Selling your Crafts

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I was reading something the other day but lost the posting. It had to do with Amazon starting a craft selling site. Something like etsy and ebay. Did anyone hear of this and is it in existence yet??

Edited October 31, 2017 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[Sam777]

This has been on for at least a year. I checked it out once. Never signed up but I looked at a few details. I forgot most of it. Check it out. It is called Amazon Artisan or something like that.

Sam

[WayneMahler]

Like Sam I remember reading about but never looked into it. May have to to look into again. would be greatly interested in this. 

[OCtoolguy]

I just heard about it last week and they made it sound like it was something new and would be bad for Etsy or any of the other places to sell homemake stuff online. I can't believe it's been around for very long.

Ray

 

[OCtoolguy]

Here is what I found online.

 

People also ask

 

What is Amazon handmade?

Handmade at Amazon is a new store on Amazon.com for invited artisans to sell their unique, handcrafted goods to our hundreds of millions of customers worldwide. ... When you set up shop, you'll create an Artisan Profile page to tell customers your story with beautiful imagery and plenty of room to describe your craft.

[JimErn]

Made me curious, I found this, I have no idea how accurate or current it is.

http://www.luckybreakconsulting.com/blog/the-problem-with-selling-on-handmade-at-amazon/

I glanced at the handmade site, read the FAQ, and could not find a fee schedule at all.

[kmmcrafts]

This site was set up over two years ago.. LOL... It's not cheap to sell on at $40 a month plus 9% sales commission.. It's a juried sign up process and they are very strict about your quality of not only your products.. but product photography.. as well.. Very strict rules.. ie you cannot raise your prices from any other selling sites you may sell at.. No business cards that would lead you away from the Amazon venue.. etc etc etc.. 

I registered for the pre-opening lower cost to sell x amount of sellers.. was accepted in.. but then when they did accept me I was right in the middle of my Christmas busy selling time on my other sites so I never had time to set it up.. so they booted me out.. then just this past " late " summer they messaged me asking me to sign back up.. so i did.. I am a registered seller there but have not put any listings up.. It's quite a big ordeal to get set up.. they want all kinds of info about you.. probably background checks etc.. I should put a few things up so they don't kick me to the curb again.. but I really do not like the way they do their business.. and it's not cheap..

Read the etsy forums and other places and many people say it's really slow there.. not many page views etc... and is much like running your own site as you bring in your own shoppers.. it's not never going to make any impact on etsy they way they run it.. I do like the fact that it's juried and not just anyone can join up... but also that said.. many laser cutting shops was on there the last time I looked over the vendors things.. so is it really handmade? Guess that is in the opinion of whoever is doing the judging as to whether they even know how to tell if something is laser made etc.. 

Anyway.. it's not all what they make it sound to be.. You'd be way ahead to open a site of your own for around $10 - $20 a month and spend the extra $20 on advertising your OWN site..  

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Love to hear from someone who actually is doing it and or maybe does etsy or ebay also to compare. The thing with Amazon is the amount of traffic. Amazon is taking down many craft shows throughout the country in my opinion. The traffic to malls and big box stores as well as craft shows is dwindling. I see it in my last 2 craft shows I do. the foot traffic is way down from past years. Affects sales for sure. I know from past experience craft shows run their course and it may just be what is happening to the 2 I am part of. Last year was a terrible year and the foot traffic was down. I always give a show 3 strikes. Last year was strike 1. I was not able to change too many items this year but have plenty of stock but will see what happens this year. If not good I will throw the kitchen sink at those shows the last year and let the chips fall where they will. But I refuse to go to a show to swap money. Not worth getting out of bed. Paying for table fees and taking home $100 is not what I call a success. Had this happen to many shows over the 25 years I have been selling and one by one I left. Not a big computer guy so not able to set up my own site and I always liked doing business face to face but this seems to becoming a thing of the past. I hope others are having more success and maybe different parts of the country see different results but here in NJ it is all too real and I do not see things turning around any time soon. Too many shows let in any type vendors and it takes the value away from what we do. They do this to make their end of the money but does not help us crafters. Have to look into this Amazon thing more. Hope others can chime in.  

