The DON’T DO list, pt 1, Shipping

As seasoned Etsy sellers, we’ve learned what you need to do to succeed and thrive. Our most valuable lessons have come from making and observing costly mistakes, so don’t not read this list, as members share the best  from their personal DON’T DO lists.

When you are SHIPPING:

1) DON’T leave a buyer guessing about how and when their package will be arriving.

Jen of SewnNatural advises:

Don't silently take in orders. Once someone places an order, we send them a note (ideally within a few hours) to thank them, confirm their order, the shipping method and timeframe, and let them know we will send them another message as soon as their order ships out. We go over details and shipping info that might not have been noticed by the buyer.

Here is an organic baby hat for sale at SewnNatural, modeled by the cutest baby ever!

2) DON’T assume that a buyer has read all of your shop policies, listing copy, and shop announcement where you’ve specified  vital shipping info.

As Yael of TheJoyofColor says:

Don't take for granted that buyers read all the information in your listing. In your thanks you note to buyer specify again the time it takes for an item to arrive. Especially if you are an international seller, this can save lots of embarrassment.

Pumpkin Hill archival print by TheJoyofColor

3) DON’T “gestimate” postage. You will lose repeat business if you inconvenience a buyer.

Toni of TheBuckToothedBunny related:

Ugh, I had to go to the post office today and wait in line to pay the $.43 postage due on an item that I ordered.

4) DON’T save money with inferior packing material. Reused materials are fine as long as they aren’t ragged and dirty.

This is also from Toni:

Don't skimp on shipping materials, I appreciate when my items arrive clean and in good condition.

Here is a new hand screened bag from TheBuckToothedBunny

This series will continue tomorrow with the Don’t Do list to avoid negative feedback.

Have you found these tips helpful? Have you learned other shipping Don’t Do’s?

By Lee Wolfe of OneClayBead

Why Deep Discounts Don’t Benefit Your Artisan Business

bag from Iragrant

The Handmade Revolution was founded to support indie artisans in making a fair wage living by selling retail without a middleman or working for a corporate chain. As part of the New Economy, “a fair economy that works for people and the planet”, artisans have unprecedented opportunities to connect with an avid and growing sector of buyers who want to change the world by changing their spending habits; by voting with their wallets. As part of the New Economy, I buy free range organic eggs from a local farm. I buy luxury quality handmade bags from an indie designer, one of a kind individually made jewelry, and hand stitched home decor.

Jewelry from PoleStar, hearts from SewnNatural

These things are not selected because they are the cheapest available. Each of these small business owners has a family to support, and, just as I buy fair trade coffee, I expect to pay a price for these quality goods that supports the modest lives of the makers and allows their dreams to grow.

As artisans, we can compete on price or quality, and competing on price is a losing proposition, as factories can always sell their soulless goods for less. Discount shoppers and bargain chasers are not our target market. And this is why Heartsy, which is a Groupon version for Etsy shoppers, cannot deliver on their promise to grow your indie artisan business.

If people want to support indie handmade businesses but want 65% off in order to do it, they are highly unlikely to  return for more at full price. They are far more likely to simply use the next Heartsy coupon available, which is what happens with Groupon shoppers overall.

It is infinitely more worthwhile to advertise and promote the quality of our work, and to reach out to buyers who are looking for that. 70% of my Etsy buyers return for more, and I offer no discounts. I give the best that I have at the fairest price to everyone, and this is building the kind of customer base that allows me to make a living wage. Offering a modest (10%- 15%) discount is all a good indie business needs to do when an incentive seems necessary. This business model works for me, and I recommend it to other artisans. When you put your heart and soul into making an honest and conscientious business, you deserve to profit from it, and slashing profits drastically isn’t necessary to gain attention.

editorial by Lee Wolfe

Peek. Bought. Handmade.

As part of our series Peek. Bought. Handmade, we'll take a look at some of the handmade pieces members of the Artisans Gallery Team added to their life.
Today, Jen from SewnNatural shares some of her latest handmade acquisitions with us.

"One of my very favorite Etsy artisans is SparkyJones, from British Columbia, Canada.  Among other things, she sews the sweetest upcycled and organic caps and hats. I never knew I was a hat girl until I bought my first hat from her - I didn't take it off much last summer."

"I recently got another one from her, and have enjoyed wearing the green corduroy cap as the winter transitioned to spring. And I know it will come in quite handy in the months after the baby, when all mussed hair will be so stylishly covered."

"And I recently discovered the beautiful hand folded paper cranes of Osaka's origamiyyc. In preparation for our new baby, my daughter and I strung these intricately folded cranes in a rainbow of color from transparent string, and a wool-covered embroidery hoop we put together."

"They float and move in the breeze, and the colors and shapes are very magical."

Peek. Bought. Handmade.

 

Today, as part of our series to peek into our own collections of handmade pieces from other artisans, I'm delighted to share some of our favorite pieces. Please take a moment to check out the other posts in our ongoing series here.

A beautiful handbuilt pottery bowl by Marci from MarciG has found a home in the center of our dining table - it calls out to be held and admired, and brings such lovely color to our table even when the gardens are frozen over.

Oh, and those handmade custom pink stone bracelets on those little hands are by Michele from steinschmuckdesign. In just the right shade ("hot pink of course", says my daughter) and on elastic string so she can put them on and off herself.

