Does anyone sell homemade items online? If so, I need some advice from you. I need to supplement my low income and want to sell online, but don't know how to go about it. Is there a book for beginners or just some advice you can give me as to the cheapest way to get started? I don't have any money to invest in the business. Do I have to sign up for a domain name, or website creation? Does that come free with sites like Etsy? I am in the dark here. Any help would be appreciated.
By Connie J.
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There is a website called etsy.com that people use to sell their craft items. Go there and see what you can find out. You can also advertise your items locally. Just be sure that what you make is something that others want and that it is priced right. Also when I see a homemade item that I like I figure out how I can make it for my own use, for about half the price that it is marked.
I have sold on ebay for over 10 years (though not regularly) and etsy (although I have bought more on etsy than I have sold). Etsy and eBay provide you the "website". (You can of course, go pay for and make your own website, but my advice is to start on some of these pre-made websites initially to learn the ropes and see if your items will sell.) Etsy: You pay them to list items (it is cheap, last I knew it was 20 cents an item), and when it sells they take a small percentage (a very fair percentage) of the sale.
It is easy to list things, the pictures are a bit trickier, but they make that fairly easy also. The items also are searchable on the web, which can draw outside traffic. To join etsy, you sign up and provide credit card and then list your items. Joining is free (eBay also). If you don't know much about making your own page on Etsy, you can buy "banners" from other sellers fairly inexpensively. (eBay also) Etsy is easy, pleasant and a wonderful site, both in terms of selling and buying.
On Etsy pictures are very important, so aim to have the best pictures possible. Go on there and study it a few days before you start, is my advice (and what I did years ago)...(study the rules, see what people are selling, etc). Likewise on Ebay. Crafts on Ebay do sell, but in my opinion, it's not the best forum for crafts since ebay specializes more in "new items" (originally it was a site to sell collectables and you still can, but they have gotten radically away from their original format).
Ebay's listing fees are much more expensive (50 cents per item, last I knew) and their end of sale cut is hovering around ten percent and you pay fees to PayPal (which they own) when people pay with credit / debit cards and last I knew that is the only way you can pay on eBay now, whereas on Etsy other methods of payment are accepted. The costs really add up, when you have several items that don't sell.
Also, the great advantage of Etsy over eBay (besides the fact that Etsy's forum is crafts) is the items stay on Etsy 2 or 3 months, and you have about a week on eBay. Study other people's rules before you start and develop some of your own (your refund policy, policy on mailing times, etc.) Rules might seem "funny" but there are reasons for them.
A fair amount of buyers (about 1 in 10 try this) are dishonest and will say they didn't "get something" (or it's broken)...in the mail, when in fact, they did and want you to refund their money and they get something free (Lost in the mail is fairly rare).
Either do confirmation tracking on your items or have a policy regarding this (Ebay has a "not allowed" policy on this. eBay also favors the buyer, no longer allowing for negative feedback by the seller, which is very unfair.)
Answer all emails, be nice to everyone, follow up on everything and be on the ball @ all times. Pack your items well if they are breakable. Insure very expensive / breakable items. Have an attitude of fairness and treat this like a job. Hope this helps.
Anybody can tell you a lot about this, but honestly, just get out there and do it and you will get the hang of it quickly. Both ebay and etsy make listing items very simple. Also, there are tons of other websites for selling. I haven't tried many of them, so don't consider myself too knowledgeable on them, but if you really want to be successful, spread your work out among several sites and get your own website eventually.
People do make and sell "how to do" books on ebay and etsy, just to let you know, I don't know how useful they are. I think some people just make up these booklets without necessarily having sold anything much other than the booklets :).
A couple of more things. Don't hold me to the fees, etc. for eBay, etsy. I basically sell mostly at Christmas and things change in the meantime :). Also, get to know your automated mailing machine @ the post office.
Yes, Etsy is my choice of online venues. Other venues have not held the mark like Etsy, but it is a lot of work, an investment in time and listing fees, plus Etsy takes a cut when you sell.
I think you would be better off checking out online surveys. They pay and if you did this every day it could supplement your income. Clark howard.com and kim komando.com both have great suggestions on their websites for what online jobs work and which to stay away from. If you are a supply seller or vintage seller you might give Etsy.com a go.
Supplies sell really well on Etsy. I hope you find what you are looking for. The handmade movement is taking a firm hold on the online market right now.
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