
The same as mine!!! After 5 years and 5000 sakes they close mine store too!;) and I stopped to produce anything, my motivation was killed. Now I would like to start again 5 years later.
A couple of years ago I had a shop on their and it actually was starting to get traffic. I had all 5 star reviews, it was great and I was excited. Well there was a family emergency and I had to go stay with my sister for around 4 months to help her with her kid and sick husband. I put my shop on Vacation Mode so I could reopen it when I was home. Didn't think about it after. Well when I got back and situated, got on Etsy and had a plethora of nasty messages and horrible reviews for missed orders. For some reason, they did NOT put my shop on Vacation, so people were ordering and thinking I was ignoring them, trying to steal their money etc. It was a nightmare, knocked my shop down to 1 star rating. I could NEVER really speak to a real life person. Finally after many many emails they sent me some bullcrap email, apologizing for the 'technical error' on their part but the damage was done. They wouldn't remove all the bad reviews, despite the mistake being on their part. My shop's reputation was ruined, and I ended up having to personally write EACH person an apology email explaining what happened, but in the end I had to close my shop and to ever be able to sell again, (as I was on other social media and the backlash followed) I had to completely rebrand, what a mess. I just honestly gave up for a long time and at my partner's support am just getting back into it. Was going to give Etsy another shot, but I have noticed there are a lot of people selling seemingly mass-produced stuff, I think it will be a backup but I want to sell locally in person and hope to get into some local stores. Idk.
I had a tough time in the beginning, but I have three shops, and I was able to make a lot of money in one of them. It’s trial and error sometimes and it’s learning and evolving but it’s really worth it for some people.
Same - but in my case I think it is because I didn't have a niche (still don't). I'm more of an "Emporium/General Store" artist. I think people with certain niches do very well on Etsy. However, even those have to be constantly on alert for scammers coming through and coopting their products and undercutting sales. I never made a profit and it never generated any additional leads for me in other ways. And now it is SOOOOO big. Same for eBay. I've decided to just build out my own shop (NOT on Shopify - which is outrageously expensive), and attend local craft fairs.
You said Amazon had a strict application policy, when I searched for crotched items I got a large number of China items that are so cheap I could not possibly compete with it.
I'm noticing that on e-Bay as well. You have to sift through pages and pages of junk items from Chinese sellers to land on a true vintage or hand crafted item even though you searched with key words. It's insufferable and I don't look for much online anymore, preferring to look in local shops. I've given up selling on e-Bay and Etsy for the bait and switch fee structure.
May I suggest something? Add your own photo and profile introducing yourself. Some ppl prefer to support someone they see and learn about than say, faceless stors with cheap goods. Good luck.
@@williamlee7782 I have to disagree with that . Most people think little about giving their money to some huge faceless corporation. But when it comes to some single individual, they don't want to help make that guy "rich" at their expense. I have run up against that in my crafting work.
Honestly, it is VERY hard to make a profit on any platform. Be sure you gather ALL the facts about CURRENT fee charges before using any of the options listed in this or any other video, article, social media post, etc. Good luck in your adventure!
If you’re making a premium niche product that appeals to a small community, it’s more important to reach your customers directly, therefore you don’t even need a popular platform. Just a basic website with some simple e-commerce function will do. You can then work with RUclips influencers in the space to review your products and draw traffic to your site. It just has to be an actually good product and not Etsy junk coffee mugs.
Etsy's definitely the easiest to take off on and accounts for about 75% of our revenue (375,000 sales). If you can parlay your product into a subscription model, CrateJoy was incredibly easy to break through on, but it's clear that they have no clue what they're doing which will drive you crazy. Amazon is brutal. There's a ridiculous amount of competition and it's like the Wild West. eBay is the Dollar Store of selling platforms and 90% of our "problem customers" will be on there. The dream is to break through on a platform and promote the crap out of your Shopify site until that's self sufficient which is finally the point that we're starting to reach with our business.
@@mywifequitherjob That's 375k total sales, not annually, but that's good for being in the top 100 all time and would fall in the top .001%. I would prefer not to name our shop just because I think that would be bad business, but momentum plays a big role on Etsy... more than any other platform we've sold on outside of CrateJoy. Once you start getting momentum, they'll pump your store and as long as you don't screw up, you can just keep climbing. We were very lucky in that regard to be at the right place at the right time. The other platforms don't seem to reward momentum as much and it's much harder to gain traction. That's why I said it's easier to break through on Etsy. There's more potential to make money on Amazon, but it's incredibly difficult to move up the ladder. Ideally though, you want to be on every platform and use your marketing, packaging and overall branding to grow your site and eventually it will start to grow organically.
How many years have you been on Etsy? That's fabulous that your Shopify Store has gained traction. How long did you wait to open your Shopify Store? If I am just now opening an Etsy Store, would you recommend opening a Shopify Store at the same time or waiting until I have had some sales on Etsy?
Also adding: Artisans Cooperative (a legally formed cooperative where the artisans collectively own the platform) - Launched for members in August 2023 and to public in October 2023 Goimagine (US only, but has a charity twist to their business model) - Launched in January 2020 Michaels (hobby stores) has their own marketplace - Launched in November 2023
Oh my gosh, I must have lived under a rock, I had no clue there is Amazon Handmade??? What??? I am about to check it out. But then again, I don't shop on Amazon. Still will check it out.
You should add Big Cartel to this list! It's like shopify but made for creators (and less expensive). Lots of makers have Big Cartel shops and you can import your Etsy listings.
I can't use etsy because I make one of a kind. Forget Amazon, I stopped even buying from them, have being scammed, and them being jerks with broken products because workers don't know how to package products. I've reviewed many others, and I chose ebay. It's the only platform I like because I can sell more than just my craft; which is jewelry, beaded creations, and painted glass unicorns. The unicorns are new for me and I have a feeling I'll do better with that. On top of that I sell varying items from books to collectibles, I actually sell that despite everyone that sees my jewelry, absolutely loves it. However, because of the hours of my day job, and I am not buying a printer because of the expence of paper and ink; I can't use any of the shipping methods given to have buyer pay for it aside of asking price, so I have to add it to my price. Despite I'm not complaining of the simple less than a dollar difference of shipping zone prices, for some reason a few are complaining about my prices. I even had someone insist I should sell my stuff cheaper than shipping. I do sell at work, which tells me my prices are fine. I have been told by others in business my prices are fine, being perfect to, too low. I have no idea how anyone makes it up in the hobby world to business online, because I'm making less than a dollar profit on some of my items, if I sell. I have no control over ebay fees, shipping prices that include tracking, and packaging products to get it to buyer unscathed. I have been told it's because people don't have the money, yet I just sold a vintage toy lot for $200 and then I seen a $100-$200 crafted item go off the chart for $5,000 end bid. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I share often on multiple social media platforms, and I have a group for it on Facebook. And when I do, the comments are priceless. Comments don't put cash in my pocket.
@@izstaria3409 ummmm.... Etsys listing only lasts so long, then you have to relist it. You pay everytime you relist it, so I'll have to keep putting the price up. After so any times relisting it, the price will be so much nobody will pay for the item. So... No thank you. Ebay you don't have to.
@@laradavenport903 never even used Etsy. I read the guidelines. Your product only stays so long and you have to pay to relist. If you have 100 one of a kind earrings you have to continue to relist, that's alot of money.
If only Etsy wasn't deliberately hiding some seller's listings that Etsy is wrongfully charging listing fees to SHOW. I wouldn't be surprised if Etsy got hit with a multi-billion dollar class action lawsuit someday for it.
Maybe you should be the one to organize that class action law suit. This seems to be coming to the doorsteps of more corporations now a days because they have all been using shady business practice's and are all being exposed for it.
Tons of Etsy sellers claim everything they sell is handmade and have the gall to list it that way. Where are the bots looking for them? Not going to happen, because they know exactly where th merchndise is coming from and its not handmade. They don;t even advertise Etsy as handmade on the commercials anymore.
Excellent video and advise. They are circling the drain big time i left for greener pastures last year and could not be happier. Thanks for sharing this!!
I agree when you get your business license, the srate issues you an EIN number which is provided in your paperwork. If you are not a registered business, you are required by law to provide your SS number. It is for tax purposes only. . And as long as you stay under the saleable amount, you dont pay taxes. If you do, then it is calculated just like your income taxes. It also helps your accountant at tax time.
