How much does location matter?

[JoArtyJo]

I would like to know how you feel about purchasing from international sellers.

I am in the UK and obviously most etsy buyers and sellers are in the US- how much do you think this matters and is it negatively impacting on my shop?

I am doing well so far I think, 35 sales in 4 months is quite good from what I see :-) A lot of these sales are my printable art or coloring pages, so avoid the hassle of shipping as they are emailed. I don't know if this is why they sell better or if it's other factors like cost etc.

There is a British version of etsy called "Folksy" and I am wondering if I should look into that.... I am by no means ungrateful for my sales here, please don't think that- I am just wondering if I would do better where this international issue does no exist. My first choice would be to stay here as I LOVE the etsy experience, and I actually like the fact I am meeting people all over the world! But if I am limiting myself then maybe I need to move....

So who better to ask than you guys?! :-)

Does my shop have enough potential to "make it" on Etsy, DESPITE me being in the UK?? I have high ambitions- I have a 19 month old and by the time he goes to school I would like to be able to stay home (I am currently a SAHM) and earn a decent income from my art.

Honest opinions gratefully received please :-)

Thanks so much!

[Modrn]

I'm an international seller myself, so I'm pretty much always buying from sellers located in other countries here on Etsy.

I do however think a lot of US buyers shy away from international sellers either because they worry about shipping cost and time, or because they prefer to shop locally.

If you would like to make a living from selling online, then I'd definitely look into the Folksy platform! I sell on a Norwegian site as well, and I do much better there - of course that's partly because I'm not competing with thousands of other jewelry sellers... yet! ;)

[JoArtyJo]

That's a good point about competition Linn, but then there must be a lot less buyers.... The UK is TINY compared to the US :-)

[Former_Member]

I think you are doing quite well. I wouldn't worry about it yet. your shop looks great, I've seen it before. I think what is awesome are your shipping prices. sometimes that's why I don't buy internationally, shipping is too much. you extremely reasonable in that area. you also offer free shipping on the second item? that's crazy. I do wonder about the time for shipping if I need something in a certain amount of time. maybe if you could get an estimate on the time to ship to u.s. you. could post it on your listings or in the shop announcement.
well good luck, you're doing better than I am here in the u.s.

[littlecherryhill]

Personally, for me, if I really want something - no matter where it's coming from I will buy it. I think loads of us have wondered if it's worth staying or going from Etsy...but there really isn't anywhere quite like it, so I stay stick it out!

[Former_Member]

I have no problem purchasing from sellers outside my own country!

What does irk me are the sellers that list their locations as being all over the world.

When I'm shopping I'm usually looking for an item rather than where its from. The only time I'll limit myself to someone local is if I need it to arrive 'yesterday'.

[DabHands]

You have a lovely shop and great items - hope you decide to stay.

I don't have a problem ordering stuff from the UK or any other country with a reliable postal service.

And is there any reason why you can't have a shop at Etsy and at Folksy?

[Former_Member]

I was wondering about that myself, so I am very happy that came up.
I am from Israel, does it change anything?
cause sometime I fell that maybe if I was from the states it would be better.
On the other hand, I fell so lucky to find Etsy,because now I have costumers from all around the world :)

[Former_Member]

I'm in Ireland and I have found it rather limiting, especially as I have the added concern of shipping glass. My sales finally started taking off this year when I changed all my listings to free shipping. The feedback I got from teams and potential customers was that they were happy to pay whatever the item cost was, but then they resent having to pay for shipping on top. Especially with heavy items like glass. So I took away shipping altogether and upped most of my prices slightly. And it seems to have helped.

I hadn't thought of mentioning the travel time in my listings and announcement. It's a great idea, because people are often surprised that it takes less time to travel from Ireland to the US than it does from state to state.

[Former_Member]

I usually don't notice where the item is from until I am already considering buying it. Shipping charges have an effect on what I buy, but not the country of origin. Since your items weigh very little, I don't think you should have a problem. Like Mollie said above, if you think customers are turned off - experiment with free shipping on a few items and see if it makes a difference.

[Former_Member]

I'm in the US, but I don't hesitate to purchase from international buyers because I've always had great customer service from them. I just ordered an iPad case from a seller in Hong Kong (PinkOasis) because I just absolutely had to have the case. I could have gotten one quicker by purchasing from Amazon, but I knew I would have buyers remorse if I did that. So, if I see something I must have, I will by it regardless of location.

[Davs]

I never pay attention to what country my purchases are coming from, the only time it matters is if my item is taking a long time to arrive then I go and check to see where it's coming from to see if customs might be an issue. =)

[Former_Member]

I always want to know where my items are shipping from so that I know how long to wait. I have bought from the UK when there was something I wanted. That includes Scotland and Ireland, not just England. Haven't seen anything from Wales. Are there sellers from Wales?

[JoArtyJo]

Thanks Jenni! My items are so light that I dont't have to charge much at all- I consider envelopes etc as part of the item cost, that keeps shipping as low as possible. And as they are so light popping an extra item in the envelope costs next to nothing extra anyway :-) Great idea about adding in shipping time, it doesn't take long at all so may as well advertise the fact!

Emma- that is my approach too, unless shipping is ridiculous!

Crochetgal- yeah sometimes I guess we do need things very quickly- I am terrible for having to pay next day delivery charges on Amazon etc when it's someone's birthday or something!

