Has anyone else lost the will to keep trying?

[#1]

Just wondering how many other sellers have gotten to the point where they are so sick of trying to improve for no results whatsoever?

[Former_Member]

You're shop is great, photos are great, your items are unique & beautifully crafted. Your shop has a great amount of items in it, so even if you need to take some time out, & simply check your stats/convos etc once a day for a season, you'll still be being found, favourited, treasured. Many people comment on how their views/stats/sales haven't dropped when they've been inactive.

The one thing I would not do is UNDERCHARGE. As you mentioned, this is with a purpose - & like any business, you deserve to be paid your worth. Your items are clearly not cheap & nasty like so many imported, they speak very clearly of your detailed approach. Your market is not people who want to go to the discount store. They are for those who love sentimental, one of a kind, hand me down gifts.

I think you could include OOAK in your title/tag for some pieces. (One Of A kind). It something that lots of people on Etsy value.

I would definitely be taking your work to local boutiques, & making sure you ALWAYS wear your work. It would be great if you could develop a brochure (one you can print at home, & send online) that showcases your work, with your details, shop branding, ethos etc. It's an easy thing to leave with shop owners, gallery owners. Consider sending a sample work with brochure to magazines too. Maybe one of your quick & easy to make pieces, with the detailed ones in the brochure.

Do whatever you need to find the precious times with your family. They'll be the things that stick with you, not the fact that you spent every spare second on Etsy.
Best Wishes! Melinda

[NeedaCraftRoom]

it's recession ..nothing you can do
people don't have any spare money..end of..
hope Christmas will make a difference but i don't thinkit will
I will keep my shop as long as the listing fee is 10 c
it's worth it I think

have you tried ebay??

[Former_Member]

I know how you feel I started the same time as you and not even one person has bought my items. I have pieces that are inspired and some people have seen but some I know that are unique on Etsy but no-one seems to purchase my pieces that are different that I put so much hard work in, I only get views and likes:( I love making jewelry but its so hard to sale them.

[Former_Member]

Nope....I haven't. And with all the current changes to the etsy system I grow weary trying to keep up with it all.

This time of year i concentrate on holiday shows. Another selling venue that produces positive results and I can promote etsy. Not just MY etsy but the entire site.

I'm still pluggin' along and I make items every day they have to land and find a place here. etsy is still the best site by far for selling handmade items.

Don't give up.

[trees4thewood]

Hi Samantha,
I think I remember feeling the same way around 5 months in. I had made only 10 or 15 sales, and some of them were for the smallest items in my shop (which with the free postage I offered at the time, meant that I was making nothing at all!) It was around 8 months that things finally started to pick up. I now have a happy feeling when I look at my paypal balance!!! I think its a matter of finding a spot for yourself on etsy, and people getting to know what you've got. I also found that customer service was really important and began to see return customers.
I've had a look at your lovely shop and am amazed at the detail and thought that goes into your work. I wonder if you've thought of branching out into selling items for dolls houses. I haven't seen anything as good as yours in the way of miniatures, and its a fairly big market I think. Just a thought.
I guess the most important thing I found was that I loved what I was doing and was going to keep making it anyway. And if I was making the stuff, I may as well have it on etsy. It doesn't cost a lot to have it there, and slowly but surely things pick up.
If you love your product, keep going.

[Former_Member]

Thank you everyone for your wonderful words, support and advice, it all helps and I really appreciate it :o)

Melinda thank you so much for seeing what others sometimes miss. That i spend so much time and money on my pieces and my heart goes into every one. I'm so happy that you see why my prices aren't walmart prices yeyyyy!!! My lastest pendant cost me about £15. I spent about 4-5 hours making it and am only charge £29. I just don't think people understand how much it costs to make these items and think i'm just being greedy. If im honest it upsets me when people say to reduce my prices, considering what I pay to make them and time taken etc. Also pieces with a similar nature to mine are much more expensive from other sellers more often than not.

[PithAndRootStudio]

I try to remember the wise words of another artist who has been plugging away far longer than I. In answer to a question about how to keep going in the face of few sales and a stubborn recession he said that, even if you sell nothing, your work will live on, handed down by your family.

I think this has been true for generations of crafters as well as artists. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers didn't make beautiful things to sell. They made them to beautify their lives and express their love for their families. I know it's very hard and making money is important - it sucks, it's frustrating- but don't ever give up on making things (whatever you decide to do about Etsy).

[happystitchery]

I too feel disheartened sometimes on Etsy when sales are hard to come by. But it keeps me going when I consider the alternative - at the end of the day I'm finally doing a job I love & although I'm not financially rich, I still believe that the leap was worth it for the joy crafting things full time has brought me.

