Selling Jewelry on Etsy - Should you do it?

Jewelry Discussion
61

@bjacquin I try not to disseminate advice, only to share my own experience :slight_smile: As my wife will tell you, I definitely have some of my own ideas about what works and what doesn’t! So I try not to steer anyone, nor do I think I am necessarily qualified to do so.

As I allude to in my post above, “new” stores on etsy are hard to find. There are so many items/listings on the platform that things get buried. I strongly suspect etsy uses solr or elastic search combined with an algorithm of their own design to “boost” certain sellers or items that are directly linked to profit generation, conversion rates, etc. Short of learning what those influencing variables are and their weights, all I can suggest is this…

It stands to reason that the following two things that influence your propensity to be seen are;

  1. Sales, and
  2. If you spend money to advertise your listings :slight_smile:

So you can bring off-platform sales onto etsy to influence #1 or spend money to influence #2.

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62

Are off-platform sales custom work or items shown on another venue like Instagram but you use Etsy’s checkout to complete the transaction?

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@seth-ganoksin-admin

I forgot about the off-platform issues that caused a big uproar with Ebay sellers …where no information is permitted to be exchanged (such as phone numbers), without the seller being charged a fee as if he had sold the item. But I didn’t know Etsy was doing the same thing.

But surely that’s not what you are talking about.

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I am talking about the reverse situation - where a sale you originated and otherwise would have consummated on your own you bring onto etsy to establish velocity/get reviews, etc etc

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Hi Jo

I don’t sell jewelry on Etsy but I do sell my handmade components there, and yes, I do make my entire living there.

BUT (and this is important for anyone selling anything on Etsy) you do have to work to promote. There are many articles available via Google search to get into the specifics of how to go about that but, for me, social media has been key. I am very active on facebook – with a shop “page” and a couple of groups I’ve set up. I joined many other groups and network with my customers (and potential) customers there.

I recently tried using a stand-alone web site and closing my etsy shop. Not a good idea. Even though I heavily promoted my web site, sales plummeted. I am reopening my etsy shop AND, at the same time, keeping my web site.

Hard work, a bit of savvy and a marketable product (and good photos!) will do it.

Good luck to you

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66

Please forgive if someone has already offered this advice. I am in production and, unfortunately, no time to read through all the responses now.

If you are considering opening a shop on Etsy, do a bit of research first by scanning different shops

You can put keywords that generally match your own product in the search box (ie “24 karat men’s ring”) and then make sure to use the side menu to narrow your parameters a bit – Make sure you check “handmade” so that vintage products don’t come up – and check the other options such as “Location” (US only?)

You will bring up lots of photos from as many shops as have your 24 k gold men’s ring. Choose the ones that come the closest to matching your own product - in style, craftsmanship, materials, and price

Go to those shops and check to see what year the shop was open and how many sales for each shop

If a particular shop opened this past year and made 2 sales that might be a bad indication – or it may just mean that they did not promote their shop, sold elsewhere, or…?

But if a shop has been open a few years and has a reasonable number of sales (what you would be comfortable with) then that’s an indication that it can work for you, too

That being said, promotion is really key to selling on Etsy (that and SEO) – I use social media especially Facebook where I have a business page and have opened a couple of groups. I network with my customers there and reach potential new ones daily. I advertise (by show n tell) new products and promote sales there.

Instragram is super for promotion if you take good/interesting photos and spend time to follow others who might become your customers.

Someone else mentioned that people ask for their Etsy shop rather than a web site and that has been my experience, too. It has become a trusted recognized marketplace.

Bonus: their shipping is the most reasonable that I have found across all of the shipping services - including Paypal’s – that I have found.

Good luck!

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67

Betty, do you have experience you can share
about your experience selling online or in
galleries?
I did share my experience selling my work
and the artists I represented at my B&M, and
how that has been impacted by online sales,
as that is what I know.
Do you market and sell your work?

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@Richard_Hart3

Let’s try this again, shall we?

