Very Off topic-I need some feedback

[Ms Brooks]

Hi~

 

Thanks for looking. I've been off the boards for a while making and trying to make a living while homeschooling.

 

I need some feedback on making handmade with the idea of selling it on Etsy (my shop). I have my handmade listed with vintage, but there are no takers for my handmade. I just need some honest feedback. Should I continue making stuff and just work on somehow getting it seen or is my stuff just too lame for anyone to consider buying. I am not asking for any buying, just feedback. My vintage sells better than I expect.

 

 

 

I am doing this sideline business to fund homeschooling and education. 

[prairiewindmomma]

You have two very different styles going on--a mid century designer or mid-century modern interp and then some handmade items that are very Victorian-seque. It seems like your sales have been mid-century mod. I'd look into making 50s and 60s organic jewelry--woods, leather, etc and see if there is a market for that. The prices you have are eyepopping--I would focus on materials/designs that allow you to market your handmade stuff at the $30 point. Leather scrap earrings or the like may be an option--it's not very time intensive.

[prairiewindmomma]

One last point--nearly all of your reviews are for vintage jewelry or wool balls--hence my point about making jewelry rather than hair accessories.

[Scarlett]

I am sorry I am not much help.  Your stuff looks very cool but I rarely buy this sort of merchandise. 

[Mergath]

I agree that the prices for your handmade stuff are likely the problem. I understand that time and materials aren't cheap, but that doesn't change the fact that most people don't have a hundred bucks to drop on a handmade tie from Etsy.

[Word Nerd]

Maybe include a photo of the clips on a model?

[regentrude]

Is the stuff in the link all your store?

1. Looks extremely random, expensive sunglasses mixed with handmade hair clips and hummel figurines. I would not come across this store if I were looking for a specific item on etsy.

You need to develop stronger focus and specialize on one type of items. I would not scroll down that page to find the earrings amidst all the other stuff..

 

2. Way too expensive. Your handmade items are buried under $200 sun glasses and $140 collectibles. I would not look closer at this store to find an item that might be affordable - you'd have lost me right at the first row of images.

Edited April 12, 2017 by regentrude

[MercyA]

I shop on and browse Etsy. Your site design and photos are very nice. Your handmade items are pretty and not lame. :)  

 

I agree with the others that it is probably your prices. I understand needing to charge for time and materials, but there is often a difference between what something "should" be worth and what people are willing to pay for it. 

 

I'd stick to vintage if that's what people are buying. Best wishes to you!

 

 

[Ms Brooks]

Thanks for the input. :hurray:

[Catwoman]

Can you open a second Etsy shop for your handmade goods? I don't know how Etsy works, so I don't know if that would add a lot of extra expense for you.

 

I don't think your items are lame at all -- I think they are lovely! But as others have posted, they're getting lost among the other stuff you have for sale, and people may not know which things are new and handmade as opposed to which things are used or vintage.

 

I think you're more likely to get your prices if you had a store that exclusively sold your handmade goods because you could focus on them being artistic, handcrafted, and one-of-a-kind rather than just as something else you sell in your store. You don't want people to mistakenly think your handmade items were picked up at a garage sale somewhere and that you're trying to resell them at a huge profit.

[Ms Brooks]

Cat~

I am just not going to make any kind of handcrafted item with the idea that I can sell it. I really don't think there is much of a market for handmade, nor is Etsy really about handmade anymore. I am just going to stick with vintage, sell all of my supplies, and move on with life. Thanks for looking.