The 'I want to have a moan to some people who will understand' Thread.

[#1]

I have created this thread so we can all have a vent from anything such as spilling a packet of beads all over the floor to someone stealing one of our ideas! It's good to get it off your chest.. I'll start!

I have just listed two new items and they're already burried over 8 pages back and I haven't gotten ANY views. *HUGESIGH* I'm really not believing in myself right now..

[Former_Member]

This is my first ever venture. I know, a 31 year old that has never used facebook, call the police. I think I may have figured this sucker out. It doesn't look too pretty and I am not sure if I did anything right, but I have a page that has my shop on it.

[Former_Member]

I'm 18 and all my peers think I'm a weirdy! LOL

[Former_Member]

To LilyBeanBowtique, your items are NOT gaudy and tacky...I just went and looked :) You have very good color taste and put things together very nicely! Hang in there, it can be hard to do this stuff, but don't lose your passion for creating over insensitive people's comments. There is room for all of us in this world! Best Wishes to you
Melanie of Sam's Welding

[ChimeraCustomQuilts]

Thank you all so much for your venting. it is so nice to know I am not the only one.

I can't complain about my hubby since he is the one who encouraged me to start all this in the first place. My biggest problem is people looking at my work and saying "wow I could get that quilt at walmart for 29.95!" UUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!! Do they have any idea how much work I put into these!

[Former_Member]

Chimera: yours is handmade and Walmart is mass produced (probably by children in a foreign country! Ok, I kid, maybe not). Point is, those are not the people that appreciate handmade items that are made with love (and sometimes tears, I just stuck my finger with a sewing needle! Owwweeeeee! That is my vent for today).

[ChimeraCustomQuilts]

Thanks IsleOfOwlie. I appreciate that. And I know how you feel much poking has been done with my quilting. Sometimes I feel like a pincushion!

[Former_Member]

First of all I want to thank Melanie from Samswelding for your very sweet comment, it means so much when people can see the hard work involved and appreciate it, and thank you to everyone for being supportive in this team, not just to me but everyone who is a member! I don't think I have ever met such nice and funny people in my life!!

Second, I am sorry that the majority of these posts are from me :) Gee whiz I come of as a pretentious know-it-all who's never happy!! That is not me at all!! Well, I do know it all, but besides that :)

And yes I have another dilemma, surprise surprise!!
I was talking with my step dad who is VP of a manufacturing business and is a whiz at numbers and we went through my expenses and blah blah blah and I am not making a dime on my items!!! I have no choice but to raise prices, I am so scared I am going to lose my client base to the cheaper competetors! I want to inform people on fb that they will be seeing a price increase, should I explain why? I'm sure I'll wake up in the morning and my fan # will be 0:) Would you pay $25.00 for a headband and $30.00 for a crochet hat? I can't say I would!!

[Former_Member]

I know your work LilyBean. It is so sweet and definitely not tacky or gawdy! How mean and insensitive for someone to say that! Don't listen to people like that and create what is in your heart. That is what customers want. :)Terri

[Former_Member]

Thanks Pikespeak, for the nice comment. I do things over the top, why add one flower, when you can add 3! Today is a brand new day! I have an adorable hat I am crocheting and I smile everytime I work on it, so i 'm going to work on that and be happy as a clam!

[Former_Member]

Anythinginbetween, why would u're friends think u're weird? Own you're uniqueness and embrace it! Take it from a lifelong crafter, weird is good it makes us creative! Never be afraid to try something new, I read a great quote about being an individual, just wish I could remember it!!

[SillyLoaf]

One of my favourite quotes, "Be an original. If that means being a little eccentric, so be it."

[Former_Member]

I'm quite sure someone has nicked one of my designs, as it is so similar, it is nothing like their other stuff and it was listed way after mine were. Should I approach them about it?

[Former_Member]

Hey I want to VENT!
I love ETSY, BUT sometimes I feel its alittle to High School.
If your with the "in crowd" then your sure to make FP!
Ofcourse my treasury wont have 8345874578453564723 views, IM NEW. It's up to Etsy Admin to fish around, not just go for the "most viewed" treasuries. Ok enough complaining!
(Scared to say more for fear of "them" shutting this thread)
Anyway LilyBeanBowtique your items can only be appreciated by people with an "eye" for the finer things :P . I LOVE your shop.

[Former_Member]

I am so glad and relieved to find other crafters with the same and similar vents as me!! dont get me started on how many beads have somehow mystically appeared on my wooden floor, pins ending up on chair, and how finding the energy and motivation to tidy up the craft room!! My recent vent and moan is what else can i do to get my shop to take off and make more sellers???? plus, is anyone selling any motivation to start crafting this year??? finding it a bit of a slog at the moment, and even though my recent 2 week holiday in the sun has helped me get a nice tan, i still dont feel like i can be bothered to move into the craft room!!!
oh yeah - my dad doesnt understand why me and my mom are doing this as we dont make any sales and it is a stupid way to spend your time. the craft room could have been my bmw, another bedroom, gym, etc....!!

[Former_Member]

Good quote oneten! Words to live by :) Leslie, I don't know if I would approach just yet, I have been in your situation and its extremely frustrating! Keep putting out your unique items, people can tell when its original :) I have read something about fp "politics" too and you are right! You're shop is fabulous btw! I wish I had those gold shoes when my girls were babies!! Pinkpumpkin, its always a slow start, it was for me too, but eventually I got some notice, be patient and relish the support of doing a business with someone you love!

