Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Etsy Blahs?

I don't know what has been up with me since the New Year, but I just cannot seem to work up any enthusiasm for my etsy shops. At first I just thought it was a creative block thing--that I needed a break from crafting--but I don't think that's it. I do like etsy in many respects, but then part of me just can't be bothered.

There are the forums, which just make me crazy, so much so that I find I can't stand visiting them for even the most basic questions. I don't really get the feeling that there is a big group of encouraging fellow crafters there. Blah.

Then there is the over-saturation of some categories, which unfortunately for me includes jewelry. Maybe that's the biggest problem--I just don't feel like anything is being seen, and so the desire to make new things to list is just evaporating. I mean, even tho the listing and selling fees are very reasonable, if everything I list is just getting swallowed up in all the other jewelry, it's not very useful.

Then there is the whole aesthetic thing. It's pretty clear that etsy favors a certain look, a certain type of crafty style, and it isn't what I do or favor, so I'm kind of out of the loop there, too.

So--is this just a blip, something I'll get over? I'm not planning on killing off either of my shops yet, but I sure wish I could find an alternative site to at least try. Folksy isn't going to be it--those square photos aren't the greatest way to show off necklaces. Artfire is OK but as I don't want to commit the money for a non-free shop, my options there are quite limited as well. DaWanda really didn't do it for me, either.

I should probably try to sell some stuff locally--investigate some local shops and all--maybe that's the answer? I don't know--I do worry about price points if I do that.

Aaaaaaaaargh! Any helpful suggestions are welcome!