How to Successfully Sell Jewelry on Etsy

Lovely Bracelet by Naturally Heartfelt.

Many people jump into an Etsy shop without taking the time to learn how to be successful at it. I'm an Etsian and I love the community and ease of use of the site itself. However, it took me a year to learn all the ins and outs, tips and tricks, so I'm here to share with you a few things that I wish someone would have told me.

Educate Yourself On Selling First: Do's and Don'ts and The Storque
First take time before stocking your shop to read the Do's and Don'ts of Etsy, and review some of the "Quit Your Day Job" articles in the Official Etsy Blog, called The Storque. Not only with this prepare you for what to expect, but will give you advice and suggestions from peers on how to run your Etsy shop. Education of the Etsy universe is key. Once you are in, continually refer to The Storque, and the Forums for help.

Lovely photos, items, and creative packaging at Heaven Sent Crafts.

Stock Your Shop With Good Selection
Your shop should then be stocked with a good selection of items, ranging in price so that you may eventually find and target your market. Selling all higher-priced items at first may alienate your lower-priced customer base. At first, a good selection is key.

Good, Clear, Close Up Photos Are Key
Gorgeous photos will encourage customers to shop with you. Grainy photos, or photos that do not show detail in your work will not sell your item. Good photographs can be had with even the oldest, cheapest cameras if you capture natural light and know how to zoom in. Practice makes perfect.

Tags and Keywords Will Make or Break You
You can have the best priced, prettiest jewelry in the world, but if it's not properly tagged or categorized no one will ever find it. Read up on how to properly tag your item, and how to use all 14 tags. If you need help, search the web as many sellers discuss this.

Join a Team
Join a Team on Etsy, most are free and are based on either location or theme. You may wish to join a local team and/or a jewelry themed group. Teams band together to help promote each other's items and in turn will obtain more exposure for your items.

Be Prepared to Work to Promote Your Etsy Shop Outside of Etsy
Etsy gives you a low cost platform to sell your wares, with a free shop, charging only minimal listing and sales fees. However, the promotion and success of your shop is up to you. You must work hard outside of Etsy to get your shop noticed, by promoting it on other social networking sites like Facebook, Blogs, or Twitter so that you may drive customers to your Etsy shop.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ira_Mency
Ira Mency sells vintage on Etsy at Retro Chalet Vintage Shop, and runs a vintage blog at Vintage Chalet. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6062363

Hot Contest News; Tim Adams of Handmadeology is our Guest Judge

Meet "Hoot", the recycled owl with pizazz, and find out why he is going nuts...

 See the many faces of HOOT here at Noble Upcycling.

For those of you who have entered the $200 value prize pack Recyclers Guild (write-a-blog-post) LINKS contest, guess what?  Tim from Handmadeology and TimothyAdamDesigns is our guest judge.  That's right people, he will choose the winner and we are happy to have him..

Guest Judge runs Handmadeology.

About Tim: 
Tim's a leader in marketing, networking, SEO, and back linking!  This metal artist- turned networking guru from Ohio taught himself the ropes and built a community of like minded people trying to network and grow their business.  (I like to call the Timothy Adam Revolution!)  He has earned my respect my helping so many Etsy sellers by giving free tips. Right now he's hosting a free 5 day e-course on growing your business!.  Tim has been giving free advice based on what he learned himself that helped him become a successful online seller. He allows the Handmade community to network together and share ideas.

Vintage Spark!

Tim Loves Vintage Too!  

Don't fret vintage sellers, many of you don't know that aside from doing handmade, Tim and his wife also have a vintage shop?

With all the principles of our Recyclers Guild Links contest, about cross promoting someone.....we've found the perfect judge!  If anything you should enter this contest to get practice on writing good blog posts that cross reference others, as a way to build back-links!  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

  It's not too late for you to ENTER THE CONTEST NOW!

Might I remind you that you can enter as often as you'd like!

Prize is $75 worth of goodies (we're sure you'll like them) annd $125 free advertising!

Submit your entry and read rules HERE on the Recyclers Guild Blog.

Contest Entries Close February 14th, 2011

GOOD LUCK

Thank you to Timothy Adam 

Sign up for this here .

Etsy Recyclers Guild Featured Items Primary Colors of G R E E N are Red, Blue, Yellow...

