# Advice needed!



## LittleMrsAdams (Aug 31, 2014)

This is mostly directed to those of ya'll who sell handmade items online through etsy and such, but I'll take advice from whoever's willing to give it.

I knit, crochet, sew, make jewelry, and occasionally do a bit of sculpting with polymer clay. I am planning on listing some things for sale very soon and am just a bit lost.

How did you start out listing? One item? Several? Did you start out with an inventory or did you make the item after it was ordered?

How did you figure out what to charge? I know to scope out the prices on similar items and seed what sold best at what prices, but I've got something that no one else on etsy is selling, or at least, the search came up 'no items found'. How do you figure the price for something like that?

That's all for now, but I'll most likely have more questions later. Thanks!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I thought you would have lots of advice by now. many people on here sell on Etsy. I can't help you with start-up because I only buy. I buy lots of crochet items because that is something I have never mastered. flowers, large butterflies, little dresses for kitchen hanging ,teapots, cups etc. etc. good luck! ~Georgia


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## Redwolf897 (Oct 2, 2014)

My wife is thinking about selling floral arrangements on etsy. when she goes to the craft fairs around here she prices her things taking into account the cost of the items doubles that and adds some for her time ( i guess not enough because etsy prices are almost 40 dollars more then she charges. she does not get cheap silk flowers she goes for quality over price. and started doing this when she made headstone arrangements for her dad and our son. she has also branched out to do centerpiece arrangements also. Now she has not put anything on etsy at this point because she is sub teaching ( getting her out of the house and not sitting thinking about our son) Now i would test the waters and make sure you are not losing money. if you price your stuff a minimum of 2x the cost of material, and a little extra you will have enough to buy more material and make a little for yourself. then if there is a demand slowly increase prices.


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## TheKingsTable (Jan 13, 2016)

Kindle messed up and doubled posted...


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## TheKingsTable (Jan 13, 2016)

I'm not an Etsy seller, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I've read a few blogs and such when I considered selling. Knit, crochet, sewing, jewelry, and clay sound like a lot. I would probably chose just a couple of those and specialize in them at first, with the option to add more later once you've made a name for yourself. You don't want a whole lot of inventory starting out, just in case you end up not having a market for it (unless you have a local market already, that will buy your excess), but I think you need enough to at least have a handful of listings. New shops with only 1 or 2 things don't look serious and appear doomed to fail. So personally, I would have 5 or so listings of different things (rather than 5 listings of the same knit scarf in different colors) to show my range within a specific medium. Maybe something on the lower price end, something higher, and a few in between...and items that I can attach different tag words to in order to attract a larger group from the search engine. 

Whatever you decide, best of luck to you!


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

As for pricing, figure out the cost of your materials, plus the cost of your time (pay yourself a decent wage, don't short yourself). Double that price. Most people undercharge for their items, because they think, "Oh, well someone could buy this at walmart for XXX". You need to remember these are handmade items, not some cheaply made thing made in China by sweatshop laborers. 

Take GOOD pictures of your items, and I think Etsy has some tips on how to photograph things. Photography is a HUGE part of online selling. Many times the pictures sell the item. 

Start out with as much inventory as you can. Now that I've gotten a good routine down (as far as making some items), I will list a few things "made to order" and put that in the listing, and also let them know these items will ship in ___ days. 

Remember that sometimes items sit on Etsy quite a while before being sold. I've found it's worth it to renew a listing or two every few days, or at least once a week. Join some of the discussions and groups on Etsy. The more exposure you get, the more you'll sell. 

Good luck!


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## vintagecat (Jan 26, 2016)

I'm not an Etsy dealer ...yet, but a lot of my peers are. Definitely check online comparable items for a guideline. I have a presence as a seller of vintage clothing, accessories and many one of a kind items in a vintage/repurposed/antique monthly show market and pricing is a bit of voodoo looking for that sweet spot where you make some coin and the buyer feels like they get value for their money. Time, materials, comparables, rarity, quality, condition (for vintage items) etc all play into setting a price. 

Try the price point that you hope to get using the factors above. If your items are flying out of the door, likely you are a bit too low and will need to adjust a bit upward. If they sit and sit, you either are too high in price or there just isn't a market for what you have and it's best to have a prototype inventory so as to not get stuck with too much if what you are doing doesn't sell well. Best IMO to start with a small line now and see how it goes and adjust accordingly.

Best of luck to you.


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