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8 Tips for Buying and Selling on Etsy

Etsy has become one of my favorite sites over the years. It was a brilliant idea to bring a site together largely based on homemade items. The neatest part about Etsy is the fact that it has so many unique items which stem purely from the imagination of its sellers. These unique items are not something you would find anywhere else. Further, if you’re looking for something very specific and just can’t find it, Etsy has a large amount of its sellers who would make custom items to fit exactly what you want or need. If you have ideas or items you have created, Etsy makes it extremely easy to get a store setup on their site. Here’s are 8 tips for buying and selling on Etsy for those who love it just as much as I do or for those who are just finding out about it.

8 Tips for Buying and Selling on Etsy

Buying

Don’t settle for the first item that pops up in search

This might sound silly but Etsy has a few of its sellers who like to take an item that is barely adjusted from a store bought item and then raise the price by a lot. I have found that searching through a few pages and taking my time in selecting an item turned out in me receiving the better value as well as a better product.

Don’t be afraid to ask the seller

If you’re unsure about an item or it’s missing a detail you would really like to know, message the seller. Most are serious about their products and helping their customers and will usually answer pretty quickly or in less than 48 hours. If it takes you forever to finally hear back from them, I wouldn’t buy from them because that means you could potentially have issues with finally getting the item. Usually if you have a specific aspect about an item that you need, most are willing to make it the way you prefer without charging more.

Check the shipping

Sometimes when an item seems cheaper, odds are, the shipping is higher to make up for the difference. The shipping cost for each specific item is always included in the page listing. Take a second to scroll down and click on the shipping details so you know the full price.

Be careful buying from China

I’m not racist I promise. However, most often the stores from China included on Etsy are some of the same ones found on eBay selling super cheap items that seem awesome until they arrive and you realize why they were so cheap.

8 Tips for Buying and Selling On Etsy

Selling

Don’t be flippant about your pricing – Take care in knowing your item, the time put into it, the amount spent on supplies, and price it accordingly. You don’t’ want to cheapen yourself and end up spending a lot of time and money on your product with very little return. You will also want to take into account the percentage both PayPal and Etsy take out of each item you sell plus the fee Etsy charges for you to add each listing. These aren’t high fees but they do add up so again, price accordingly.

Be business smart with the items you choose to list – Do a quick search on Etsy for the items you would like to list in your Etsy store. If a ton of pages pop up for the same item, odds are, it will be difficult for you to sell that specific item. Any business person will tell you that your item needs to be more on the unique side or have a huge draw. If you have the same items as everyone else, your business won’t go far. If you do have similar items, find a way to make them be more unique or stand out in search.

Use amazing photography – As with anything being searched, amazing, eye-catching photos are the key to drawing people in. Even if you have a basic item that many others sell, with amazing photography, you may draw in more than the average person simply by using great photos.

Be short and sweet but overly detailed all at once – In each of your listings, list the item with all the details you would want if you were buying an item. However, don’t be longwinded in your listing because people will lose focus. Use a short and catchy/funny/intriguing intro of a sentence or two about the item and then in a bulleted list add the details of the item. Again, short and sweet wins the game.

Overall, I believe Etsy is a neat place to buy and sell. I had a friend who sold on Etsy and she did quite well. There are too many tips to include in one post but I hope these have helped. Here are some marketing tips straight from Etsy that are helpful too.

Have you ever bought or sold on Etsy? Do you have any great tips to add to this list of 8 tips for buying and selling on Etsy?

8 tips for buying and selling on Etsy.

20 Comments

  • Schnelle Acevedo
    February 7, 2017 at 10:48 pm

    I don’t know anything about the selling but OMG I do know all about the buying lol. You are SOO right about not choosing the first item, you dig deep enough and there will be PLENTY to choose from!

    Reply
  • robin Rue
    February 8, 2017 at 1:00 pm

    I am a regular Etsy buyer and I completely agree with everything you said. You definitely need to check the shipping prices….that’s where they getcha.

    Reply
  • Alli Smith
    February 8, 2017 at 1:16 pm

    I love shopping Etsy and I’ve bought some really neat stuff there. I always look at many items before buying. It wasn’t from Etsy, but I accidentally ordered a formal gown from a company in China and oh, boy, the headache I brought upon myself by not checking on where the product was coming from. Never again.

    Reply
  • candy
    February 8, 2017 at 1:35 pm

    These are awesome tips for buying and selling. I have found some great unique items but will never buy from china.

    Reply
  • Jacqui @FlightsFancyMom
    February 9, 2017 at 12:50 am

    Great tips! I normally sell on eBay but have been wanting to start selling items I make myself, on Etsy. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  • Annemarie LeBlanc
    February 9, 2017 at 3:51 am

    My sister has been thinking of setting up an Etsy store for her handmade leather items. I will share this post with her. Oh, and BTW, I agree with checking where the items will be shipping from. Bad experience here with products from China.

    Reply
  • Anosa
    February 9, 2017 at 5:54 am

    Having a good photography adds the best possibility to have your items be sold. The more pleasing it shows will give the costumer the feeling of buying it.

    Reply
  • Maureen - Scoops of Joy
    February 9, 2017 at 10:18 am

    These are all great tips! I wish we live in the States. Some items listed for sale do offer international shipping but the ones that don’t have so many nice things 😀

    Reply
  • Paula Bendfeldt Diaz
    February 9, 2017 at 11:38 am

    These are all great tips. I have always been curious about buying and selling things on Etsy.

    Reply
  • Rebecca Swenor
    February 9, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    These are all great tips for selling and buying on Etsy. It is so important to do your homework before committing to something. When selling things on Etsy the photos are such an important part of what people want to see before buying. It is important to have great photos and a great description the the item too. Thanks for sharing the tips.

    Reply
  • Shannon Graham
    February 9, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    The buying from China went well for me twice and all the other times, very bad, haha. There’s a reason they’re so much cheaper.

    Reply
  • Emily
    February 9, 2017 at 8:17 pm

    I love Etsy and shop there for a lot of my home decor items. I agree that asking the seller is important. Most are very willing to make something custom if needed.

    Reply
  • Dawn McAlexander
    February 10, 2017 at 12:31 am

    It’s amazing how much photography can help sell something. The better the picture looks, the more likely it is to sell quickly, even above others with similar products, simply because your pictures look better.

    Reply
  • ricci
    February 10, 2017 at 3:14 am

    I used to have an Etsy shop but I never sold much, LOL!! This post would have probably helped me way back then!!

    Reply
  • Eloise
    February 10, 2017 at 4:31 am

    I’ve been back and forth about selling on Etsy… I’ll have to check it out and use your tips if I do decide to open up shop… could be fun!

    Reply
  • Nikka Shae
    February 10, 2017 at 4:45 am

    Oh, I love shopping on Etsy. I find some good deals on there!

    Reply
  • Chubskulit Rose
    February 10, 2017 at 10:51 am

    I have never tried buying anything on etsy. I should try it out and see, maybe I can sell some stuff too.

    Reply
  • Mimi Green
    February 10, 2017 at 11:12 pm

    Great Etsy tips, I had a shop on there several years ago. I’m still a customer as well so I can appreciate this from both ends of the spectrum.

    Reply
  • Lexi
    February 11, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    These are some good tips. I’ve thought about selling on Etsy on the past so this is helpful 🙂

    Reply
  • Garf
    February 11, 2017 at 4:28 pm

    Thanks for these tips. I am not on Etsy yet but will definitely keep these tips in mind when I decide to start buying and selling on that website.

    Reply

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