You said to me:

Richard Hart
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~

This is a thread about Etsy, yet you did not mention having experience with Etsy.

Since you directed that remark to me, you must be referring to my conversation with Erich about gallery representation.

You mentioned your experience was representing your own work as well as the work of other jewelers, in your own store, back in the days when folks in your community were spending on jewelry.

Are you implying that third party representation in a location where folks still buy jewelry, would be the same as your store’s experience?

Let me reiterate, you did not mention Etsy nor third party gallery representation, yet you said to me that people in this thread like to give advice without experience. You should be more specific.

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As you say, repairs and custom has remained strong for retailers, I think it always will. If you are particularly skilled at both it’s a great niche for a goldsmith. Jewelers are hard pressed to find goldsmiths who do excellent custom as they are such a limited resource. If you can create a system where you can present design options, drawings, then produce a wax or resin to show, then finish the approved model beautifully and consistently, you are a dream come true for the retailer. Combine that with the ability to do the trickiest of repairs and you’ve got yourself a great living. Often well into six figures. All you do is produce the work, no monkey business with customers.

My business partner has Etsy stores, I don’t personally have anything to do with them, and they generate income, too much to stop. But when they are busy the online interaction with customers is extremely time consuming. Etsy itself seems to make changes that are unexpected and benefit Etsy rather that the artist. If you could put it on a scale, for the Etsy store owner it seems to be less joy and profit and tipped more toward frustration.
Mark

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In my experience with Etsy, Art Fire and a couple other online marketing venues is that I spent the majority of my time on photographs, ad copy, maintaining the site and marketing. Sales were in the cheapo price range and far too few for the work involved. Ring sizing for large flared pieces can be a nightmare!

I was wondering the going rate for gallery representation and consignment? I’ve been paying 40% which seems high when making a piece from ingot to finished considering that those who use components pay the same rate.

Aurora

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It’s usually more than 50%.

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Hello all,
First time commentor here, what a great discussion!

This is very timely, because I used Etsy for a few years -as a hobby jeweler- and I’ve been thinking about digging out some of my tools come spring after a long hiatus. I joined Etsy to test myself as someone very overwhelmed by all the facets of starting a business of any kind. It was a simple and inexpensive way to dip my toe in and maybe make a few bucks in the process.

The key factor for me was time spent:
-Take GOOD photos
-Use one- or two-word tags that regular people will actually type into the search bar, and use all the tag spots per listing
-Spend time and have a couple people check over your shop description, policies, item descriptions, etc. They need to be clear, informative and interesting, but the customers are browsing, they won’t read long paragraphs

My simplest method for the first few sales was the most basic possible. Mom wants a birthday present for a friend? Make her buy it from my Etsy page and give her a coupon code for the shipping cost. Ya-DAAA! First sale. Then have her tell her friends.

The most beneficial -and personally rewarding- initial step was to make use of the community-mindedness of the site. Take some time to make connections. I spent hours window shopping, studying other artists pages and items and quality of work. I ‘favorited’ shops and items and collections, made collections with their products, oraganized my favorites by department, and most importantly, wrote notes to other crafters. Little messages, introducing myself as an artist new to the platform, expressing appreciation for quality of work, a particular piece or collection or stone or greeting card or tee-shirt, brought way more visitors to my pages than anything else. I like a bunch of their things, they like one of mine, and all their traffic sees my item.

Most amazingly, after my short and not-so-profitable little experiment, I have continued some of those personal connections post Etsy, and discovering new friends -who would give me a leg up if I reopen my page- was an unexpected and rewarding bonus.

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73

Mark,
Two people I know, in their 50’s-60’s, who
were with stores for many years were let go,
very competent bench jewelers were
replaced with younger, less experienced
people.
These were people who worked for high
end stores…

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I’m really sorry to hear that. That has just not been my experience. It’s the opposite problem, where people have more work than they can do.

