Whenever I tell someone that I have an Etsy store, I usually get one of two responses. Either it’s, “Oh! I love Etsy!” or, “What-sy?” There seems to be a lot of people that don’t know what Etsy’s all about. And those that are familiar with Etsy could probably use some tips to make their Etsy shopping experience better. I began writing this post as one article but there’s so much information I’ve decided to make it a series. Today we’ll cover the basics.
What is Etsy?
Etsy is often described as a kind of Ebay for crafters. But it’s really more than that. It’s more like an online shopping mall, filled with the largest variety of shops one could imagine. You can access this mall from the convenience of your home, but the stores aren’t in one particular location, they are all over the world. Etsy sellers are everywhere, so be sure to check their location and whether they ship to yours. Also, keep this in mind when calculating when you might receive an item. If it has to come from another country and go through customs, that might add some time to its arrival. Items must fall into one of three categories. Items sold on Etsy must fall into one of three categories. They must be handmade, vintage, or crafting supplies. The term handmade is a broad one and includes items that are custom designed and printed by another company (like what I do). Vintage items must be 20 years or older. Crafting supplies can be handmade or not; this includes anything that can be used to make another item.
It’s a Personal Experience
There are many things about shopping at Etsy that are different than shopping at another store. If you are shopping for handmade, keep in mind that the item is handmade, not mass produced in a factory somewhere. This means that the price is probably going to be a little higher than the price you might pay for something that is mass produced. And if you are having an item custom made for you, that takes time. If you have a limited time frame or other questions, it’s best to contact the seller before making a purchase. He or she can tell you more about the process and maybe create a custom listing for you with express shipping, if necessary. While shop owners love to hear from their customers, contacting them for a cheaper price is not a good idea. Shop owners don’t set their prices lightly, they put a lot of thought into what their costs are and what their time is worth. If an item is out of your price range, save up for it and splurge on it someday; you likely won’t be dissappointed. Shop owners love to work with customers to come up with an item that their customer will love. If you see an item you like but would like to make a small change, contact the shop and see if it’s possible.
How Do I Find What I’m Looking For?
One of Etsy’s greatest assets is also its largest liability. It’s a HUGE place and it can be very hard to find the things you are looking for; a search could yield thousands of results. It’s especially difficult if you’re the kind of person that just likes to browse and look for things you love. I’ve found the best way to find the things that I like, is to use Favorites, Treasuries and Circles.
Favorites
To favorite an item, just click the “favorite” button next to the “add to cart” button. This will add the item to a list of favorites, which you can easily access on your profile page. Keep in mind favorites are defaulted to be shared with others, so you might not want to use it for your holiday shopping if the people you are shopping for will be looking at your profile. You can also favorite a store by clicking the “favorite” button below the shop banner. Favoriting items and stores makes it so much easier to find those stores that you are interested in.
Treasuries
Treasuries are also a great way to find things you like. A Treasury is a grouping of 16 or fewer items that usually have some common theme. Typically all of these items are from different stores so you get a small sampling of 16 different stores. What I often do, if I see an item in a Treasury that interests me, is click on the link to the store (as opposed to the item) and see what that store has to offer.
Circles
Circles are probably the easiest way to discover things you like. Members can be “circled”. Once you circle someone, their favorites and treasuries will show up in your activity feed (unless they have made their favorites private). It’s a bit like a Pinterest feed. If they have taste similar to you, their activity will point you in the direction of things you like. Often people will circle people that circle them, but that’s not always a good idea. Like with Pinterest, if they like a bunch of stuff you don’t, you will eventually feel like that stuff is cluttering your feed.
Etsy can be a great place to find quality items. Once you dig in to what the site has to offer, you will be a lifelong customer. Next week, we’ll discuss the best way to communicate with Etsy sellers and the ins and outs of ordering on Etsy. Is there anything you would like to know about Etsy?
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