Etsy used to add and collect sales tax for your items that shipped to different states. And, they filed with the Revenue dept for each state. I don't know if they still do. With Shopify and others, that burden is on you, in addition to your own state and Fed taxes.
Etsy is no longer beginning seller friendly ive lost a shop within 48 hours had to appeal just 2 posting no copywrite or trademarked items a scrunchie and a granny square blanket. I edited the description and had to make changes to the shipping time after i posted it that is the only thing that i can think of that i did. 15 dollars wasted at this point unless they give me my shop back.
They charged $15, 10,000 shop is $150,000 thousands, and 100,000 shops is $1,500,000. So, if they shut your shop, I think this is the reason. They are in trouble so they charged a new shops then closed the shop, voila, $15 dollars.
Having one's own site sounds preferable for sure. I would put a piece of paper with my signature on it over my work before photographing to prevent piracy. ALWAYS PUBLISH AND COPYWRITE FIRST!!! Once you send Bubble a photo of your work, it's out there, and the company assumes ownership, basically. Meanwhile, they can change their rules and add more and more payments or fees in order to sell and ship for you. And, you can be sure there IS no law requiring them to destroy your image if you shut down. If there is no law requiring Zillow to remove images of the interior of my home, there will likewise be no laws requiring sites to remove your work. Once it's out there, it's OUT there.
Copyrighting is important but it's essentially worthless if you can't afford an attorney to defend it. It doesn't stop people from using your work, just gives you the right to sue them, if they do. If Redbubble is that disreputable, then their TOS requires you to surrender your copyright when you upload the image.
Thanks but as a uk maker i am looking for a uk site where the profit goes back into economy which supports my business ! ….. too much uk money going to the usa 😊
When talking about Amazon Handmade, you implied the listing fee for Etsy is a monthly fee per item. That is incorrect, you only pay once when you list (or a sale if stock >1), and renewal is every 6 months (so fee 2x/year, not 12x). Also Etsy does not pay/transfer funds after every purchase--it does appear in your balance, but by default is a weekly deposit. Also big difference--Etsy let's you set a processing time before shipping, so good for "made to order" items. Amazon expects 24 hours.
Your videos are great! You have a pleasant speaking voice, good cadence/pacing, and you're not a spaz. I've been watching a lot of these kinds of videos lately, and I will definitely watch all of yours as quick as I can.
I think that no matter what platform. The basic is still the same...all in the marketing and promotions. Build yourself a budget for that reason to help boost your platform traffic
Regretsy. They suck outloud. I can’t believe they are chipping into your postage, when they have absolutely nothing to do with shipping, and they make money on it. I will not do free shipping because they make even more when you inflate the cost of your item to cover shipping, real regretsy. Thanks for the video!
All of the big marketplaces charge seller fee on the total transaction, which includes the shipping. Otherwise, dishonest sellers set a low product price and a high shipping price.
@@FallenAngelBrass It’s not always due to dishonesty. Shipping IS expensive and I don’t add it into the cost of the item to offer free shipping. I have a lot of items in the $15-30 range and I use the flat rate boxes provided for free by usps and that has gone up to $10.20. I cannot justify charging $10 more for a $15 item to justify the free, not free, shipping. So at least the buyers know it’s actual shipping and have the option to buy or not. But etsy even takes a cut for that. And I charge actual shipping costs, and unfortunately, they are high. I just don’t think etsy is rightfully entitled to something that is a separate transaction from etsy. And not sure how much dishonest sellers could profit from a higher shipping cost. The customer knows how much shipping is and the seller would not last long over just a few bucks.
I sold something on etsy the other day and they took away 30% of the sale not including shipping. They have so many extra fees you are not making money. I make my own things and it takes hours to make.
Etsy is definitely not what it started out! Now if you have a small shop with low priced items it doesn’t work well for the owner. Etsy charges for everything! Their ad prices are a joke! I thought if you paid the plus price it had perks like shipping but now the plans they have are just charges. I have the lowest ad price because if i paid 3.00 a day for them to show my stuff i would owe them every month. So i pay the lowest 1.00 a day and might make 12.00 profit some months after selling 15 or 20 items! I’m sorry i could go on and on but in the next few months Etsy can kick rocks as soon as i get a minute to switch everything!
@@kendrabonds6901 Hi Kendra. I sell handmade items that I sew like pouches, car trash cans, small baby quilts ect. I don’t charge what I should but the reason I started Etsy was at yard sales and flea markets I just couldn’t sell anything because everyone is looking for things for nothing. So Etsy allowed me to at least recoup my costs plus a small profit. I also didn’t want to have it as my only way I made money. But after I put all their costs in and my costs , small items I sell like a 18.99 item may cost me to sell it. Lol. Etsy is so greedy to smaller shops. However, it probably is worth it to some artisans. I’m sure some shops are happy to not have so much to juggle. I guess it all depends on what you make, how much it costs to make ect. I’m not one of those people. Lol
You amazingly tell everything to clear our minds, Thank you for this I have a question. Please do reply. i want to sell here in my country a handmade hair mask, which is so effective that i get good comments. i want to list it on amazon and atsy handmade catagory, so for fulfilment, what legal documents should i have? If i send it to us, uk canada, china, etc so should i register it in every country? Please guide me as i heard handmade usually can be send without registrations?
I hope Kenya takes that to Travel network or PBS or Discovery or something. Honestly, if she still has her film company, do it on YT its a great start and pitch! There are so many people including myself that needs to see traveling as a family beyond America. Love her spirit and I hope it works out.😊
Poshmark is an alternative. I have found handmade jewelry. Technically, this is an online garage sale area and I use it to resell items, but at least, the marketplace is lively and helps with sales.
But you have a pay monthly subscription fees that would essentially cost more. Especially if you're not making sales to counteract the monthly fee. Are there any FREE alternatives??
Offsite ads are great for those with larger profit margins and are absolutely horrific for those that don't. I personally love them. It generates a ton of revenue that I wouldn't have had otherwise.
his love your video! I am trying to put my products on amazon, but need help, am a super small low inventory with 5 products to sell.. who should I get to set me up with amazon?
Bro i think that you have never worked in any niches that you show as the alternative. How you can compare the etsy with free traffic which drives free sales to shopify ? from where the customers will come to buy product ? ...
Great video with some interesting options I hadn't thought about. I did want to let you know that Red Bubble does now have tiers for artists and for those on the first tier, there are fees and they are pretty high unfortunately.
Checked out Bonanza and I see why there are low sales. The site is not that aesthetically pleasing (which can be overlooked) BUT, most seller's items are way over priced. 😞
Do you have any information on how farmer's market works, plz! Like on selling craft items (sewn, soap and art stuff) as a farmer's market seller? Thank you!
Etsy, however, takes the lowest fee of any e-commerce site, except for possibly Michael’s, but SC has more traffic than Michael‘s. I saw a ton on Etsy and I’ve tried every other site and they don’t compare.
None of these has Etsy's traffic. I manage to sell my goods with no advertising social or Media. Whilst Shopify will drain all my money on ads. Etsy is not what it used to be, but what da heck is? I love love love Etsy
New sub..Where can I have my designs printed on products such as umbrellas, scarfs and aprons? I have a website and want to expand. I don't want print on demand. I need the physical product. So hard to get information on this. I'm in ireland. I think id be looking at the fareast, China etc Any advice? Thanks
I started selling on eBay when it started and it was competing against yahoo auction - never understood why that didn’t take off cause eBay charged and yahoo was free
Etsy is the worst place to sell handmade items. They no longer showcase handmade, vintage only. They are allowing, in droves, commercially manufactured items. Businesses are using Etsy for online shopping! I've been phasing my shop out in this year. I don't really trust any marketplace to stay handmade, the money is prioritized, for them. I'm doing in-person shows, exclusively.
Shopify wanted my social security number and so other personal info and I was NOT giving them my person information.... NO ARTS AND CRAFTS site NEEDS that for you 😳
Yes, they do. They’re legally required to collect it and report it. If you don’t want to give them your SSN, get an LLC in New Mexico (best and cheapest, especially for digital products) and use that to get an EIN. Yes, the IRS will still require your SSN to give you an EIN, and it’s so no one can call up and do weird tax things with your company at the IRS and claim they’re you. Don’t want to do an LLC or an EIN? You can literally lose everything you own from one disgruntled customer. LLCs and EINs exist to protect yourself, your money and your belongings.