While some retail jewelers have struggled many are doing incredibly well. Those busy jewelers who for a variety of reasons have adapted well to the existing marketplace need great goldsmiths. The smart ones aren’t looking for the cheapest benchies but for the best work. When they find it they hang on to it.

I guess that there are so many variables involved in personal and business success that it’s hard to know why some succeed when others struggle in the same field. Personally I see nothing but growth and opportunities. Young people should not get down on a career as a goldsmith. It’s a lot of hard work but can be very satisfying as well as rewarding.

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75

Ted,
I “retired”, which means I am on “social
insecurity”.
I have a studio where my lady and I create
one offs.
I live very rural.
Took a year to get metal fabricating, casting,
engraving and lapidary equipment in place and
functional.
My sweetheart was in high tech sales, and
then had her own graphic design business.
She also makes her own line of jewelry, and
we collaborate on some pieces.
I do work for an opal dealer who does
gem shows.
The market has changed so much in the
last ten years, I find that I have to be as creative
in marketing as I do in what I produce.
I do have a signature style I produce and
I am building inventory.
Double sided pendant.
Sterling and high karat gold.
Opal and garnet.

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[https://orchid.ganoksin.com/user_avatar/orchid.ganoksin.com/vladimirfrater/45/2880_1.png] vladimirfraterhttps://orchid.ganoksin.com/u/vladimirfrater
January 31

Richard,
thank for your analysis of the current shiny shiny world where you are…
It used to be diamonds folk invested in ,but now that Samsung and Apple are the new ss,( as well as Tesla!) then folk spend $7/800 every 2 yrs or so on the latest and so called greatest upgrade, forgetting that its designed to be useless within 5 yrs.
What an awful world we live in now.
Seth’s critical analysis of the online market and how he plans to make it work for him is essential reading for us all. I wont sell on line. I found that customers like to meet the maker, even if its something not really valuable like gold diamonds etc that was your speciallity.
Im so humbled by customers of mine whom I may see perhaps 1 yr or even 15 yrs later who are wearing daily, what ive made!.They have part of me with them I suppose.
So what are you doing now? Assuming youve ideas to do something creative?
Despite anno domini and the issues it brings, I couldnt not want to go on making . Its a passion that drives me, and will continue till St. Peter say’s time up.
My medical guru said on review last week, that on present course, barring me falling under a truck or something he can still see me making 90. My poor wife then has that to put up with.
She is also driven by her vocation. At 70 she still goes out and cares for people in our community. Its her own business of course, and I support her in all things.
Just did the dinner for us all!. We have a special self propelled 2 handed kitchen clean up machine. We call it yours truly. on call 24/7.
Ted.

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My etsy experience is positive. I’ve been on etsy for 12 years and make almost all my sales there, excepting the occasional trade fair table. Once in a while someone stumbles on my personal site and buys something, but probably only a few percentage of sales come from there. I owe my success to the fact that my line is highly targeted to a niche market and honestly, one keyword is all that’s needed to bring up a short list of results, of which half a dozen are mine. I’m terrible at marking and promoting, and don’t bother with social media. Even my photos are nothing extraordinary. In my case, it’s all about the niche.

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Anyone who can post their Etsy, Facebook, Instagram info, please do.
Really helps to see which audience you are targeting.

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@mpandfamily I couldn’t agree more with this statement. It is the reason I took over Ganoksin, when most anyone else that considered the prospect dismissed it as a “dying industry” that couldn’t support even the hosting fees, let alone be worth spending time on. You guys have proven me correct. Traffic to our content is 2.5X what it was in late 2015 when we started. Traffic to deep technical content like that is a proxy for interest in the trade, I think…

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Hi @AlyssaKay - Sorry I missed this question in the thread!

I actually wrote a blog post about the decision and the deal, you can find it here.

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I agree with Richard, let’s post our etsy & social media links. I’m a newbie at this so I’m always looking to see how successful people do it.
I’m thoughtfulgoose - Etsy and https://www.instagram.com/thoughtfulgoose/

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