Etsy Visited

You’ve probably heard of Etsy already. Unlike eBay where virtually any product can be listed Etsy provides a marketplace exclusively for crafters, artists and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods and crafting supplies. A massive 3.4 million members have registered with the site and completed sales worth $133.1 million this year (up to October) so it seems Etsy is here to stay and has truly found a place in the hearts of buyers and sellers alike.

(Image of Etsy Homepage)

Selling on Etsy is easy and the fees are virtually nothing. There’s no complicated fee structure unlike other auction sites – it costs just 20c to list an item for up to four months, with a final sales fee of 3.5%. There are no featured upgrades, or gallery fees and Etsy staff pick to three lucky sellers each week and feature their items on the home page for no additional cost.

For buyers it’s even easier than eBay. No bidding, No offers. Etsy is a Buy It Now zone only, so the seller sets the price for the item and you simply agree to buy it or not. Shipping is also displayed on most item descriptions worldwide, so nothing will be left tonegotiate afteryou’ve bought the item.

With a massive range of categories from Accessories such as Belts and Watches to Wedding which includes sub categories like Invitations and Jewelry, you’ll find items that you never even knew existed.

For me what really sticks out at Etsy is that buyers have the ability to request custom items which they would like made. This is perfect if you have an idea for an item, but are unable to make it yourself. You simply list what the description of the item your after, the ideal price you’d like to pay and sellers and your deadline. Sellers then bid at your item if they are able to fulfill the request. Never before has it been so easy to get custom items made and having sellers compete to make them. At the time of writing, they’re is a request for sunglasses made out of razor blades (as seen in Lady Gaga’s music video) amongst other bizarre requests.

There’s no doubt that Etsy is here as an permanent fixture, and with some of the low start up costs of selling on the site it’s probably the most ideal venue to for any startup. Signing up as a seller is easy, you just need to verify a credit card with Etsy, although once you’ve done this you can pay your seller fees via paypal.  I’d love to here your opinion of Etsy especially if your a seller on the site. How does it compare to other Internet auction sites? Your comments are most welcome, as always please take the time to read our comments policy first.