I didn't even know Amazon had a "homemade, handmade" area!?? That's exactly what I'm looking for! However, what if you get 100 sales in one day of let's say bracelets you make and don't have enough on hand?? They have a 2 day shipping and they don't even have our handmade item.
@@angelamc3532 I sell on Amazon - you actually send in your items to Amazon if you want them to ship them quickly to their prime members. I use this for advertising - fees are lowest if you have $10 and small and light items - for example I send in single pot holders that I make and in the product description people can order sets for me to make custom for them for a discounted price. My custom orders are then listed with a longer delivery time - I list whatever time I need. Hope this helps! I only had to wait a few days for approval and there’s no monthly fee for handmade and no listing fees and you can list as much as you want. But listing has been a learning curve and there are things you have to keep on top of. Luckily their help line is responsive and they’ll call you directly right away. I sell more and the customers are less maintenance. You just have to not look/worry about reviews because you never know where they’re coming from. Good luck!!
It's misleading to say etsy only charges 6.5%, that's just the transaction fee, they then add VAT / sales tax on top of that fee, then there are other fees, so many fees then more VAT on those fees. They don't provide a clear way to see how much they have charged on each sale like you can on ebay. Altogether the total fee etsy charges is more like 12.6% of each sale, more if it's an international sale. If you promote your listing then that's another 15% on top of the transaction fee. If you're not careful you can end up losing money!
I don’t sell my crafts, but I learned where I want to shop from watching this video. I do NOT want the seller to have my personal information. So, I know where I will not be shopping from now on.
As a seller trust me, no matter what platform you shop on, we all have your data and a way to contact you. Wether it's your address (more times often then none, your HOME address), your email, phone number, etc. it's all there. We need a way to contact a customer right? Nobody has privacy these days.
Good jobs, I had a bad experience with Etsy, When I uploaded a set of stickers for the first time, t which created in AI software, they suspended my account, and after 14 days of my claim,answered we aren’t able to reinstate your account and won’t explain why.
![Coheed and Cambria - Searching for Tomorrow [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hDsYGLbmadg/mqdefault.jpg)
If you enjoyed this video, sign up for my free 6 day mini course on ecommerce --> mywifequitherjob.com/free/
Oh shit I knew this video was going to be a sales funnel.
@mywifequitherjob
Hello,
Do Bonanza pay instantly or quickly after making a sale on it's site.
By the way your video here is awesome!!
Clarification: Etsy charges 3% payment processing fee plus 25 cents on the total. Then there is a transaction fee of 6.5% on top of that so a total of 9.5% plus 25 cents. You also pay the initial 20 cent listing fee plus a 20 cent auto renewal sold fee. So $65 cent on the first time sold and 45 cents for each sale thereafter. Etsy forces marketing fees if you ever make over $10K in sales. at an additional 15%. What that means is 24.5% off your entire sale including shipping fees plus 45 cents. That is higher than Amazon. Amazon is 15% transaction fee on handmade, no listing fees, no forced marketing fees, no listing fees, no renewal fees.
@PickleMcTavish maybe it meant digitally produced, like AI produced? I saw a news report and interview with their CEO who said they were tackling the influx of mass produced digitally rendered images flooding their site. I have digital downloads before but they are always digital prints of a hand made painting or instructions on how to make something.
I created an Etsy shop and listed an item before I realized this. They baited me in with a fake claim of their fee structure and then expected me to stick around and sell my own handmade work at a loss. I took down my store in the first week because I knew it just wouldn't be possible to make any money at all with Etsy.
all these fees and somehow they are still circling the drain and their stock is in the toilet what a nightmare
Amazon is utterly useless compared to Etsy. It's very, very hard to break through. I have not found many success stories attached to Amazon.
Etsy USED to sell only handmade and vintage goods. In the beginning they were diligent in deleting listings that did not meet their criteria but the mass market sellers started posting items quicker than etsy could delete them.
Yeah. Ironing a transfer onto a t shirt doesn't make it handmade. So much stuff looks alike!
Now they do not even care. I just bought a mass made item that was from a "star seller". It's heartbreaking.
Etsy started to change in 2017. It is all about making as much money as they can. Their new focus is helping people find the perfect gift. Large business, drop shippers, AI generated items are on every single search. The algorithm no longer shows the newest item first or renewals. It shows listings with favorites, purchases, that have 25% off sales or even higher if you offer free shipping for everything over $35.00. It shows paid ads before it will show any listings in search terms. The challenge is that you may not make a profit. Making sales doesn't mean you are making a profit after all of your costs and fees. It may feel like it, but you are not and that means you have to keep chasing the dollar and constantly listing new items, changing tags and titles to be seen in raw Etsy searches.
For many the market is flooded on Etsy with duplications, every page looks the same just a different shop at a different price point. Research shows that the number of people going to Etsy looking items has dropped or is no longer viable or there are so many items in the category that you have 0% chance of ever being seen in that category.
You constantly have to spend time reviewing all of your key words and their ratings. Even then you may never be seen in raw Etsy searches.
What the testing shows is that if set up Etsy outside marketing option and you offer 25% off Etsy will pay for google ads for your listings that have favorites. They will charge you 15% off the sale including off of the shipping.
Within 3 days of having sellable handmade products sales immediately increased all driven by google ads. With 40% of the price up front sucked up plus an addition fee for percentage off the shipping, along with 9.5% in other fees, the remainder is 40% of the sale provided you are now not short on covering your postage. And you still have to deduct your costs. An item that sold for $48.00 yielded a return of $4.25 for 3 hours of work. Definitely not worth selling on Etsy. One could raise the price, but the market will not pay the higher price.
Etsy has heard the complaints and is now set up share and save to reduce the fees of 9.5% base for each sale to 3% plus 25 cents if you use the reference add on. That still doesn't stop the 15% off fee for Etsy outside marketing if that buyer first came to your shop via a google ad, then saw your item again on another site that you advertise on.
The first question of selling on Etsy, is it worth the time and energy. Second, what is the competition and will you be seen in raw Etsy searches as that is the goal. That means SEO research and application. Simply listing on Etsy will not yield results. Those days are long gone. Even this past Christmas season many commercial business didn't make as much on Etsy. Some less than 50% of what they sold in prior years.
Etsy shoppers are looking for the new, fresh, different. Drop shippers or large companies with equipment that makes each items in a fraction of the time and cost of handmade are everywhere. So to vest ones time on Etsy should be done after careful consideration.
Yes! I remember. I used to help list and photograph for a metalsmith and it started in 2011. All of a sudden there were hundreds of the same thing at prices no one here couldn’t compete with.
It's definitely tougher now. Ive tried to sell turned wooden items and most of my items are lost in the sea of mass produced stuff that has killed the market place a bit.
Etsy Sucks closed my shop after 9yr. They let companies sell Mass Produced items on there now. They also burned me on quite a bit of money...
I hate Etsy for this reason too.
it is a horrendous experience most newbies think they can somehow make money with them but save your time and money and sell pretty much everywhere else they are a joke.
I am selling on eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Shopify for more than 5 years and despite everything Etsy still brings in the highest revenue - ranges from 65-75% of my annual sales , so I'm not quitting it anytime soon
Good to know. I know there are people who still do well on Etsy, so it's nice to hear from someone who is having some success with it.
What do you sell?
what do you sell?
Yeah, it sucks that Etsy is the kingpin for handmade things because they absolutely suck with seller service. My shop has been shut down twice because they think I can’t handle the orders coming in. Which I’m getting things getting sent out on time! And when I contact seller support they can only be reached via email and only respond with a canned response after 2 business days.. and they literally don’t care that I have bills to pay for, wife and kids to take care of and I still have to pay for all the materials and shipping the products up front. Etsy is shit and I hate that I have to stick with them.