'Primary Colors : Wastenot By the Recyclers Guild' by RetroChalet

Etsy Recyclers Guild shows love with primary colors, Read more on http://EtsyRecyclersGuild.blogspot.com

Blue Deer Toddler Jumper Dre... Brokenghostcou... $49.00	Cute Red, Blue, and Yellow L... beadsbuttonsan... $12.99	Shabby Chic Shelf Red prettydarncute $24.00
Yellow Orchid Hair Clip emilygracesuit... $14.00	Vintage 1960s Handmade Calic... luvvinjewels $25.00	Blue Colored Vinyl Record Cu... colerainecreat... $14.95
Eco Passport Cover with Red ... wrapcycle $16.00	Cute 60s Vintage Textured Ve... TexasVintage $20.00	Yellow Wool Cashmerel Blend ... FeltedWoolies $3.75
Vintage Baltimore Maryland B... RetroChalet $14.95	Yellow. Red, White and Blue ... HarrieteEstelB... $375.00	Vintage 50s 60s ITALIAN Glas... HHDollhouse $19.99
COBALT BLUE Sea Glass Heart ... lakeeriebeachg... $50.00	ONE OF A KIND Purse or Lunch... lzubal01 $18.00	The Edna in Teal and Vintage... lizziecaye $89.95

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

HH Dollhouse: Vintage Green Upcycled Jewelry

Time to Meet HH Dollhouse!   This shop is from St. Paul, Minnesota!

Rhinestone Pendant, $14.99

"HH stands for Healthy Hands in recycling vintage garments, jewelry, and accessories of the past into today's modern woman or man. We sell earth friendly items: vintage, natural fabrics, and vintage made in USA items.! There is no additional carbon footprint because we're upcycling items!"

Modernist Brooch, $19.99

HH Dollhouse sells earth friendly items: vintage, natural fabrics, & vintage made in USA items. Jewelry is abundant in this shop and at great prices!

Bohemian Style Earrings $4.99

HH Dollhosue is also a member of the Independent Fashion Bloggers network, a few other teams on Etsy and does her part in recycling and being eco friendly!  Advice from HH Dollhouse in taking care of the earth is this:

1)You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.
2)Do not pollute the land where you live.


You can read more on her "Diary of a Vintage Lover " blog here.

Catch her:
On Etsy
Facebook

Website

DIY: Recycled Magazine Holders Like the Stores Sell

Check out this great video I found from KelseyR2 on Youtube. This awesome "recycler" is making her own Recycled Magazine Holders (she once saw one like it at Urban Outfitters), lucky for her, she decided to make it herself. Using old magazines and glue and a shoebox, she will show you how to make this great look!



Happy Creating!

New Contest Open to ANYONE Not Just Etsy Recyclers Guild Members Links Contest Enter Unlimited Amount of Times!

It's a New Year and time for a ....
                             New Contest! 

Our contest is called LINKS!

The Etsy Recyclers Guild is proud after only a year, to rank in Alexa, and have sites linking in.  Other than that, we've got readers, subscribers, people who check our blog on a regular basis. :)  Even better than that, is something called Backlinks.  Backlinks are where other sites (whether it be a blog, website, online article, etc) puts a link to this site which gives us "crediblity."  Without getting into technical jargon, in most cases, the more links the better we rank......

So now it's time to apply this theory to this contest. 

"Links" CONTEST RULES:

Eligibility:
This contest is open to anyone, anywhere in the world,  with a blog, website, or online presence! (Not just the Etsy Recyclers, so the competition can be FIERCE!)

Entries are unlimited as long as they are unique!

Open until: February 14th, 2011 Judging will occur then winner announced February 21, 2011.

$200+ Value Prize Pack: 
Special mystery prize pack includes:

$75 value of products donated from Etsy Recyclers Guild Members shipped to you!
$125 value of a sidebar avatar/link to your hop, website, or siteon this site for 9 months!
+Bonus: Feature Story written about you or your shop/site, to increase YOUR credibility!

How to Enter (Easy as 1-2-3):


1- CHOOSE A SHOP WISELY:) You must choose an active member from our e by clicking HERE to search our team tag "Wastenot" on Etsy. This will bring you to most recently listed items and MOST ACTIVE members (the Member Directory is in alphabetical order but not everyone is active)  so I strongly suggest using the Wastenot Search!

Go to their shop and make sure their shop is open and "frequently has new items added."   Make sure they indicate in their shop banner or profile they are a member of the Etsy Recyclers Guild (if they don't they will be disqualified because they may not be a "legit" member.)

The shops will be supplies, vintage, handmade, you name it, any shop on our team qualifies!

EXAMPLE:

This member, Retreauxgirl has the tag "Wastenot" and the "Etsy Recyclers Guild" in her shop banner. She updates her shop regularly! Her shop is legit!

