eBay vs. Etsy?

princesslizz wrote

on 7 Jan 2013 1:45 PM

I want to start selling my jewelry online but I'm not too sure where I should sell it. My dad says its better on eBay cause there's more "traffic" and lots of people know about it, but then I've heard Etsy is also good. I really don't know where I want to set my store up. Which one is better for selling handmade jewelry and why? (I need good points to convince my dad if I decide I want to sell in Etsy)

danpv wrote

on 10 Jan 2013 5:16 AM

Welcome to the super-saturated world of selling jewelry online.  At last count, there were almost 3.9 million jewelry listings on Etsy alone.  Haven't checked eBay but my impression is that those in the know are more likely to shop Etsy for unusual handmade jewelry; while eBay is where I go for inexpensive supplies. 

No doubt some artisans sell on both, but on either site you will likely sell more pieces with lower priced (<$40) material unless your work is very unusual - in which case you may want to consider starting on Etsy where it's easy and inexpensive to begin, with the thought of also eventually having your own website.

You will need high-quality photos of your work to attract eyeballs.  Marketing is key and you can never do enough of that, so the more electronically social you are (twitter, facebook, etc,) the more visibility your work achieves.  This should translate into more sales especially in the lower price ranges.  

Good luck!

princesslizz wrote

on 14 Jan 2013 2:19 PM

alrighty! thanks so much! ((:

btw: I stopped by your online store... your work is amazing!! congrats(:

princesslizz wrote

on 21 Jan 2013 3:13 PM

Oh ok. I think i'm going with Etsy then(; thanks

kami87 wrote

on 23 Jan 2013 5:04 PM

You can also try my new project that I just launched last year at www.purepeacedesigns.com . How many items do you sell? Its only $5/month and you get advertising and marketing with membership plus business cards, logo, and custom shop design. Please check it out. Its a nice alternative to ebay and etsy

princesslizz wrote

on 23 Jan 2013 6:37 PM

Well I'm barely starting so I have very few items but I will check this out. Thanks! (:

harycharlie wrote

on 5 Feb 2013 11:57 PM

Both eBay and Etsy are good websites. You can use any according to your budget. I will suggest you to design your own websites and get customers online. This will be nice option, if you have many pieces of jewelry to sell.

princesslizz wrote

on 6 Feb 2013 4:16 PM

I think I will be trying both and see which one works better for me. Later on if I have many pieces to sell I will consider designing my own website(: Thank you!

Malvegil wrote

on 9 Mar 2013 3:23 AM

maybe wix.com is something for you. Its a free website creator, and easy to use.

I used it to make my website: www.draupnir.biz

My etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/draupner

princesslizz wrote

on 9 Mar 2013 6:26 PM

thanks!