[ShellCottageArt]

Just finished reading all the pages on this discussion and I feel better already! I am new to Etsy, have only put 11 items in my shop, no sales as yet. My "moan" is the time it takes to add an item, not just loading it to Etsy, but photographing it, pricing it, etc. I love crafting jewelry, the sales and marketing I could do without, LOL!

To the wire wrappers out there, it took me a looonnnggg time to finally get it to work but one day it just clicked. Then my Mom told me the pieces didn't show up well in the photos so now I have to try to photograph them again and load new pics. I find my camera, and my eye, works best outside but it is windy and cold today!

I don't have a craft space either, just the dining room table, and I can't close off the area, so every time I get up from working I have to put it all away or the cats will get up there and play in it. Our only extra room is the music room where my husband's mountain of music and recording equipment resides and until we can afford to build a garage/shed that he can move into I am stuck working in the middle of everything!

At least my husband is supportive. He makes copper trees for me to display my jewelry on and encourages me to make more pieces all the time. Unfortunately, my creativity waxes and wanes with the moon!

Looking forward to exploring all that Etsy has to offer and thanks for a great thread!

[Former_Member]

Thanks Lily! I feel a little left out of the loop sometimes because they all act like its a bad thing to not have Facebook or Twitter. I don't care that so and so in bangkok is the best gamer ever! By not doing them, I have more time to craft and make real relationships. And don't worry about your prices! People need to understand that you are trying to make a profit. If you wern't you would be selling them for free!

[trinkets818]

Welcome Purplecape, hello AIB and LLB and friends!

My vent today is that it is March 1, what? I did not make my personal goal for sales for Feb. Boo.

Second vent, why is there such an obsession with Facebook?

Third comment, in regard to pricing, the ultimate goal to have a shop is to make a profit. If you aren't you need to try to figure it out, right? Which I am trying to do...it is frustrating when I see items on Etsy that sell for way too much...for example, there is one vintage jewelry seller who sells her stuff for 20 times more than it is worth...but people buy. So, there is a market out there for all of us...we just need to crack the code to market to them! Not always easy I know...but if we keep chiseling away...LLB you can raise your prices, your items are beautifulnot gaudy...and clearly worth it! Go girls!

[Former_Member]

hey everyone, i have another quote i wanted to add that helps remind me i am on the right track:

"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

i really resent that so many people, especially former co-workers who think i left a 'real job' for a hobby, don't take my work seriously. but screw it - i am following the only voice that really matters.

please please please i would love more feedback on my shop!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/heatherlyone

i really need some critical input from people who are not friends and family. thanks!!

[trinkets818]

Wait...we are friends too! But not jealous, mean, overbearing ones!

Your shop looks great...photos, prices, selection, be patient, that's it

Your coworkers will be looking for a 'hobby' soon...

[Former_Member]

Rahhhh!!!!! My rant for today is how the Etsy website screws me over sometimes! I just re-newed an item in the ever so popular 'wedding' category. I just clicked over after a few minutes to see it show up under the search headings only to find that the last item that shows up was posted OVER AN HOUR AGO!!!! AHHHH!!!! This makes me so mad! I just paid 20 cents to have my item go to the top at lunch time and it's not even visible! The same thing happened last week with my paper rosettes and it took about 3 hours for Etsy to catch up with all the postings. So needless to say, my item was buried and my post was basically wasted. I want my 20 cents back! UGH!!!!


ok, I feel better now. I think. lol.

[ShellCottageArt]

Heatherlyone your shop is beautiful and I love your banner. I had a terrible time trying to make the banner for my shop and don't like it much! I am also into nature inspired jewelry, rocks and shells are my thing and anything like a leafy vine! I would love some feedback too, especially since I am just starting my shop. Have a lovely day!

[FauxFerocity]

ok so my old camera broke >.< i blame the husband he probably tried to "fix" it. So i ordered a new one that was supposed to be here yesterday, so i have had to go like 5 days with all this stuff i cant post...i waited allllllll day yesterday did it come, no. So it finally came in today BUT I have to wait like 2 hrs for the stupid battery to charge ...i never thought i would be so frustrated about not being able to take pictures.
ok im good now. Thanks lol

[Former_Member]

love your new avi Trinket

[Former_Member]

Oh, the facebook obsession! Don't laugh at me, although you may get a chuckle :) I am completely obsessed with fb! I have been since I started about 2 1/2 years ago. I am a stay at home mom, have moved to a new state 7 years ago and don't like to get out and meet new people. I get to talk to my friends back home. Since I am a hermit, I get to communicate with adults. Talking to my 2 1/2 year old and 17 month old is fun and all but they aren't really great at carrying on a conversation, and they aren't really the best listeners:) I don't have many girlfriends I hang out with so I connect on fb, (wow, how lame is what I just admitted to you!!) Anywho, I am also obsessed with watching my "like" numbers go up on my business page, everyday it goes up I think "people are finding me and like what I'm doing" My husband makes fun of me, he is as anti-facebook as they come!! He wouldn't even watch the Social Network!! Actually I don't blame him, I thought it was a snoozer :) It is a wonderful networking tool too, don't knock it till you try it :) I can post pics and generate interest in my items and get feedback on what items people are looking for, I have received quite a few sales from it too, FB, it's a good thing :)

Trinkets, I like your comment on the coworkers finding a hobby, I truly believe people get jealous seeing people following their dreams and they are stuck in a 9-5, although I don't think they realize it's work