Etsy or eBay for crafters?
Is Etsy gaining the attention of eBay crafters? With the cost of eBay auction selling going up non-stop, many crafters are finding Etsy a great alternative.
If you currently sell anything handmade on eBay auctions, you may want to take a look at what Etsy can offer your business. Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. No matter if you make custom scrapbook pages, baby shopping cart covers, boutique clothing, or jewelry, if you make it, Etsy can help you sell it!
Very similar to eBay auctions, however there is no bidding. Sellers elect their set selling price. There is a feedback system, stores and support, all without the huge ebay fees!
I really like Etsy. I have purchased all kinds of things and especially like the idea when I shop there I am helping women and work at home moms support their families!
How do Etsy fees work?
When you list an item there is a $0.20 (USD) fee per quantity of one. This covers an item listing period of four months. For example, if I list a scarf (and there’s only 1 in stock) it’ll cost 20 cents for 4 months. If you gave the listing a quantity of 3, it would cost 60 cents. When an item sells, there’s a flat 3.5% fee on the final sale price (not including shipping). All fees are in US dollars. All listings are created equal, with 5 images included in the price.
As you can see there are no buy it now fees and the listing fee is much cheaper than ebay fees.
Is there a fee to get started (open a shop)?
Getting your shop is free. There’s no setup fee and no monthly fee. This alone can save sellers merging to Etsy from eBay. NO store fees!
What items can be sold Etsy?
You can sell anything that is handmade or, a bit more loosely put, hand-assembled or hand-altered. For example, screen-printed shirts are OK. A custom-built computer is OK, as long as you’re making the case and not buying prefab. Furniture is OK as long as it’s nothing mass-produced (yes, you can use power tools to build it). If your human hands put some love into the object, odds are you can sell it on Etsy. Reselling of handmade items is not allowed.
If you are looking for a way to sell products you make or looking for a way to profit more, I highly recommend looking into Etsy. http://www.etsy.com
Are you currently selling on Etsy? What has your experience been? Or have you purchased items from Etsy?
Popularity: 18% [?]
April 26th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Chris Moran
April 28th, 2008 at 5:23 am
I have experience of buying and selling on both ebay and etsy and I would say each website has totally different users.
Ebay is where I would go to buy or sell something second hand, or to buy something as cheaply as possible. The things I tend to buy on ebay are clothes, accessories, and craft supplies.
Etsy is where I would go to buy or sell something handmade and unique, especially if I wanted to buy a gift.
To me its like the difference between a boot fair or thrift store and a boutique. They are worlds apart.
I have tried selling my jewellery on both websites. On Ebay there has been pretty much zero interest. I have had much more success on Etsy. Also Etsy listings last much longer so they are less risky. The only drawback I have found with Etsy is that there are a LOT of sellers there and you have to work very hard to get myself noticed.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:59 am
I sell handmade jewellery on etsy and its much better than ebay, not only as it is cheaper, you can see pics of sellers past sales, catalogue your products by colour or material(eg silver plated or copper etc); in general the whole site it geared to a much friendlier fun type of set up. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to turn their hobby into a rewarding and creative part-time job, even full time if you are lucky.
Steve’s last blog post..How to calculate how many beads you need
April 28th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I have sold both on Ebay and Etsy. Ebay was too costly and the time to show your product is too short. I still sell on Etsy but with any internet e commerce site, you have to advertise and bring people to your shop.
Barbara’s last blog post..Earth Day
April 28th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I agree, Etsy is a great place to buy things that are handmade. I recently got some personalized shirts for my kids, had a quilt made, and also bought a few other things. I have quickly become a huge fan of Etsy, vs eBay.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I also agree, people get on ebay looking for cheap deals, not necessarily a quality product or service.
Since everything on Etsy is handmade, nothing is ever really alike. I would think that would be easier to market than 10 people selling the same thing on ebay.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:47 am
Have managed to get some great hand knitted sweaters for my granchildren and price was reasonable.
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Etsy has a very high traffic community. I believe a lot of sales come from hanging out in the forum areas & socializing. Etsy is wonderful because you can have a banner to your website right on your etsy storefront. Ive had nothing but good experiences on etsy.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I do ebay before etsy. I spent about Euro 50,00 to set up the ebay shop and fee payment, and had only one sale. Listing item in more than one country drove me crazy… After I found Etsy, I definitely give up Ebay! I love Etsy, the costs are reasonable and the customer and seller are friendly! And last but not least Etsy is intended also only for selling handmade product, Ebay is a cauldron!
May 29th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Hi
I would just like to say that Ebay and Etsy are not the only places to buy and sell art and handmade crafts.
We have a site called Creative Cafe Salesrooms at
http://creativecafesalesrooms.com
for Buying and Selling Art and Handmade Crafts.
Unlike Ebay and Etsy all Listings are free for sellers.
We also have a Creative Cafe members site at where you can have your own webpage and display your creativity.
Members can start and join in groups and discussions and make new friends. Buyers can get to know the talented and skilled artists and craftmakers selling in our Creative Cafe Salesrooms personally.
Creative Cafe is a non-profit charitable group run by and supporting people with disabilities. Membership is free and open to everyone.
So by supporting Creative Cafe Salesrooms you will be helping a good cause and joining a friendly community.
Hope to see you with us soon.
Bye for Now
Jill
July 24th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Well, Ebay is overcharging because they are trying to milk their brand and their dominant market position. As they loose sellers to Etsy and other competitors they will shift their rates back to better levels. For now switching might be well worth it though.
SEO Bob’s last blog post..Marketing your product using Ebay UK
July 24th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
SEO Bob »
Your right Ebay is overcharging simply becuase of who they are and how fast they have grown. I know Etsy has become very popular among many sellers. Ebay has lost allot of business due to Ebay boycotts and other auction sites, yet I do not see them making a big change.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
I have an Etsy shop and I LOVE it. I”m thinking of opening another too!
Etsy is growing rapidly and I see it doing great things! I’m proud to be a part of it.
I have some tips to selling on etsy on my blog BCBblog.com
September 26th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Hi, I am currently selling on ebay and am just learning and checking out Etsy. One thing that I don’t understand yet is how Etsy is set up….What I mean, they make it interesting and “fun” for the buyer with unique ways to find things, but as a seller how does one stand out in a sea of talented people?
Is there a place to learn how it all works? I am reading bits and peices here and there, but is there a place to get the facts and understand what to do…(like ebay university)
Another question, (hopefully someone has this answer) I am an artist, painting originals and posting them as they dry (on ebay) Is Esty set up for items such as this? It seems that everyone has a store, full of products. I am trying to learn what I can before I make the switch which might mean changing my whole way of working by creating mass paintings (prints,?) to keep a store full…..
Lots of questions…any info would be great.
Sandy