A few months ago, The Study wrote a story about Pinterest.
If you’re like me, you read the story, created a Pinterst account, and then
proceeded to pin boards and boards of cute crafts that you felt sure you could
duplicate. Fast forward to now, and you’ve realized it’s not so easy. The mason
jar lamps and DIY headbands look great, but in reality are harder to make than
they look. I first stumbled upon Etsy after a failed Pinterest attempt. After
unsuccessfully trying to knit my way into a pair of cute gloves, I gave up and
admitted that I hadn’t inherited any artsy genes. Fortunately for me, and my
cold hands, someone at Etsy had.
Etsy, pronounced, “ET- SEE”, is an online marketplace of unique, handmade, and vintage items. According to their mission statement, Etsy’s goal is to “change the way the global economy works. “By connecting users and small business owners from around the country, the e-commerce site makes it easier to find unique items and to buy from real shop owners. In their words, “We are bringing heart to commerce and making the world more fair, more sustainable, and more fun.”
On Etsy, a user can search through a large amount of categories to find what he or she is looking for. Results can be customized to include vintage items, handmade only, or even items that are being sold from your own city. There are engagement rings, scarves, wallets, shoes, handmade dresses, recycled items, up-cycled items, and anything else you could wish to find. Etsy is also a great way to share your own abilities to a greater audience.
Valerie Long, a local Etsy shop owner, said the flow of traffic to her storefront is unbeatable. “It’s a great way to network with different artisans from all over the world and it’s an easy way to start up an ecommerce business.” Val’s shop, Pixelstix Graphics, sells logos, custom illustrations, special occasion invitations and marketing materials like business cards. Since she deals with digital files, her overhead cost is low, and she’s been able to gain many repeat customers.
Since the storefront is managed online, users can easily use it as a side-job or for extra cash flow while they’re in school. For artisans or students looking to share their work, Etsy is the perfect venue.
Here are some of our favorite Etsy items for the Holidays!
Have you seen The Study's Pinterest?
No comments:
Post a Comment