On our couch we have a pair of handprinted ABC pillow shams by London's HelenRawlinson, screenprinted with eco friendly inks on organic cotton. Not only beautiful to look at, but great for learning too.

And here is one of my first Etsy purchases - a sweet pear pair in mustard by pillowhappy I gifted to my husband one Valentine's Day some years ago. I love them sitting on the chair my the window in our play/family/relaxing space. Filled with beans, they are textural and fun to hold. And they remind us of our October wedding years ago - we chose pears as a theme and used them in the place of flowers.

Above and Beyond

Faceted Sky blue Topaz Drop Earrings by steinschmuckdesign

I am blown away by the talent of the artists on our team. More amazing is their dedication to handmade and quality artisan work. Everyone on our team is so kind and supportive, it makes selling on Etsy a unique and wonderful experience.

A few members every month go above and beyond in sharing the Artisans Gallery message and talent, and I want to acknowledge those members once a month by posting the top few most active every month. A few different active sellers will be highlighted every month. I can't possibly highlight every one of them, because again, we have an amazingly involved team.

Michele, of steinschmuckdesign pictured above, designs stunning and elegant gemstone and metal-smithed jewelry, and she is our expert Tumblr. She posts an amazing amount of team items to our page every month.

Textured Lace Bowl by OneClayBead

Lee, of OneClayBead, is a font of knowledge regarding gallery quality work, and helps sustain the vision for our team, and the mission that brought all of our members together on Etsy. She writes an amazing blog series to help artists dip their toe and then wade out into the vast pool of knowledge involved with gallery selling.

Earthy Stone and Crystal Necklace by deocratethediva

Renee, of decoratethediva, makes gorgeous eco friendly beaded jewelry, and she does some bookkeeping for the team as well as makes lovely treasuries.

Argentium Silver and Swiss Blue Topaz Pendant by Verbenaplace

Helen and David, of Verbenaplace, make stunning Artisan Argentium silver and fine gold gemstone jewelry. David makes the jewelry, and Helen uses her trained expertise to buy gems, and she spends "spare" time making treasuries for the team.

Upcycled Heart Felt Ornaments by SewnNatural

Jen, of SewnNatural writes some of our most thoughtful blog posts. She really expresses each of the team members she features in her articles so well, and I appreciate her kind words and contributions.

Dandelion Necklace by Moonovermaize

Monica, of Moonovermaize, co-leads the team. She is always a soft voice of reason and such a wonderful person to bounce ideas off of. She does bookkeeping for the team, blog entries, as well as makes treasuries. She truly is the kindest person I know on Etsy.

Should I Sell my Work Wholesale?

 

bracelet by jibbyandjuna

Selling wholesale to galleries, boutiques, and gift stores is beneficial if, and only if, that outlet increases the demand for, and value of , your work. If it is merely an opportunity to cut your price, don’t do it! A good wholesale outlet will promote your work as part of its branding and image. The gallery’s  buyer and sales staff will become familiar with your whole body of work, your studio process, the materials you use, and your individual story. They will take pride in carrying your work; they will act as a your representative to their clientele.  As their sales create greater demand for your work, the price that you charge can be increased.

Any time the demand for your work exceeds the supply (what you can make in a year), you can raise your prices.

fine art print by Gretchen Mist

It is very important to understand this! The single most common mistake that artisans make is lowering price in order to sell more volume. It is almost always better to sell less, at a greater price, than to sell more with a smaller profit margin. So you must make sure that your wholesale opportunities are beneficial to you in order to justify the discount you give them.

If you want to sell wholesale, scout out markets that would add prestige to your work. Look for outlets that have an established reputation, that ask for exclusive representation of your work within a specified territory, and that have a median price of what they carry that matches the average retail price of your work. You don’t want to be the cheapest thing they sell, nor the most expensive. Look for outlets that take pride in selling artisan work or art. Make sure that their marketing makes a distinction between manufactured goods and handmade work if they carry both.

felted elephants mobile by Sewn Natural

Future posts will cover what galleries and exclusive boutiques are most likely to buy, how to make sure that you have that, and how to successfully pitch your work to wholesale buyers. Please let me know if there are other topics that you would like me to cover. I have sold my own work wholesale for over 30 years, owned, managed, and worked as a consultant for, American Craft and Fine Art galleries. I’m happy to help you get started and succeed in selling to galleries.

by Lee Wolfe/ OneClayBead

Creative Fire: Magic and Business

                          Spalenka

"Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business."

— Tom Robbins

I am married to a suit, a corporate Vice President, whose days are spent in positioning his company for growth in a shifting economy. I am a potter, usually so unkempt that I’m an hour away from being presentable if I’m meeting anyone for lunch. Like all true artists, I deal in magic, in transformation, in the ancient alchemy of clay and glaze. Is this an example of how opposites attract? Perhaps.  We are we on opposite ends of one spectrum that begins in the realm of creative dreams and manifests through skillful design and execution.

                           Markhed

We are equally successful because we value the realm in which the other operates. I respect the organized way in which he methodically negotiates a business deal. He respects my natural ability to read people, to get in the zone and flow through my day, and to innovate.

He has brought a measure of order to my chaos. I bring to his his life magic. Business and magic make for a successful partnership.

     TeoStudio. steinschmuckdesign, OneClayBead

“Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.”
- Tom Robbins

               SewnNatural

Click on any image to see listing details. Article by: Lee Wolfe/ OneClayBead