@@Painfulwhale360 oh man, I feel your pain as far as trying to reach an actual support person! Just went through it last night after they deactivated a listing I had just spent HOURS editing (a listing I have had in my shop for 6 years mind you, that has sold over 100 times)… after I finished updating all the prices, info, pics, etc., when I hit publish it said no longer available & “deactivated by Etsy”…. No email, no explanation, so I tried their help center and spent 2 hours trying every option to get the little “24 hour live chat” option to come up (they only give you that option for specific problems/categories if you keep selecting “I still need help”….) so I literally had to make up a different problem just to reach the link that allows sellers access to the chat feature. That is super shady to me. I get they want folks to try & troubleshoot first, but it shouldn’t be THAT hard!
Ack, sorry for the rant, my initial point was to tell you if you need to reach someone, google “how to reach Etsy support” and they map out exactly which options you should select to have those links finally pop up for you! I’m sorry to hear it’s been a struggle with them… I didn’t know they could shut down your shop for “not keeping up with orders”?! It’s a scary thought since I tend to run late when it’s busy… I also have ADHD and am a single mom of 2, I’d be screwed royally if they did that - It’s hard to keep up when life gets hectic! 😮 I agree about paying fees & shipping
directly out of each sale, I hate the way they set that up… used to get one bill for fees & labels each month, I’d love if they went back to that… but they won’t. Ever since Etsy went public, they don’t give AF about the sellers or even customers, they just want to make their cut & keep shareholders happy. Woof.
Thanks for sharing other options. Sadly Etsy is absolutely horrible!!!! I have recently learned how awful they have become and would never start my business there now. There is something to be able to just sell locally. Time to go back to way things used to be. Sell local and do it in cash. We the people are tired of getting screwed over on taxes and fees. It’s criminal! I’d steer clear of Amazon too. None of these apps and platforms really have your best interest in mind, never forget that.
@@debraressel6641 I feel that. People want to pay factory prices for handmade good. Places like Etsy, you dont even make money, you MIGHT make back what you spent in materials. The more you ask to help try to have an actual profit, no body wants to buy it. I love love to crochet and want to sell my items but selling them for the cheap prices people want versus what I myself spent on it between money and time. A large king sized blanket i made for example; I had loads of people trying to get it for 15$! Even a factory man king sized comforter doesn't sell for that cheap!
@@lorikeetvonshweet5669 I get it. The reason I started to sell was my husband. He wanted to know what I was going to do with all the things I was making. Sewing is good therapy for me. I start something and actually finish it! Lol No, but it is sad people do not see the time and cost involved in what you are selling. I would be ashamed to offer someone $15 for a handmade blanket. How then do these other people make the same thing and ask outrageous amounts of money (some claim to include $40 per hour for their time) while we just want a fair price? I guess it’s like you said. I just wish it could be different. Cause i refuse to try yard sales ect. I really want to just sell the items at a fair price and get to enjoy doing what I like to do.
I agree totally. I watched the video just too hear outings, but I prefer face to face at markets. And cash is king......
True, cash is the way to go. The IRS always wants there cut but while the millionaires are finding more and more loopholes, the little guy can’t find one. It used to be honorable to hustle and have side incomes to help, not anymore. It just isn’t worth your time and effort.
You are soooo right!!!
I've just dumped my Etsy shop, 1 sale in the last 10 month's and after various fees and taxes along with postage, I was left with less than 50% of the product cost. eBay on the other hand, has brought in £100's in the last 90 days and I was selling on Etsy, exactly what I had on eBay !!!
Interesting. What kind of product do you sell?
And here, I thought eBay was dying. 🤔
When I pay my annual taxes is when it becomes apparent how much they do truly get. In addition to the commission fees, after all is said and done they get about 1/3 of my "Gross" income and I don't even advertise with them. After overhead and material expenses, I'm lucky to generate 30% of my Gross sales and Net Income and I'm charging far more than a 300% profit margin against my cost to make the goods.
*"Very Depressing from where Etsy once was at"*
@@stevenfoulger6066 I have a couple of friends who do house clearance 's , sometimes the owner's ask them to throw out old or damaged furniture, as the council charges them to dump items, they're more than happy to give them to me. As I have open fireplaces, the unusable wood goes up the chimney. 👍👍👍
wow
When it comes to etsy, you do not work for yourself you work to pay etsy. They even monitor how you run "your" business.
Yeah, but they bring the traffic which gets you the sales. They also take out the lowest fees of any of the online selling sites so I sell on Etsy.
@@CottageontheCorner they bring the traffic to the shops they like. I swear they have my shop hidden despite my shop's SEO. Have you paid close attention to their emails, commercials, etc? If you're not popular, you're invisible, they don't care how good your pictures are or what you're selling. They just care about those that are bringing them the big bucks.
@@CottageontheCornerAs a fellow Etsy shop owner, I'd actually have to disagree on that. I've had 2 shops now going on 6 years and the fees have been doing nothing but consistently increasing. The fact that they take a percentage of shipping costs is also nonsensical and greedy. The 20 cent listing fee isn't the end of the world but some of the other fees are just getting ridiculous.
Take this for example, this morning I woke up to a sale totaling $52.80 which consists of the 7 items I sold ($43.75 total), taxes (0.28 - New Jersey) and shipping ($8.77). Now, I'm not one those Etsy sellers that tries to make a profit off of shipping. Whatever the shipping in my shop calculates to (based on location... from me to the customer), weight and dimensions.. it is what it is. Out of that sale totaling $58.20, mind you... the $8.77 goes straight to the USPS once I purchase the shipping label, HOWEVER...Etsy took 6.5% of the shipping total (which means that in actuality, I now have to cover that cost out of my own pocket, to make up the difference). In addition, there's a 6.5% "transaction fee" on each of the individual 7 items ($2.85 total), cc processing fee which they state is 3% of the order total + .25¢ ($1.83), then the listing/re-listing fees ($1.40).
At the end of it, I was left with $43.02, which when you deduct the cost of the item... labor (aka my time to make the products), gas (to go to my studio warehouse as well as the post office), packaging, labels, shipping supplies (box, tape, etc), I probably made about $30 profit from that sale which isn't terrible.
I'm grateful for Etsy but honestly, at the end of the day, Etsy is making MILLIONS of $$$ off of us and I haven't heard any stories of an ETSY seller really coming up in the world. I'm sure there may be a few out there but I don't know them.
I continue to keep my stores because it keeps me busy and motivated, alongside with my main business. I'm definitely not there because I'm raking in the dough. 🤣 I like to make my customers happy and I pride myself in being a star seller.
I hope your Etsy journey will be a positive and successful one! :)
First Question to Answer: Where is your customer going to look for your product? Where will they go to find you? No matter what platform is most affordable, it will mean nothing if your customer can't find you or doesn't look for you on that alternative platform. Start with the popular venue first, then branch out to other venues once you have a customer base.
I actually agree with you
I’ve had a website on squarespace for a year and a half and no sales… how to get people to it? Friends on Facebook don’t want to see it again😏
People need to share these selling platforms on social media, and you need to get followers to be able to have that help you. It's tough!
That’s why you buy Meta ads and direct traffic directly to your website.
I've spent so much time pondering this question and decided to go with the Etsy Plus plan. Figuring I'll focus on Etsy and Instagram. My decision was made after Copilot confirmed that's where most go looking for what I will be selling.
There's also My Community Made! There are no listing fees, no commission fees, and fast customer support. They only charge $5 per month for 50 listings. USA based only. Everything sold on the platform has to be handmade or vintage, and you get your money quickly (within a day or two of sale).
Do you have a link? Is it an app?
Owning your own store is not the answer. I had my store since 1999. You have to build it (OMG). You have hosting fees, gateway fees, transaction fees. And the biggest problem was security. My store was getting hacked several times a month. With Shopify, eBay, and Estsy, I have never been hacked. The fees they charge is worth not building and maintaining my own site. Trust me!
I will second this information. The added hidden costs of running an online shop on Shopify and others are the many fees your stand alone shop will require just to operate besides the monthly fees: shipping and purchase apps must be paid for, among other issues. I never shut down the Etsy shop (since 2008) and use it now as my selling site. Even there, don't count on the Etsy search to help a customer find your shop and product, that needs to be done by you, just like running a Shopify storefront. p.s. I also sell on Ebay, which can be surprisingly successful (better search than Etsy, shoppers will find you more easily on Ebay)
@@Jen.O hey Jen how long did it take you to be successful on ebay?
Don’t forget to include what PayPal takes, around 3%, when you sell something. So, it’s not just that these places take their cut. On top of that PayPal will take their cut.
