Today we are getting some great shopping tips from some real Etsy insiders. We're also going to find out about how shop owners do mark downs and what they think the future of Etsy is. To read the first part of our interviews please see part 1. Here is a little information about the ladies we are continuing our interviews with:
Anda Corrie- Anda is in charge of social networking for Etsy. She also works on the Community Team and she is Etsy’s staff illustrator so she draws all the illustrations you see on the many pages of Etsy.
June Jessie- June is not only an illustrator and toy designer but she also creates resin jewelry for her shop isewcute.She describes her store, "...sweet, fun, cute jewelry for teens on up from resin, cupcake candy sprinkles, & glitter…as well as unique accessories for crafty gals who love knitting, crocheting, & embroidery! If you want a unique hand embroidery pattern of a family member or favorite pet…then I’m the gal you’ve been looking for to make that happen! My passion is to make well loved items which will be treasured for years ...inspired by cartoons, toys, candy, pinups & more!"
Audrey Jill Mann- Audrey is an artist and interior designer. She has a home decor shop on Etsy called Audzipan Design. Her store has, "...all kinds of home decor. The style is clean, simple, and contemporary without being too modern."
Erin Keck- Erin is the owner of Artisan Adornments by sidhejewels. Erin uses both glass beads and Swarovski crystal to make jewelry. Her store has, "...handmade jewelry, mostly out of glass beads and Swarovski crystal. I try to keep the designs simple and choose materials that stand out on their own. Recently I've also gravitated toward more romantic, vintage looking pieces -- chandelier earrings and necklaces with extra chains and dangles seem to be in style right now, so I'm hoping to make more like that soon!"
What advice would you give shoppers looking for the best all around
deal when shopping on Etsy (things like quality, uniqueness, price and
shipping expenses should be considered)?
Anda: I like to remind
people to be voyeurs and peek at others' Favorite items, and to explore
Etsy's features like Pounce and the Treasury, or search keywords in our
blog because every blog post ends with a selection of related Etsy
items. But to answer your question: I think the best all-around items
are found most frequently in our Gift Guides. The merchandising team at
Etsy does an amazing job of combing the site for relevant items for the
guides, and if they aren't exactly what you're looking for, they're
still a great starting point. Also, for absolute uniqueness and to get
a really Etsyesque experience, use Alchemy to custom request exactly
what your looking for, and artists bid like contractors on your
request.
June: Etsy has various ways set up for helping
shoppers find something unique…from the treasuries which are member
curated collections of items…
to the time machine where you can
find ‘fresh items’ just listed, as well as items which have recently
sold or even items which are about to expire…if you are interested in
finding a deal! It’s possible to even shop by searching for a specific
color. If you are looking for a reduced shipping cost…there is a ‘shop
local’ feature…so you can find etsy shops right in your own
neighborhood! My personal favorite feature is pounce…and I usually
pounce for ‘undiscovered’ shops. I remember how great it felt to
finally make that first sale & love to pass on that feeling to
another seller just starting out! I’ve found the most wonderful things
that way!
Audrey: Use specific keywords to find what you are
really looking for. Searching with too broad of terms can be
overwhelming and frustrating. There are so many wonderful shops
around. If you find an artist that you really love, check out their
favorites if you can.
Erin: I'd say the quality of the listing
is your best tool in determining the quality of an item. If the photos
aren't good or there's very little description of the item, you might
want to ask a few questions to make sure you're getting what you want
for the money you're laying down. And just like Ebay, an Etsy seller's
rating and number of transactions will give you some insight on whether
other customers have been happy with what they bought. And if you're
not finding what you're looking for at the price you're willing to pay,
try Etsy's Alchemy feature -- just put up a description of what you
want and how much you're willing to pay, and maybe a seller will take
your order and make it for you! In my own browsing on Etsy, I've found
that no one wants to be known as a price-gouger and the prices are
pretty reasonable. Tthere are some shops that are expensive, but it's
often because they're using very high quality materials, like actual
gemstones for jewelry.
How often do you mark down the items in your shop? What compels you to do (or not do) so?
June:
I don’t mark down items…because I don’t want to devalue their worth. I
believe my prices are fair for the time & materials that go into
each piece & I offer a variety of items hitting several price
points…but sometimes I’ll run a promo with free shipping…or a free
surprise gift with purchase usually on a special day such as a holiday
or my etsy anniversary! Milestone buyers have also received bonus
freebies with their orders…like my 100th & 200th sales!
Audrey:
Every once in a while (about once every other month or so) I run a
special. Usually it is before a holiday or to celebrate a major event
in my life. Usually I do it just to have something to advertise rather
than just saying, hey! i have stuff for sale. I think it makes
shopping a more exciting experience.
Erin: I had a sale once,
just before Christmas -- it was mostly to sell a few more items so I'd
have more holiday money myself. I might consider it again if I had too
much inventory and things weren't selling that well. But overall, I
don't think of doing markdowns often because I try to keep the prices
of my jewelry low to begin with. Generally I calculate the price for
each piece by how much the materials cost and add a little extra for
the time I spent working on it.
How do you see Etsy and other small online businesses affecting consumerism in the next decade?
Anda:
Well, we want to change how commerce works, period. In a perfect world,
maybe you would always know who you were buying from. Buying from small
businessowners and directly from artists adds meaning to the
transactions. There is a story, a certain value, behind products on
Etsy that is missing from mass-produced goods, and I think consumers
are craving more of a connection to their purchases--especially in a
recession, when money is tight. What you buy and where you buy it
becomes more important.
June: I think it will grow! Personally I
did all my holiday shopping online this past year …very different from
the year before! I’d guess about 80-90% of the items purchased were
handmade ones as well! I think it’s amazing to be able to ‘shop the
globe’ to find unique treasures for your loved ones! It’s more personal
too! That is something that keeps me motivated to do what I do…just
knowing that the little treasures I make could end up in far away lands
being loved by the folks who stumbled upon my etsy!
Audrey: I
think Etsy and other sites like it will only continue to grow. People
will turn to the internet to find customized and unique products.
Erin:
I like to hope that more people will get more comfortable with the idea
of buying from small businesses online, and that other sites like Etsy
can make that seem more safe and accessible to people. A lot of folks
are still hesitant to send money online to someone without a
brick-and-mortar business and customer service staff, which is
understandable. But overall, I think more people are getting used to
using sites like Ebay and Craigslist and Etsy to find smaller
businesses and individuals, and hopefully that trend will continue. The
big question is how and when tax law might be extended to people who
have small businesses (which I don't know much about, but I've heard
something about new guidelines coming for people who make money on Ebay
or similar sites).
Yo
My thanks to Anda, June, Audrey and Erin for allowing me to interview them and wayfaring stranger for the photo at the top.