Find out everything you can about them: review their profile and see if they have a blog, or personal website.  Find out more about them, their shop, and pick our your favorite items.  Maybe even contact them for an interview! Once you have your member in mind...continue on...


2- FEATURE THEM & THEIR SHOP  :)  Feature them in a small article on your blog or website--or if you write for a place you can do an article also!
 
To qualify you must include:

a)Their Etsy shop name in the title.
b) Put a link to their shop in the article ie: Check out the Retro Chalet Shop!.
c) Put a link to THIS BLOG somewhere in your article!  (http://EtsyRecyclersGuild.blogspot.com)

EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR  :)
A perfect example of this is a story Three Old Keys wrote about my shop. Not only did it help in Google Search results, but gained me credibility for my Etsy shop and my plastics blog.  **The only thing to chane, would be to put a link to the Etsy Recyclers Blog but other than that, the format is great.  Click HERE to view the format.

Online articles can gain your shop exposure and help you get fond!

3-  DOUBLE CHECK & LINK YOUR ENTRY BELOW:)
If you answered yes to all these quesitons, place your link below.  Judging will occur around February 14, 2011 and winner TBA by February 21st, 2011.

a) Did you choose an active Etsy Recyclers Guild shop, who has that they are a member of our group somewhere in their banner or profile?

b) Did you put their shop name in the title of your blog post, website feature, or article? 

c) Did you link to their shop in said blog spot , website feature, or article? 

d) Did you link this blog also? 


IF YOU ANSWERED YES, throw your link to YOUR ENTRY ie: the article, blog feature or website feature below in the comments of this post and consider yourself officially entered! 

YOU CAN ENTER MULTIPLE TIMES~THERE'S NO LIMIT
 
EACH ENTRY COUNTS AS ONE ENTRY!

GOOD LUCK!


Good luck!
Questions? Contact me here.

DIY: Fusing Plastic Bags Laptop Case and More the Threadbanger Way

Get to know our awsome team captain, Cindy of Retro Chalet

I joined the Etsy Recyclers Guild Team a few months ago and have had a pleasant experience from day one. Cindy our team captain and team leader has several shops on Etsy. Her main shop is Retro Chalet and her second shop is Retro Chalet Studio. She sells really cool vintage stuff including vintage buttons, vintage Melmac, vintage block letters, vintage advertising and other vintage items at Retro Chalet.

Her Etsy bio says, "Dumpster Diving Diva, Recycler, Artist, Writer, and Greenie. Proud Team Leader of the Etsy Recyclers Guild. Member of the Vintage Etsy Society Street Team. Do-gooder".

Lot of vintage buttons $12.00


In her Retro Chalet Studio shop, she sells a variety of cute recycled handmade art things such as poker chips with cute images taken from vintage books and other sources (these are made into pendants), mixed media collages and other jewelry pieces.

WATER LILY - Pendant - 1930s Vintage Ephemera - Eco Friendly Blue Poker Chip Pond Plant Pendant $12.95


Cindy is the type of person who is willing to go above and beyond for anyone. She's always willing to promote other team members because that's just who she is. I've never met her in person, but we have exchanged quite a few messages and I feel as if I've gotten to know her. She's a genuine person who would give anyone the shirt off her back if it came down to it. She gives 110% and more in everything she does. I would like to thank Cindy from the bottom of my heart for everything she has done for our team and for me. You can get to know Cindy better by clicking the links below:

Retro Chalet
Retro Chalet Studio
Ira Mency
Ira Mency Blogspot
Twitter

Meet Mattie Reid Chicago

Lovely rhinestone ring used to be an earring!

Shop Name: Mattie Reid Chicago

Location: Houston, TX

Owner: Heather

Heather says, "Mattie Reid Chicago came about back in 1999 when I was living in Chicago and attending school for fashion design. We had a project where we had to create a design name for ourselves. I could not think of anything, but my great grandmother. Her name was Mattie Reed. I changed the spelling of her last name to Reid and added Chicago to the end. Wa la! Mattie Reid Chicago was created. I design and develop accessories, often made of vintage fabrics and trims as well as clothing that is inspired by designs from the past."

Feather Headband is lovely.

Heather sold a lot on Ebay for the past few years, but has recently been stocking up her Etsy stores, both this, and Texas Vintage, which offers eclectic vintage clothing, housewares, and decor.

"Summer is Beautiful" onesies.

Heather's known for her onesies. They are unisex, and have playful embroidered designs and appliques on them. explains, "Right now, I mostly focus on baby apparel however, I am going to branch out soon and possibly add in toddler designs as well. With regard to the onesies, I can make anything requested. If you don't see it, send me an email and I can make it! I love special orders!!"
 