Etsy Payments and PayPal charge about the same to process payments. Sellers must pay someone.
@@FallenAngelBrass Inaccurate info.
TOO MANY DAMN HANDS IN THE 💰 BAG. YOU ARE LEFT WITH NOTHING. SOUNDS LIKE THE GOVERNMENT WITH TAXES. NO THANKS!!
Etsy allowed Asian factories on the platform to boost it's value before going public on the stock exchange. The original purpose of being a platform for craftsmen went out the window in favor of share price. Then the subtle fee increases, referral fees and the like, and giving preference in searches to free shipping steadily eats away at the profit of the people actually doing the work so that investors can profit for doing nothing.
Amen; Etsy started going downhill immediately after going public. It's all about their stockholders & corporate greed.
Not such a subtle price increase, it's been ongoing for the last year or two
Etsy is owned By China CCP now
Yeah, I'm not feeling it anymore. I've had 2 shops for over 5 years now. It initially started off slow (as I expected) but then got busy and i was pulling in a good deal of sales daily & weekly on a consistent basis for years. Then during Covid, I was bringing in more money in a month than the average that my marketing company that I've had for 13yrs was doing. Fast forward to Nov 2023, I took a brief leave from Etsy because I typically have to go out of the country for work for 2 months from Mid Nov - Mid Jan and once i returned, I lost my start seller badge (which I've had since day 1 of it starting), I've noticed that the fees are higher, then they put my account on a "reserve" for about a month becauae they found it odd that all of a sudden i was making sales... Duh, that's what happens when your shop's open and available to customers. 🙄 Now fast forward to May, the traffic's died down because all of my loyal and repeat customers have made their purchases. I barely come up in searches and for some strange reason now, I've only had 1 sale in the past week. 😡 It wasng down this slow when I first stated and had absolutely NO customers or marketing budget. I just checked my shop and I'm at $7 net profit for the MONTH. Wth!?
Yup. Etsy pandered hard to China and now look what that's done.
Etsy also takes part of your cost of shipping ( all fees add up to almost 13% per sale) AND they can and DO put your account in reserve for all new sellers AND
whenever they want for all sellers. For 90 days they hold min 75% of your money even if you've made a sale. Better hope you have enough supplies in case you draw the shot straw.
13% is within the US I expect, here in Europe my effective Etsy fees are 14.6% in 2022.
@@Kadano WOW!
Sandra what do you mean by putting your account in reserve? I have not had a sale in almost 30 days. I can’t help but think they have something to do with that. They keep wanting me to sign up for other things with them and I haven’t, so maybe by not advertising ect. It’s their punishment?
They did that to me. Reserved my payments, so i shut down my shop. I feel they were trying to get me to use their shipping labels and i didnt want to
while I agree that etsy charges way too much, you can't simply add 6.5% fee twice, and make it 13%. That's not how math works.
6.5% on the sale + 6.5% on the charge would be exactly the same as 6.5% on sale + fee.
*It is crazy what's happened to Etsy. Once an all Artisan site has gone the way of eBay and a large following of resellers who buy products from Amazon, Aliexpress and Alibaba for instance are reselling on Etsy 😢 . I've been ranked in the Top 1% of all Etsy Sellers for the last 11 years according to eRank Analytics however I to have seen a major decline in traffic. Where I originally was selling an average of 130 Handcrafted Rings per day, I now am lucky to get 6 sales a day yet still ranked in the Top 1% of all Etsy stores so the question isn't why did my sales decline, but rather where did Etsy buyers go and I think it's again due to the lack of enforcement on those who are turning it into a reseller site for pretty much anything and not Artisan / handcrafted product direct any longer.*
are u selling on a new site?
I'm fairly new to Etsy. I haven't liked my experience with them. At any rate, they do appear to have left their artisan/handcrafted roots. I have been active for a few months with 0 sales.
@@drinkinslim That seriously sucks but I'll tell you from experience, it typically isn't your product or art that isn't selling, it's typically the way it's marketed. I have a degree in marketing from UCLA and find that a full time job here doing heavy analytical research and using utilities to compare our keywords, how we present our ads, keeping up to speed with Etsy's constantly changing algorithms all to keep that leading edge. In fact Etsy just changed their edge again and it has to do with how now all photos should be shown with a white background and nothing busy around it because they in turn will lead other customers who are looking at "similar items" (thus the reason their AI recognition needs a plain white backdrop) in order to recommend your ads to others. Well when you have a thousand items for sale and each ad has or should have 10 pictures and 1 short video each, that comes out to 10,000 new photos for someone like me and not as simple to do even with all the additional tools and services I pay for in bulk editing, etc and can take months. This is just one example of tweaking to get your ad to work right with Etsy if you are a seller but the changes are limitless. I even belong to a number of Etsy academies and sites to constantly be up to date and just like you, I've seen a massive decline in sales like mentioned previously. I went from an average of 135 sales a day to around half a dozen to maybe a dozen a day and I'm working "really hard" 17 hours a day, 7 days a week to get those! On an important note I'll share is despite what others are selling their items for, don't get into a bidding war with them. You're going to fine as I have many times through the years where I will lower my prices, have constant sales and as I battle against competition thinking this will win me more sales that it only "undervalues my product" and almost every single time without fail, I'll roll back to a much higher price and ironically will double my sales because at the end of the day, while there are a few people looking for the best price of something, most feel they are getting the best quality and craftsmanship if they pay for it by picking the higher priced item. Proof of this is in my income. Despite going from 135 sales a day to less than a dozen a day, my income is still on the incline annually and I make far more today than I did years ago despite the decline in numbered sales. Instead of selling rings at $40 each, I'm selling a single ring at $400. It simply makes one sale equate to ten. Hope this helps.
@@PatriotCoinRings Thank you. I really appreciate the time you took to give an informative and useful reply. :)
@@PatriotCoinRings Thank you very much for your comment! Can you suggest any good Etsy academies and sites that are worth joing? Thank you and have a great day.
You started wrong, how can u call shopify an altternative for etsy? Etsy is a markerplace while shopify is a hosting platform
And it is a horrible host because they control your money!
Yeah, I don't know why all of these kind of people keep stating Shopify as an alternative to a Marketplace. It's ridiculous. I don't even know why people talk about Shopify at all. You can just have your own hosting account and throw any ole shopping cart software on it and not pay that monthly fee.
They always do that. Noone goes to shopify to look for a product. I think it's refurbished content from someone else.
@@DaveMalbyShopify doesn't control your money.
You just pay a monthly fee to host your products on their platform.
@@CS-uc2ohIf you have a store hosted on any platform, you still have to pay a monthly or yearly fee.
And you would also need to pay for a shopping cart app and money processing fees (like to Stripe or PayPal, etc.)
Fresher Choice is the best option for vendors. Their platform works with artisans and farmers which attracts actual locals who buy our stuff.
I was on Etsy from the beginning. Yesterday I sold a $55 product and netted less than $20 after a small $9 postage fee and their ASTROnomilogical fees!! That's ludacris!! Never again. Etsy will fail!
@@QzAMYQz Ludicrous. Ludicris is an old school rapper.
@@IMeMineWho Thanks, Sweetie ❣️😘 You're the BEST!!
@Mia Pia I'm really hurt😪. #1 I've been an Etsy seller since 2005 and #2 a You Tuber since 2008, you joined YT a week ago?? Are you a bot or a hired Etsy employee?
@Mia Pia And I reported your comment as misinformation, simply because this is indeed the internet and you had every means of asking me if I was being sarcastic.
Seriously the most sincere and honest RUclipsr ever. 😎
This was a very good presentation of comparable pros and cons for online selling platforms. Well done.
Etsy is no longer what it started as.
How so?
@@paulcarr2207 there are so many mass produced shops on there nowadays and newer shops get closed for no reason
@@paulcarr2207 they bumped up the processing fee to 6.5% it was only 2.5% before they’re becoming money hungry and the market this year was ultra low compared last year
and that’s not even the worst yet, they are now adding taxes at checkouts. the buyers and sellers are both paying for the platforms’s taxes. which is not there before.
Also half the shops are cover stores for Chinese manufacturers and products are being imported and labeled as handmade by them when they aren’t and also being drop shipped. The site no longer has anything to do with actually supporting small businesses/artisans.