Thank you DabHands :-) The only reason is the extra effort and time etc a second shop would take up!!

Yael- I agree I love the international experience! I guess what everyone is saying here applies to Israel too?

Mollie- I am fortunate in that my shipping costs are low already- but I guess $3 is still a lot if you are only spending $5 to start with! Maybe I will experiment with free shipping.... hmmmm

Rachel- I am the same as you, high shipping is soooo disappointing!

[JoArtyJo]

Kate- "buyers remorse" :-) I love it! you are right though, sometimes things are worth the wait!

Sarah- that's good to know, hope yours is a commonly held attitude! I recently had an item RETURNED from the states saying address incorrect, so annoying, and the poor buyer must have been wondering where on earth it was, it went all the way there and back to me! And she confirmed the address is right (as do paypal) so it's off on it's way again now.... so I guess there are problems with international shipping- and this wasn't even customs!!

Betty- I have seen sellers from Wales on here :-) I think it's great collecting things from all over the world! I also love to send things all over the world :-)

[Former_Member]

Just spent some time in 'Wales'

http://www.etsy.com/search?q=welsh&order=most_relevant&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US&locationFull=&re...

[Former_Member]

The only thing that turns me off from buying overseas is the exchange rate and then if the shipping is high on top of that, you have to factor the exchange rate of the shipping amount as well and it can get very expensive.
I also love to travel overseas more than anything else and although I have recently found things on here that I'd buy in a heartbeat, I'm the type who prefers to make purchases when I travel to these places because they mean so much more to me that way. I have quite a few stories of lugging heavy purchases all over the place but it just makes the pieces even more special to me.

[Former_Member]

I do think shipping costs deter many customers from buying overseas.

[JanislaJewels]

Jo, we've only sold 18 items in just over a year, so I think you're doing briliantly! Only 2 or 3 of our sales were local (UK), the rest to the US, and apart from one blip with PayPal which had nothing to do with international shipping everything was fine. I've also bought supplies from the US and Turkey with no problems, though I made sure the value was within the customs limit.

I believe Folksy's quite good but a lot smaller than etsy. Why not try it with some of your items that get emailed (so you don't need extra stock) and see how you get on? There's no problem selling in 2 or more places.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I'd love to hear how you get on!

[Former_Member]

I think twice buying supplies from asia because of shipping time, shipping cost, and lost packages. UK, I have no problem with- especially if the items are lightweight. I have bought mittens and supplies & both arrive quickly. Like wordlove, by the time I think I want something, the location is secondary.

[ExquisiteBounty]

Well, No worries here either! I have purchased from all over the globe, very few dissapointments,,,,, I had the same "bad post" story just a few weeks ago too ....lol...... Bought some beads from a lady in California,(USA) and I am in Florida (USA) We did the double trip also.... Post lady on my side somehow didn't recognize my name!!

I hope my two bits help you decide to stay! lol You're doing great!

[Former_Member]

Hi Jo, as you know I am in Australia and I have been selling on MadeIt, the Australian Etsy, for 14 months before I decided to take the big step and move to Etsy. I have been here 2 months now and have had 19 sales, about half of them in Australia and the rest in the US, UK, Canada and the Netherlands.

I was doing quite well on MadeIt but it's a small site compared to Etsy and I am happy to have a larger 'audience' now. I expect it is the same with Folksy.

For me the fact that an item I buy on Etsy comes from another country is part of its charm. I have a lovely necklace from Greece, earrings from Croatia, buttons made out of beach items from England... I hope and think that many Etsy buyers feel the same way! I think it's one of the great things of Etsy. In my treasuries I always try to feature items from many different countries.

I know there are some bestselling shops on Etsy that are outside of the States, so I shouldn't worry too much. And you have the added advantage that your items aren't expensive to ship!

Having said that, I would give Folksy a go as well if I were you. I think I will keep my MadeIt shop on too, although I have really neglected it in the last few months...

Good luck!

[Former_Member]

I've purchased from outside of the country plenty- mostly from the UK and Canada, but wouldn't have a problem buying from most countries.
That being said- I do think there are some American buyers that prefer to buy from the US, especially with the state of the economy. Some feel like they want to spend their money supporting another American. But there are plenty of us in the US that feel like we want to spend our money supporting artists and craftsmen no matter where they live in this world. As long as my money is going to a real person I'm happy.
I also hope you stay! :)

[Former_Member]

You're doing really well! You do not have to desist from selling through Etsy.
I'm from Argentina, the price of shipping and time delay, it will surely affect, but does not mean that your business is not going to work.
There are buyers for all products, I'm sure! I'm expecting my first sale! ahaha
There are very good sellers of Argentina, which do very well! That encouraged me a lot.
Knowing that people are buying from another country has a special flavor. I buy from Hong Kong, probably will be worth the wait!
Your store is beautiful, keep moving!

Ludmi

[Former_Member]

Actually Asia has reasonably safe and fast shipping. I am from Thailand and i can ship to Australia in 4-5 days, US normally 7-10 days and UK 5-10 days with signature upon arrival for FREE to my customers. From my end if i am shipping a single ring the actual cost is $3 USD and trackable online.

I hope my customers realise Asian shipping companies are reliable and cheap, our politicians are not :)