Can you hide the date you joined on your shop page?

[ShopMissElla]

I joined Etsy in 2006 but didn't use my shop front until last Summer (2011). (I know, slack! Things kept getting in the way) Anyway so I've only been active as a shop for just over a year. I always feel it looks like I've had a very slow time as a shop since it says open since 2006 and wondered if you can hide this date?

[CrazieHappy]

Not that I know of, but I'm not sure.

[ColorMyWorldCrochet]

I don't think you can. I joined in 2008 and did not get very serious about my shop until September 2011. It looks like I have had 63 sales over 4 years, when in fact 57 of them have been in the past year. Honestly, I don't think anyone pays much attention to it. If they click on your sales link, they will be able to see when the bulk of them have come in.

[Jularee]

I was worried about that, too. I joined in 2009 and didn't become serious until July 2012, so I'm really just getting started. I don't want to reopen as a new shop even though I only have a couple of sales because I don't want to change my shop name. I hope no one pays attention to the date.

[spacefem]

Nope.

But if it matters, I don't think anyone cares. If anything looking older makes you look established and trustworthy, it's good that your date is earlier.

[Former_Member]

I don't think so either, I joined in 2010 but didn't start getting serious and adding a lot of items until this past year.

[TOMgirlApparel]

I used to worry about this as well, but honestly I think the only ones who relate sales and start date are other sellers. I think most customers look at an earlier opening date as a good thing regardless of number of sales.

[ShopMissElla]

Yes you're right it probably is just other sellers who are curious like myself! Thanks for all your input. At least in all my poking around trying to see if you could edit it I finally got my about page done anyway!

[Former_Member]

I would say that if you want people to understand then why not just mention in your little bio bit that you started out just shopping?
That way if anyone is curious enough then they can read about you and find out :)
Also I'm sure many people are in the same boat

[CatalinaInspired]

Lianne makes a good point. You could just mention it at the end of your welcome page. I do often look at when shops opened but usually because I want to see how I compare to other shops. I don't often take the shop open date into consideration when I'm buying something. In that case I'm more concerned with how many sales they've made and the feedback.

[ArtbyAeris]

I am new in this group :)

[fishcouple]

I know exactly how you feel.

I opened in August 2013 but didn't get serious until May 2014 after I quit my job. I was worried that sellers won't buy when they saw a low selling numbers. But as a buyer, I'd think the longer the shop established, the better. Also, I'd think customers' reviews count more than anything.

[CoraCeramics]

I have wondered the same thing.. I have wondered about hiding the date that I opened my shop.. And also hiding the date that I joined Etsy.

I joined Etsy on New Year's Day Jan 2016 with the intention to open my shop that same day, but I wasn't ready to open until a month later.. And even though it's open now, it's definitely a work in progress -- a SLOW one

[AlisonHiggins]

Glad to know that others were not as quick off the mark as they would have liked in opening their shops. I was a real slow poke. My solution was to say at the beginning of my shop announcement that I joined the Etsy community in 2011 and opened my shop in late 2014.

[HeidiDiCesareDesigns]

Don't worry about it. People barely read your Shop Announcement; they're not going to pay attention to that. Like someone else said, longevity only works in your favor. I think it took me almost a year to get my first sale and at least 2 or 3 years before I really got serious about it.

[Former_Member]

I think a lot of shops are in a similar position, I wouldn't worry too much. The date joining isn't a turnoff for me personally, unless they joined maybe yesterday and have no reviews so I don't have much info to go by.

Katie xo