After 3 years 6700 sales 2000 positive reviews , etsy closed my store I was selling fully customizable embroidery
Why !!!
The same as mine!!! After 5 years and 5000 sakes they close mine store too!;) and I stopped to produce anything, my motivation was killed. Now I would like to start again 5 years later.
What reason did they give for closing your store?
I am also curious to know why they closed your store.
Same here
I started an Etsy shop once and it was an absolute nightmare trying to market and sell.
A couple of years ago I had a shop on their and it actually was starting to get traffic. I had all 5 star reviews, it was great and I was excited. Well there was a family emergency and I had to go stay with my sister for around 4 months to help her with her kid and sick husband. I put my shop on Vacation Mode so I could reopen it when I was home. Didn't think about it after. Well when I got back and situated, got on Etsy and had a plethora of nasty messages and horrible reviews for missed orders. For some reason, they did NOT put my shop on Vacation, so people were ordering and thinking I was ignoring them, trying to steal their money etc. It was a nightmare, knocked my shop down to 1 star rating. I could NEVER really speak to a real life person. Finally after many many emails they sent me some bullcrap email, apologizing for the 'technical error' on their part but the damage was done. They wouldn't remove all the bad reviews, despite the mistake being on their part. My shop's reputation was ruined, and I ended up having to personally write EACH person an apology email explaining what happened, but in the end I had to close my shop and to ever be able to sell again, (as I was on other social media and the backlash followed) I had to completely rebrand, what a mess. I just honestly gave up for a long time and at my partner's support am just getting back into it.
Was going to give Etsy another shot, but I have noticed there are a lot of people selling seemingly mass-produced stuff, I think it will be a backup but I want to sell locally in person and hope to get into some local stores. Idk.
I had a tough time in the beginning, but I have three shops, and I was able to make a lot of money in one of them. It’s trial and error sometimes and it’s learning and evolving but it’s really worth it for some people.
@@CottageontheCorner Damn I really need some lessons then. Thank you for the optimism ❤️
Same - but in my case I think it is because I didn't have a niche (still don't). I'm more of an "Emporium/General Store" artist. I think people with certain niches do very well on Etsy. However, even those have to be constantly on alert for scammers coming through and coopting their products and undercutting sales. I never made a profit and it never generated any additional leads for me in other ways. And now it is SOOOOO big. Same for eBay. I've decided to just build out my own shop (NOT on Shopify - which is outrageously expensive), and attend local craft fairs.
Totally agree
I gave up ETSY when it hit the stock exchange.
Hello 👋 Nana, how are you doing ?
That's what ruins all these tech companies
I quit selling jewelry on Amazon handmade because my items kept disappearing and then they would pay me a fraction of its value.
I tried selling shirts on there years ago, I didn't get a single view and amazon pulled the listings. I gave up.
You said Amazon had a strict application policy, when I searched for crotched items I got a large number of China items that are so cheap I could not possibly compete with it.
I'm noticing that on e-Bay as well. You have to sift through pages and pages of junk items from Chinese sellers to land on a true vintage or hand crafted item even though you searched with key words. It's insufferable and I don't look for much online anymore, preferring to look in local shops. I've given up selling on e-Bay and Etsy for the bait and switch fee structure.
i crochet as well and was looking for someone to give the crochet/knit pov. 👍
May I suggest something? Add your own photo and profile introducing yourself. Some ppl prefer to support someone they see and learn about than say, faceless stors with cheap goods. Good luck.
@@williamlee7782 I have to disagree with that . Most people think little about giving their money to some huge faceless corporation. But when it comes to some single individual, they don't want to help make that guy "rich" at their expense. I have run up against that in my crafting work.
Thanks for sharing. I am only just starting out and have no idea where to go other than NOT to go with Etsy. Thanks heaps for all your information.
Honestly, it is VERY hard to make a profit on any platform. Be sure you gather ALL the facts about CURRENT fee charges before using any of the options listed in this or any other video, article, social media post, etc. Good luck in your adventure!
If you’re making a premium niche product that appeals to a small community, it’s more important to reach your customers directly, therefore you don’t even need a popular platform. Just a basic website with some simple e-commerce function will do. You can then work with RUclips influencers in the space to review your products and draw traffic to your site. It just has to be an actually good product and not Etsy junk coffee mugs.
Great opinion!!
Makes sense to me
Are you calling my coffee mugs junk? That hurts my feelings.
Etsy's definitely the easiest to take off on and accounts for about 75% of our revenue (375,000 sales). If you can parlay your product into a subscription model, CrateJoy was incredibly easy to break through on, but it's clear that they have no clue what they're doing which will drive you crazy. Amazon is brutal. There's a ridiculous amount of competition and it's like the Wild West. eBay is the Dollar Store of selling platforms and 90% of our "problem customers" will be on there. The dream is to break through on a platform and promote the crap out of your Shopify site until that's self sufficient which is finally the point that we're starting to reach with our business.
If you get 375k sales per year on Etsy, you are in the top .00000001% of sellers on Etsy. Maybe even higher than that. What is your Etsy shop?
@@mywifequitherjob That's 375k total sales, not annually, but that's good for being in the top 100 all time and would fall in the top .001%. I would prefer not to name our shop just because I think that would be bad business, but momentum plays a big role on Etsy... more than any other platform we've sold on outside of CrateJoy. Once you start getting momentum, they'll pump your store and as long as you don't screw up, you can just keep climbing. We were very lucky in that regard to be at the right place at the right time. The other platforms don't seem to reward momentum as much and it's much harder to gain traction. That's why I said it's easier to break through on Etsy. There's more potential to make money on Amazon, but it's incredibly difficult to move up the ladder. Ideally though, you want to be on every platform and use your marketing, packaging and overall branding to grow your site and eventually it will start to grow organically.
@@FiestaBuckeye brother i have handmade products
How many years have you been on Etsy? That's fabulous that your Shopify Store has gained traction. How long did you wait to open your Shopify Store? If I am just now opening an Etsy Store, would you recommend opening a Shopify Store at the same time or waiting until I have had some sales on Etsy?
Etsy sellers often seem hesitant about sharing their stores🤔 compared to website sellers...
There is also Payhip. I just started using this and I like it. I still have my Etsy shops but focus more on my own shop
I like payhip too but haven't started promoting it. There is also branchbob which is similar but I prefer payhip for ease and look.
Also adding:
Artisans Cooperative (a legally formed cooperative where the artisans collectively own the platform) - Launched for members in August 2023 and to public in October 2023
Goimagine (US only, but has a charity twist to their business model) - Launched in January 2020
Michaels (hobby stores) has their own marketplace - Launched in November 2023
And My Community Made (US only, $5 per month, no listing fees or commission fees, amazing customer support) - launched in 2022
Oh my gosh, I must have lived under a rock, I had no clue there is Amazon Handmade??? What??? I am about to check it out. But then again, I don't shop on Amazon. Still will check it out.
Me either - shows how much we go there
You should add Big Cartel to this list! It's like shopify but made for creators (and less expensive). Lots of makers have Big Cartel shops and you can import your Etsy listings.
I so needed this guidance-!!! I've been in vacation mode on Etsy since 2020 just didn't like it anymore.
I can't use etsy because I make one of a kind. Forget Amazon, I stopped even buying from them, have being scammed, and them being jerks with broken products because workers don't know how to package products. I've reviewed many others, and I chose ebay. It's the only platform I like because I can sell more than just my craft; which is jewelry, beaded creations, and painted glass unicorns. The unicorns are new for me and I have a feeling I'll do better with that. On top of that I sell varying items from books to collectibles, I actually sell that despite everyone that sees my jewelry, absolutely loves it. However, because of the hours of my day job, and I am not buying a printer because of the expence of paper and ink; I can't use any of the shipping methods given to have buyer pay for it aside of asking price, so I have to add it to my price. Despite I'm not complaining of the simple less than a dollar difference of shipping zone prices, for some reason a few are complaining about my prices. I even had someone insist I should sell my stuff cheaper than shipping. I do sell at work, which tells me my prices are fine. I have been told by others in business my prices are fine, being perfect to, too low. I have no idea how anyone makes it up in the hobby world to business online, because I'm making less than a dollar profit on some of my items, if I sell. I have no control over ebay fees, shipping prices that include tracking, and packaging products to get it to buyer unscathed. I have been told it's because people don't have the money, yet I just sold a vintage toy lot for $200 and then I seen a $100-$200 crafted item go off the chart for $5,000 end bid. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I share often on multiple social media platforms, and I have a group for it on Facebook. And when I do, the comments are priceless. Comments don't put cash in my pocket.