Fingers crossed Christmas will bring us all huge sales :)

[Former_Member]

Oh, don't give up.
Take a break before Christmas and then come back refreshed.

[Former_Member]

Do you that maybe people don't know how expensive the UK is? for example in the UK you go in Topshop and get a silver tone necklace with some plastic beads on and it'll cost you £15-£20 pounds which is $23-$30 dollars and there are millions of the same one. Also i tried to get boxes for all my pieces and saw that in the US you could get them for around $0.50, but here is was $1.50. Unfortunately with postage from the US it wourked out just as expensive ARGGGHHH! lol. I would love to be able to produce my pieces for less, but the only places that sell them for less are abroad and then it's massive postage time lol.

[Former_Member]

Lately has reminded me why I started this and yes you guys are all right, it was because I love making things, and at the end of the day i will contiue to love it regardless. I think i will just have to learn to care less about sales and stats, if it happens it happens :o)

Ps awesome shops guys :o)

[Former_Member]

Samantha, BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL shop! do NOT give up! just when you least expect it, youll get some sales!

[Former_Member]

Aww Cheers Rach! :o)

[happystitchery]

I completely agree, I live in the UK too & sometimes can't believe how expensive things are over here compared to the US. I have had lots of problems getting reasonable priced packaging for my jewelry, I used to purchase my boxes from http://www.noblepackaging.com which are reasonable when purchasing a large quantity, but I found more success when I looked outside the box so to speak & now use little tins.

[Former_Member]

Outside the box lol, good one! Great idea little tins! where do you get those from?

[Former_Member]

It makes me laugh, how can a cardboard box be more expensive to produce than a tin one lol, it ridiculous really.

[happystitchery]

I know, I've changed my boxes so many times due to cost. The best ones are from the US but postage makes them too expensive. I even tried making them and they still worked out too expensive.

I buy my tins from ebay now - it is because they are used as cosmetic tins that they are so much cheaper than boxes. Try searching 'tin empty' - I think they are mainly made for cosmetics & candle making?

[Former_Member]

Cool! thanks very much Keneka :o)

[happystitchery]

I find if you search for boxes that aren't intended as jewelry boxes you'll find cheaper alternative.

Search results on Etsy:
there are 146 items in the UK for wedding favor boxes
&
142 favor tins items (mostly from US)

[Former_Member]

Have you thought of changing your key target market?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/112702461/polymer-rolo-earrings-mini-rolo
http://www.etsy.com/listing/102550775/pink-oreo-necklace-food-charm-pink

Your missing the massive tween market with these. My 9 year old niece lives with me, and she would wear and want this things in a heart beat. You have pigeon holed yourself into a very niche market with adult women. You are limited in how many women have a wardrobe or the willingness to wear food art. But you have this whole market that would wear and get all their little friends to buy.

[Former_Member]

I dont know how you mean, sorry. I wasn't aware i'd done that lol. Thank you for making me aware :o) Please could you give me examples?

[Former_Member]

I am on the verge of giving up myself. I'm a stay at home mum but can no longer afford to stay at home so if this doesn't work then I have to put my son in child care and look for work. I didn't want to do this and it's heart breaking. Will see how things go during the holiday season and if not I am ready to leave it at that

[Former_Member]

I did, I cleared out my store for a fe months and completely stopped. Just last night I was going through my inventory and we have so many great products just sitting so I decided to add them to my own personal website and add them on here to hopefully get them to new homes to bring joy to other people's lives. I have changed and updated so much but still no views on my shop

[Former_Member]

Are you asking for a reply to my message?

You are for sure a niche adult market limited in sales. You are looking for a very certain style of woman who is willing to wear food art.They are out there but are there droves of them, no! I think they are so cute, I would not wear them but in a heart beat I would buy for my niece because she would wear it and love them. That is wear a light bulb goes on and it's hey my target market might not be what you originally intended. If this is not the direction you want to go then you have to realize that it is going to take massive leg work to find your adult buyers. But if your willing to expand into the tween market you may just be surprised with the results.

from my personal experience etsy is just a small part of my business, I run a busy custom bridal bouquet studio and I'm just starting to venture online to expand my market. I needed to grow my target market to reach my goals. And it's working slowly but it's happening.

think outside the box.

[Former_Member]

Yes sorry Amy, i wasn't being very clear lol
i've been trying to kind of expand at the moment, but im waiting for the new supplies to come so i can get started. It's more grown up jewellery, but still colourful.
How do i cater to tweens, what would i need to do? sorry for all the questions, but all this is really new to me and i'm having to learn fast lol.

Thanks for your help by the way :o)