How do you get your stock built up for shows and Etsy?

[ThimbleAndStitches]

I have 2 big holiday shows and possibly another one coming up this fall...my problem is how to make enough stock for shows and my Etsy shop? As I make new items do I keep them for the shows and not list anything new in my shop until after the shows or should I list them now and kind of hope they don't sell or I won't have anything for the shows? I feel quilty sewing something new and then putting it aside for the shows instead of listing it. Thanks for all your help and suggestions!

[BettieKawaii]

I just make as much as I can everyday. List everything on Etsy and bring everything to shows. Every chance to sell something is a chance to make money. :-)

[GypsymoonChain]

You could alternate, one new item for Etsy, one for saving for the shows...

Edited cause I can't spell :)

[TigersandDragons]

Keep in mind that you will probably sell more at a show than you will at Etsy during the same period of time. So when the show comes around, consider either deactivating your items and taking Etsy stock to the show, or putting the shop in vacation mode.

[KatGurumi]

I left everything to the last minute, so I'm not listing anything new I make on etsy, but I am going to take photos of each of my new items and list them after the show. I make everything to order, I just don't have enough time in case something sells.

[Former_Member]

When I'm doing shows regularly I'm building inventory all year round both for the shows and for the shop.

You can easily take your Etsy inventory with you to the shows. Just put your shop on vacation for the day you are away.

When you opened your shop you would have already had a reasonable inventory built up and even if you don't have a show scheduled you should still be building that inventory constantly.

[LizArti]

You only have the one Etsy shop, right?
Don't worry about it - bring everything to your craft fairs. You will probably sell SO much more and don't have to bother taking pictures and writing listings. I hope you have more items than are listed in your shop now, 'cause you'll need them to fill up your booth!

As you sell items at shows, you can deactivate them on Etsy.

Good luck! Are these your first shows?

[HoldsIt]

Most of my inventory goes into shows. When the season is over in January, I will list what is left on Etsy or my website. Same thing in June.

[Former_Member]

I set myself up on a production schedule, with a certain number of items being completed (at least) each week even if I don't have a show coming up. Some things I list here, most I don't. Sit down and go over how many things you can easily make in a week and look over your calendar. When I do this I know about how many items I should have in my inventory at the time if the next show, give or take what may sell elsewhere.

Batch production helps me. I cut all my board at once, cover at once, work on pages at once, etc. I end up with several pieces done at once this way. When I tag pieces, I mark the ones in my Etsy shop with an E so I can remember to deactivate it if it sells at a show. With a little planning now you should be good to go.

[SomeKindOfPretty]

I couldn't agree more Kate. The more it is exposed, the greater chance of it being bought.

I am in the same boat with you. I have a lot of shows this Fall, so I am spending this month making as much as I can for the shows. The best you can do is set a goal of how many you can make a night. But be sure to take some nights off.

You got this!

[ArtisticSparkle]

If u have time, list as many items as u can... this way u always have ETSY to fall back on just in case. I like the Vacation Mode idea. If your ETSY sales are slow, anything u sell at the Fair that u also have listed, u could simply put "SOLD~This item has SOLD" into the listing a few times. That's what I do so that I can still keep the listing & if I make another one I just remove the sold sign. In the very small chance that u sell the same one item on the same day at the Fair & ETSY (& u can't make another), well then there's always refunds! Good luck with your shop!

[SomeKindOfPretty]

To avoid selling the same items at the fair and on Etsy, just put your store on vacation mode for the day. Even put something in your shop announcements about how you are at the craft show. I would take off vacation mode as soon as the show was over.

[FlameOnGlass]

Gina, it is against etsy rules to have a listing for an item that has been sold.

[KimagineDesigns]

I write the Etsy item number on little neon-colored removable stickers, and put those stickers on my price tags and earring cards. When I sell an item, I take off the sticker and when I have a free moment I open up the Etsy app on my phone and deactivate the item.

I think when I do a really large show - I have a BIG one in September - I will put my shop in vacation mode, but I will still use my sticker system to keep track of Etsy items that were sold.

[theyellowroses]

I do something similar to Chimelle. I make sure that I make the items that are good sellers. I don't list everything that I take to shows, but when I go to shows, I put my shop on vacation mode. When I get back I mark everything that sold as inactive.

Cute shop !

[SomeKindOfPretty]

That's a good idea Kim!

[ThimbleAndStitches]

Thank you everyone for your ideas and help. I think I will use the vacation mode during the shows and in the meantime will concentrate on inventory for the shows. Maybe in a month or two I'll feel more comfortable with my inventory and then add some to Etsy. The one show is a month long from beginning of Nov. thru Dec. and that one I feel I never have enough made for but there is new delivery done weekly so I can be making new items up to the last week if I want.

Liz...lol yes, I do have more stock than what is in my shop but that is my problem...I feel quilty not adding to my shop!

Again, thanks all!

[BlackCatStudio98]

linda from FlameOnGlass says .

Gina, it is against etsy rules to have a listing for an item that has been sold.

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Linda, what if you sell an item, but will make another one if it sells again, and you say that in your listing? I have a couple of listings where I said the item will not be the exact one in the pictures, but I will make one just like it. Is that against the rules? I've seen listings like that all over on Etsy.

[BlackCatStitches]

Right now I haven't really had time to list very much on Etsy. The bulk of what I'm making has been going to the market and shops I sell in. When I have a bit of free time I try to photograph and list a couple of things. Then if it sells at the market, I just deactivate it while I'm there.

It's a juggling act, for sure! A month long show? That's going to keep you really busy!

[ThimbleAndStitches]

Leanne, yes that show runs Thurs thru Sun every week from the beginning of Nov with the last day being the Dec 8th. I use to make all holiday items then changed it to more items for kids but that didn't go as good. Now I'm doing a mix of everything! I wish we had a crystal ball to show us what people want! :-)

[Former_Member]

Perhaps i did things backwards, i started doing shows cause i had so much stuff, i started doing etsy cause at the time shows had started doing poorly but i still had stuff to sell.

Now shows are doing better, etsy never did make up the difference.

[Mulchandmore]

When I spin, two single yarns are then respun to make a 2-ply yarn, so I usually end up with at least three skeins of each color....I will list one here and leave home, then take two for the shows, but like kilngoddess, my business also started at the shows- so I keep separate inventories, but I am always constantly making things.

[PrairiePrimitives]

Diane, if you were selling tons of stuff here on Etsy, you might have a reason to be worried, but it looks like you've sold 9 items in as many months. At this point, I'd suggest listing more on Etsy, that is if you're serious about trying to make your Etsy shop successful. When you get to 50 listings or so, then consider listing half of what you make, and when you get to 100 listings, perhaps just 1/3 of what you make. This is, of course, when you're trying to build up inventory for a show. At other times of the year, list everything you make!

When you do the show, my recommendation would be to deactivate your listed items, rather than put your shop on vacation. Vacation mode tends to take you out of the search engines, and that is usually not a very good idea.

[FlameOnGlass]

I build my etsy stock up all Fall & Winter & steal it back for local shows & galleries all Spring & Summer.

I have been doing it this way for years. I just cannot make enough beads to do both all the time so this works great for me.

[Former_Member]

Just go ahead and list on Etsy then bring whatever that is not sold to the show. If you can take pictures and do up a catalogue then u can take order for items sold out or even take custom orders.