I make one of a kind and lots of people do. Of course you can!
@@izstaria3409 ummmm.... Etsys listing only lasts so long, then you have to relist it. You pay everytime you relist it, so I'll have to keep putting the price up. After so any times relisting it, the price will be so much nobody will pay for the item. So... No thank you. Ebay you don't have to.
Sound like you charged too high (products and shipping cost) and people left your Etsy shop.😅
@@laradavenport903 never even used Etsy. I read the guidelines. Your product only stays so long and you have to pay to relist. If you have 100 one of a kind earrings you have to continue to relist, that's alot of money.
@@laradavenport903 never had an Etsy shop.
If only Etsy wasn't deliberately hiding some seller's listings that Etsy is wrongfully charging listing fees to SHOW. I wouldn't be surprised if Etsy got hit with a multi-billion dollar class action lawsuit someday for it.
Maybe you should be the one to organize that class action law suit. This seems to be coming to the doorsteps of more corporations now a days because they have all been using shady business practice's and are all being exposed for it.
Tons of Etsy sellers claim everything they sell is handmade and have the gall to list it that way. Where are the bots looking for them? Not going to happen, because they know exactly where th merchndise is coming from and its not handmade. They don;t even advertise Etsy as handmade on the commercials anymore.
Wait what???? hiding?
Awesome job, I greatly appreciate your presentation. The information was clearly, quickly, and sagely delivered.
Why does everyone say Shopify in comparison to selling platforms? It's a website company.
@@carsanovadidrifto800 Well said. I spent a good part of the morning studying. Thank you for spreading the word... Yes, I believe.
True but the title doesn't specify only platforms
exactly Shopify is not a marketplace
@@carsanovadidrifto800 😈
I agree!
Shopify does nothing to drive your sales.
Excellent video and advise. They are circling the drain big time i left for greener pastures last year and could not be happier. Thanks for sharing this!!
Excellent demonstration of Etsy alternatives. Thanks dude.
I agree when you get your business license, the srate issues you an EIN number which is provided in your paperwork. If you are not a registered business, you are required by law to provide your SS number. It is for tax purposes only. . And as long as you stay under the saleable amount, you dont pay taxes. If you do, then it is calculated just like your income taxes. It also helps your accountant at tax time.
Etsy used to add and collect sales tax for your items that shipped to different states. And, they filed with the Revenue dept for each state. I don't know if they still do. With Shopify and others, that burden is on you, in addition to your own state and Fed taxes.
Etsy is no longer beginning seller friendly ive lost a shop within 48 hours had to appeal just 2 posting no copywrite or trademarked items a scrunchie and a granny square blanket. I edited the description and had to make changes to the shipping time after i posted it that is the only thing that i can think of that i did. 15 dollars wasted at this point unless they give me my shop back.
Did you ever get your shop back?
They charged $15, 10,000 shop is $150,000 thousands, and 100,000 shops is $1,500,000. So, if they shut your shop, I think this is the reason. They are in trouble so they charged a new shops then closed the shop, voila, $15 dollars.
Love this information! Thank you so much for taking the time to produce this extremely helpful and informative Channel. Bless you 🙏🏾🇬🇧 UK (New Sub)
Amazon has just reduced the profits for their sellers beginning Jan 3, 2023
Having one's own site sounds preferable for sure. I would put a piece of paper with my signature on it over my work before photographing to prevent piracy.
ALWAYS PUBLISH AND COPYWRITE FIRST!!! Once you send Bubble a photo of your work, it's out there, and the company assumes ownership, basically. Meanwhile, they can change their rules and add more and more payments or fees in order to sell and ship for you. And, you can be sure there IS no law requiring them to destroy your image if you shut down. If there is no law requiring Zillow to remove images of the interior of my home, there will likewise be no laws requiring sites to remove your work. Once it's out there, it's OUT there.
How to copyright?
I really want to know everything about it.
Please share with me what you know. Thank you
Copyrighting is important but it's essentially worthless if you can't afford an attorney to defend it. It doesn't stop people from using your work, just gives you the right to sue them, if they do. If Redbubble is that disreputable, then their TOS requires you to surrender your copyright when you upload the image.
Thanks but as a uk maker i am looking for a uk site where the profit goes back into economy which supports my business ! ….. too much uk money going to the usa 😊
SPOT ON! EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AS WELL AS "MOST HELPFUL INFORMATION". . . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023. . . . . .
I have seen that they are moving to adding not so much handmade crafts. Which is IMO is a take away from what shoppers are looking for in crafts.
It's actually been like that for years. There are subtle rules
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM!!!
When talking about Amazon Handmade, you implied the listing fee for Etsy is a monthly fee per item. That is incorrect, you only pay once when you list (or a sale if stock >1), and renewal is every 6 months (so fee 2x/year, not 12x). Also Etsy does not pay/transfer funds after every purchase--it does appear in your balance, but by default is a weekly deposit. Also big difference--Etsy let's you set a processing time before shipping, so good for "made to order" items. Amazon expects 24 hours.
I don’t have a shop, but now I have more alternatives to buy from
😂❤
Your videos are great! You have a pleasant speaking voice, good cadence/pacing, and you're not a spaz. I've been watching a lot of these kinds of videos lately, and I will definitely watch all of yours as quick as I can.
Agree on spazzes. Just give me plain talk like this man!
I think that no matter what platform. The basic is still the same...all in the marketing and promotions. Build yourself a budget for that reason to help boost your platform traffic
Regretsy. They suck outloud. I can’t believe they are chipping into your postage, when they have absolutely nothing to do with shipping, and they make money on it. I will not do free shipping because they make even more when you inflate the cost of your item to cover shipping, real regretsy. Thanks for the video!
All of the big marketplaces charge seller fee on the total transaction, which includes the shipping. Otherwise, dishonest sellers set a low product price and a high shipping price.
@@FallenAngelBrass It’s not always due to dishonesty. Shipping IS expensive and I don’t add it into the cost of the item to offer free shipping. I have a lot of items in the $15-30 range and I use the flat rate boxes provided for free by usps and that has gone up to $10.20. I cannot justify charging $10 more for a $15 item to justify the free, not free, shipping. So at least the buyers know it’s actual shipping and have the option to buy or not. But etsy even takes a cut for that. And I charge actual shipping costs, and unfortunately, they are high. I just don’t think etsy is rightfully entitled to something that is a separate transaction from etsy. And not sure how much dishonest sellers could profit from a higher shipping cost. The customer knows how much shipping is and the seller would not last long over just a few bucks.
I sold something on etsy the other day and they took away 30% of the sale not including shipping. They have so many extra fees you are not making money. I make my own things and it takes hours to make.
Etsy is definitely not what it started out! Now if you have a small shop with low priced items it doesn’t work well for the owner. Etsy charges for everything! Their ad prices are a joke! I thought if you paid the plus price it had perks like shipping but now the plans they have are just charges. I have the lowest ad price because if i paid 3.00 a day for them to show my stuff i would owe them every month. So i pay the lowest 1.00 a day and might make 12.00 profit some months after selling 15 or 20 items! I’m sorry i could go on and on but in the next few months Etsy can kick rocks as soon as i get a minute to switch everything!
What is it you sell
@@kendrabonds6901 Hi Kendra. I sell handmade items that I sew like pouches, car trash cans, small baby quilts ect. I don’t charge what I should but the reason I started Etsy was at yard sales and flea markets I just couldn’t sell anything because everyone is looking for things for nothing. So Etsy allowed me to at least recoup my costs plus a small profit. I also didn’t want to have it as my only way I made money. But after I put all their costs in and my costs , small items I sell like a 18.99 item may cost me to sell it. Lol. Etsy is so greedy to smaller shops. However, it probably is worth it to some artisans. I’m sure some shops are happy to not have so much to juggle. I guess it all depends on what you make, how much it costs to make ect. I’m not one of those people. Lol
You amazingly tell everything to clear our minds,
Thank you for this
I have a question. Please do reply. i want to sell here in my country a handmade hair mask, which is so effective that i get good comments. i want to list it on amazon and atsy handmade catagory, so for fulfilment, what legal documents should i have? If i send it to us, uk canada, china, etc so should i register it in every country? Please guide me as i heard handmade usually can be send without registrations?