Heather's Mission?  "Made with love!, and to incorporate onesies, accessories made from vintage trims, paper goods-a little bit of everything!"

Adorable Hair Barettes with Vintage Adornments!

Connect with Heather:
On Twitter
On Facebook for Mattie Reid
In her Etsy Shop for Mattie Reid Chicago
On her Website
Or...in her Texas Vintage Shop

Sending Packages to Your Customers: When Green Isn't Great

I so pride myself on using everything in my home for another purpose in life, right down to the cereal boxes and shoe boxes when packing Etsy items.   I do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi, who prides themselves in being green- and inexpensive.  By not offering plastic bags, and offering generic alternatives they can sell for less.  They also pride themselves in using less cardboard in their product line...such as this brand of Fit and Active cereal , or Millville--both generic lines. 

I use these boxes which are thinner such as the granola, fruit bars and cereal box items for non breakable goods.  In my several stores on Etsy and "that horrid other site not worth mentioning" prior to me selling on Etsy, I have shipped several thousand packages. I've shipped to international locations and with the exception of one lady upset that I used a  Dog Food Bag as packing material, I've not had any problems.  Until now. 

This was my package when it arrived to my customer, I was mortified!

I sent something made of polyethylene plastic (pretty much unbreakable) from Baltimore to California with free gifts like a tiny stress foam football (how ironic) which only provided extra support within the shoe molds to keep form, tied with an upcycled string.  There was nothing to support the box itself from being caved in.

In case you can't see, the package is marked "Damaged in Transit" in red stamped in several places by the USPS. The side is ripped open.  Based on my "track record" I immediately blamed the post office, as it surely didn't look this way when it left my home.  I then gave the customer a full refund because I wanted her to be happy . Her items weren't broken, just very bent, but a refund didn't fix the issue.  You see, it was my choice to use this flimsy box, (with good intent) and had it been sturdier, the customer's experience wouldn't have been ruined. 

Customer did not get a warm and fuzzy feeling when seeing this.  Would you?

I had some thoughts of my own....at first until I was enlightened.

I'm sharing this article with her permission of course, as we all may have to rethink how and when to use upcycled packing materials to a point.

1) Obviously some of these boxes are 35-50% less cardboard, and contain up 35-50% recycled consumer waste impacting strength and quality.  Thinner boxes are more prone to damage even if you feel your item is not damageable.  Think again.  Refer to the photos above.  It only takes once.  Why double, triple, or quadruple them when you can find a heavier alternative that may withhold normal delivery abuse? 

2) The Shopping Experience (start to finish.)  The warm and fuzzy "ohhhhhs" and "ahhhhhsss" of when your package arrives.  There's a process of anxiously awaiting arrival of your goodies, checking the lovely wrapping or business card, or freebies inside your package when you get it.  Satisfaction.  Smiles. Happiness. Repeat Business.  What should have been a fun and lively experience arrived looking like something out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I cringed when I saw those photos, and was honestly surprised the items were still inside after viewing those photos. .

3)  Use of these thin boxes (aside obvious vulnerability to damages as stated in #1) do require more tape.  More tape on thin boxes means people are less likely to take the time (or be able to) remove the tape, therefore instead of the box going into their recycle bin it may go into the trash.  I hadn't thought of that.

4) Cereal boxes, fruit or nut bars may contain trace allergens. How would I know if her son, or her husband or even she was allergic to peanuts and I'm sending my item per se, in a nut granola box?  I hadn't even remotely considered that.  Have you?

So thanks to a customer's communication and ability to share this story and photos, and for several tidbits above I would not have thought of prior to this happening.  I will be rearranging and redoing my packing area when I get home.  No more food boxes for this eco chic! I'm going to make sure no one has to go through this experience again, in some cases once is too much.

When "sorry" isn't good enough, perhaps we can learn from our mistakes..........

Tipple and Snack: The Interview (Mary Bosley Sits Down with Ira Mency and Tells All)

Tipple and Snack : The Interview

These are the types of treasures you will find at tippleandsnack.

It's no wonder with photos like these that Mary Bosley from Vermont does so well on Etsy.  In case you don't know, her shop Tipple and Snack opened on Etsy in November 2008.  She sells vintage and eclectic goods.  In just two years, she's tippling towards 2500 sales (2200+ in this shop + the sales she had when having a second store open.)   I sat down for a cup of virtual java with her, and this is what she had to say...


Flowers in the Little Leonard Cup draws you in, no wonder it sold quickly from her store.


Q: Tell us about you, and your shop...why vintage?


A: I'm a life long collector from a long line of collectors. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth by any means, but I was raised to value family pieces, and appreciate their beauty and worth. Most objects from my childhood had a story attached, and I treasure those memories. I still use our chocolate milk pitcher, though now it mixes martini's. (enter Ira's giggles here) Selling vintage goods also enables my addiction- I can sell off an old collection, and move on to my next obsession! I love Etsy's mix between vintage and handmade, and I'm thrilled when someone uses something from my shop in their own work.



Can you say MACRO lens photos?  The way she photographed these 1961 Ohio dog tags make you want to buy them, even if you don't need them.  

Q: With almost a million items on Etsy for Vintage searches, how do you keep on top of your sales?  Handmade sellers are in the same boat, getting lost in a big sea of Etsy items. So my question is what do you do to promote your Etsy shop and what things have and have not worked for you?

A: Hmm. I'm a minor social networker. I have a Facebook Fan Page for the shop, where I post new items, upcoming sale codes, and mentions of my shop in other people's blogs. I skate that fine line between posting often, and over posting. I know as a Facebook user, I get annoyed when pages post too often and too in your face. I'm also a member of the Etsy Vintage Team, and have shared in the resources that an Etsy Team can bring.



A pairing of owls! Hooot'd a thought?

 Q:  I agree with you there, teams are a great way to network with like minded individuals.  What about Twitter, blogging, and all that jazz?  I sometimes wonder if spending so much time on social networking is actually worth it when I could be relisting in my Etsy shop!

A: I'm not on Twitter and I don't have my own blog. I do give out my shop business cards when I meet people who are into collecting. I mostly rely on posting new items, and my awesome customer base. Building that took time, so I'd tell new sellers to be patient and keep at it!




Seeing gorgeous photos like this makes me want to redo all my pictures!

 Q: I noticed you had a second shop at one time, sold some things then combined it back, even though your second shop was more of a paper and ephemera niche' shop. Why did you decide to do this and what advice do you have for others?

A: I had the second shop for about a year, and have since folded the other inventory back into my main shop. It was about the same amount of work involved, but I found that my customers didn't necessarily jump between one shop and the other. Once they left mine, they were gone. It's about making it easier for them to make a sale- keeping them in one place helps. For instance, they are more likely to purchase a little paper item AND a painting from one shop, rather than one from each and have me adjust the shipping. That being said, my goods mix well together so my one shop can hold an eclectic mix.

Notice how pairing objects together when photographing is divine! Mary gives suggestions in her listing on what to use this sled for...
(ornaments not included.)

Q: What other things do you want the world to know about you?
A: In real life, I work in the advertising and tv production field. As a freelancer, I have gaps of time between projects. When the economy turned a few years ago I fell into Etsy. Over time, it's proven to be both a creative outlet and a source of income. My favorite part of the process (besides the hunt), is taking photos. When I look at my photographs from the shop's beginning, I cringe! I'm getting there, but there's always something to learn.

Author note:  Thanks to Mary @ TippleandSnack for being so helpful and honest and taking the time to talk to me. 

Team members: I urge you to share this article and convo Mary and tell her what a great shop she has and to thank her for doing this interview!

RELATED ITEMS

'Vintage : A picture is worth a thousand words' by RetroChalet

Perhaps it's my love for vintage and great pictures, or the interview with TippleNSnack that fueled my passion to do this great treasury. Here I'm featuring some Tipple items, some Recyclers Guild (wastenot) and Vintage Etsy Society Street Members, (vestiesteam) . I think great photographers of great wares sell more items! Time to redo my pictures! To read the interview, go to my team's Etsy blog located in my profile.

Vintage Orange Gingham Trim ... luvvinjewels $10.00	Vintage Leather Famolare Pla... jacklom3 $45.00	50s vintage brown suede hand... jackiedretrobo... $24.00
Colorful Enamel Paella Pans tippleandsnack $32.99	Vintage 1960's Royal Sat... birdie1 $98.00	Large Vintage Suitcase Perfe... funretro $60.00
Mixed Transit Token Cufflink... TheFloatingMar... $30.00	Vintage 1960s Dress in Holid... BasyaBerkman $37.00	Dansk Danish Modern Cast Iro... tippleandsnack $22.99
Vintage Marx toy company Dia... opendoorstudio $59.00	Vintage Slide Bingo Cards by... RollingHillsVi... $4.75	Anglo Corned Beef Packing Cr... tippleandsnack $32.99
Vintage Rusty Tools Instant ... RetroChalet $12.95	The Youngbloods Record Album... colerainecreat... $15.95	6 recycled musical heart sha... 42things $4.00

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