I hope Kenya takes that to Travel network or PBS or Discovery or something. Honestly, if she still has her film company, do it on YT its a great start and pitch! There are so many people including myself that needs to see traveling as a family beyond America. Love her spirit and I hope it works out.😊
Poshmark is an alternative. I have found handmade jewelry. Technically, this is an online garage sale area and I use it to resell items, but at least, the marketplace is lively and helps with sales.
But you have a pay monthly subscription fees that would essentially cost more. Especially if you're not making sales to counteract the monthly fee. Are there any FREE alternatives??
Good ole CL as well as sites on the net where you build your own site but you have to get traffic yourself.
@@IMeMineWho Have you started one... send me the link, Sweetie
Thank you for your excellent overview of online selling platforms, from your newest subscriber, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
🙏🌿💐🌿🙂😊😉🌿💐🌿🙏
Starting out, I think you have to go where the customers are looking which is probably Etsy and Ebay. Most people haven't heard of much else.
Etsy takes 11%, 12% for ofsite ads (which you cant opt out from)
I learned the hard way but it’s literally easy to opt out
Yea which is absolute bullshit
@@thirytreethousandabe how?
All there fees are a joke. Now they are charging for shipping with fees they say are to protect you the seller. Joke
Offsite ads are great for those with larger profit margins and are absolutely horrific for those that don't. I personally love them. It generates a ton of revenue that I wouldn't have had otherwise.
Hi! Have you compared Etsy to Michaels MakerPlace? What are your thoughts on Michaels platform? Thanks!
his love your video! I am trying to put my products on amazon, but need help, am a super small low inventory with 5 products to sell.. who should I get to set me up with amazon?
Bonanza may be small now but remember Etsy and Amazon or small once also
Any advice on how to promote my shopify store? I haven't sold anything!😢
What sites do you recommend for people living outside the USA?
I tried to sell on Etsy but NEVER AGAIN! Too many fees!
Nice info! I think im going to make a video on the ones i use now that you havent mentioned
@Glenn Brian please do
Do
Bro i think that you have never worked in any niches that you show as the alternative. How you can compare the etsy with free traffic which drives free sales to shopify ? from where the customers will come to buy product ? ...
I use Storenvy for my shop.
Could you give more info about your shop, please? Do you do well, costs etc?
Hi can I use Amazon handmade to sell herbs I grow in my yard?
I am knitting, on Etsy made 5000 sales 5 years ago then stop
I would like to continue
Great video with some interesting options I hadn't thought about. I did want to let you know that Red Bubble does now have tiers for artists and for those on the first tier, there are fees and they are pretty high unfortunately.
Wooow I never heard about amazon option, thank you so much!!!
Checked out Bonanza and I see why there are low sales. The site is not that aesthetically pleasing (which can be overlooked) BUT, most seller's items are way over priced. 😞
I have an Etsy store. They do not pay immediately after every purchase. There is a wait period unless you are a significantly large store.
Do you have any information on how farmer's market works, plz! Like on selling craft items (sewn, soap and art stuff) as a farmer's market seller?
Thank you!
The best alternative to Etsy is becoming an e-commerce grifter and selling people false hope.
I’m very grateful that you shared this with us.
Etsy, however, takes the lowest fee of any e-commerce site, except for possibly Michael’s, but SC has more traffic than Michael‘s. I saw a ton on Etsy and I’ve tried every other site and they don’t compare.
None of these has Etsy's traffic. I manage to sell my goods with no advertising social or Media. Whilst Shopify will drain all my money on ads. Etsy is not what it used to be, but what da heck is? I love love love Etsy
eBay does not charge a listing fee. Sellers gets free listings.
Etsy works very well for me...doubled sales each of the past 4 years. Bonanza is the worst for sales..
New sub..Where can I have my designs printed on products such as umbrellas, scarfs and aprons? I have a website and want to expand. I don't want print on demand. I need the physical product. So hard to get information on this. I'm in ireland. I think id be looking at the fareast, China etc Any advice? Thanks
I started selling on eBay when it started and it was competing against yahoo auction - never understood why that didn’t take off cause eBay charged and yahoo was free
I think I’m going to keep using eBay and see if I can point to market place and there let them know I ship and take PayPal or venmo
Etsy is the worst place to sell handmade items. They no longer showcase handmade, vintage only. They are allowing, in droves, commercially manufactured items. Businesses are using Etsy for online shopping! I've been phasing my shop out in this year. I don't really trust any marketplace to stay handmade, the money is prioritized, for them. I'm doing in-person shows, exclusively.
Shopify wanted my social security number and so other personal info and I was NOT giving them my person information.... NO ARTS AND CRAFTS site NEEDS that for you 😳
You're supposed to have an EIN number, use that instead of you SSN.
Yes, they do. They’re legally required to collect it and report it. If you don’t want to give them your SSN, get an LLC in New Mexico (best and cheapest, especially for digital products) and use that to get an EIN. Yes, the IRS will still require your SSN to give you an EIN, and it’s so no one can call up and do weird tax things with your company at the IRS and claim they’re you.
Don’t want to do an LLC or an EIN? You can literally lose everything you own from one disgruntled customer. LLCs and EINs exist to protect yourself, your money and your belongings.
They collect it cause if you make over a certain amount they send you a 1099
for amazon handmade you do have to pay the 39.99 monthly professional account
I didn't even know Amazon had a "homemade, handmade" area!?? That's exactly what I'm looking for! However, what if you get 100 sales in one day of let's say bracelets you make and don't have enough on hand?? They have a 2 day shipping and they don't even have our handmade item.
@@angelamc3532 I sell on Amazon - you actually send in your items to Amazon if you want them to ship them quickly to their prime members. I use this for advertising - fees are lowest if you have $10 and small and light items - for example I send in single pot holders that I make and in the product description people can order sets for me to make custom for them for a discounted price. My custom orders are then listed with a longer delivery time - I list whatever time I need. Hope this helps!
I only had to wait a few days for approval and there’s no monthly fee for handmade and no listing fees and you can list as much as you want.
But listing has been a learning curve and there are things you have to keep on top of. Luckily their help line is responsive and they’ll call you directly right away.
I sell more and the customers are less maintenance. You just have to not look/worry about reviews because you never know where they’re coming from. Good luck!!
Very helpful. thank you. love to see pros and cons about these websites.
Anyone know if Just Artisan is still active? their social media posts are all pretty outdated and the website seems to be inaccessible.
I looked up their site and I got a "This site can't be reach" page. Maybe they're no longer in business.
It's misleading to say etsy only charges 6.5%, that's just the transaction fee, they then add VAT / sales tax on top of that fee, then there are other fees, so many fees then more VAT on those fees. They don't provide a clear way to see how much they have charged on each sale like you can on ebay. Altogether the total fee etsy charges is more like 12.6% of each sale, more if it's an international sale. If you promote your listing then that's another 15% on top of the transaction fee. If you're not careful you can end up losing money!
I don’t sell my crafts, but I learned where I want to shop from watching this video. I do NOT want the seller to have my personal information. So, I know where I will not be shopping from now on.
But you need to give personal data to any online marketplace - because money is involved.
As a seller trust me, no matter what platform you shop on, we all have your data and a way to contact you. Wether it's your address (more times often then none, your HOME address), your email, phone number, etc. it's all there. We need a way to contact a customer right? Nobody has privacy these days.
Saatchi art seems suited for you. You send the item to them and then they send it to the customer. You dont know the customer adress.
What the best platform to sell handmade jewelry?
I don't know but I sell as a street vendor.
@@izstaria3409any advice you are able to give for that? I have a state tax sales number.
I just registered with etsy merely one week with just 5 listings and suddenly got suspended. What the heck?
I have heard about another place.....something like myhandmade or like that, but I can't find it. Any help?
Thank you, this is very helpful. Subscribed.
Good jobs, I had a bad experience with Etsy, When I uploaded a set of stickers for the first time, t which created in AI software, they suspended my account, and after 14 days of my claim,answered we aren’t able to reinstate your account and won’t explain why.