[kmmcrafts]

20 minutes ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Love to hear from someone who actually is doing it and or maybe does etsy or ebay also to compare. The thing with Amazon is the amount of traffic. Amazon is taking down many craft shows throughout the country in my opinion. The traffic to malls and big box stores as well as craft shows is dwindling. I see it in my last 2 craft shows I do. the foot traffic is way down from past years. Affects sales for sure. I know from past experience craft shows run their course and it may just be what is happening to the 2 I am part of. Last year was a terrible year and the foot traffic was down. I always give a show 3 strikes. Last year was strike 1. I was not able to change too many items this year but have plenty of stock but will see what happens this year. If not good I will throw the kitchen sink at those shows the last year and let the chips fall where they will. But I refuse to go to a show to swap money. Not worth getting out of bed. Paying for table fees and taking home $100 is not what I call a success. Had this happen to many shows over the 25 years I have been selling and one by one I left. Not a big computer guy so not able to set up my own site and I always liked doing business face to face but this seems to becoming a thing of the past. I hope others are having more success and maybe different parts of the country see different results but here in NJ it is all too real and I do not see things turning around any time soon. Too many shows let in any type vendors and it takes the value away from what we do. They do this to make their end of the money but does not help us crafters. Have to look into this Amazon thing more. Hope others can chime in.  

Maybe just my opinion here so take it however you want.. But.. I started out trying the craft shows.. back in 08 when the economy was crashing and people loosing houses etc.. I went and did a couple small time church shows where there wasn't much advertising.. both shows was only $10 a table.. I set up and sat there all day well I say all day but both shows was only about 6 hours.. I did $250 at the one show.. and $300 at the other.. Maybe my expectations are different than others.. but kids at the shows was picking up stuff and playing around with items.. ( something I cannot stand is other peoples disrespectful kids ) I had a tray full of letter openers.. one kid about 6-8 years old.. grabbed one at took off running to his Grandmother to buy it.. He thought it was a wood knife.. I thought kid was going to fall down running with it or injure someone else in his little excitement to get to grandma.. The other show I had some bigger kid ( teenager ) who was horsing around with some other kid.. and he turned to run to get away from the other kid and ran right into my table.. what didn't fall over on the table fell onto the ground.. the kid looked at me and said sorry as he took off running still... from his friend... Anyway.. long story short.. I'm not much of a people person when it comes to these type of things.. and I also feel like $300 in 6 hour show that took an hour of set up and an hour take down etc.. travel time breakfast, lunch etc etc.. was not much money ( others opinions may very on that ).. 

I understand these things don't happen so much at the Bigger shows.. but the ones in my area required a sales tax license and tax I.D. to get in.. at the time.. I was just starting out and testing the waters.. wasn't going to go through all the trouble of that for the experience I had at the other shows.. So I then did a consignment type shop.. where I paid a monthly fee for the booth space.. they took a % of sales and took care of my taxes.. as if I worked for them and gave a 1099.. anyway.. that worked good enough to almost pay the rent for the space.. it was a contract type thing you had to do for 6 months.. things came up missing or broken.. couldn't wait to get out of there..

Then I dabbed around with Etsy.. then someone there pointed me to Artfire.. Made a good go at it on artfire and was going good on there until the server messed up and I was left without a site throughout a whole holiday selling season.. enough of that.. back to etsy and then started my own site for a long while.. and now sell on a few different sites..

For younger generations with children.. and busy lives.. online selling really works for us.. I don't have to find a sitter to do shows.. and deal with someone else's disrespectful kids.. No setting up.. taking down.. don't really even have to keep items on hand.. as long as I have a picture and a listing up.. I can make it as it's ordered.. I have a worldwide market... No way could I sell my stuff at my prices locally.. I can sell all day every day 24-7 365 days a year.. I do quite well with it.. Not saying I don't have any annoying customers.. but I sure don't have to deal with brat kids.. I know I make it sound like it smells like roses all the time.. that isn't true.. but.. it's a better kind of smell to me than the whole craft show gig for me.. and I think a lot of the reason that the whole craft show thing is down.. might be some to do with some of the things I've mentioned.. us younger generations have no time for committing to a show.. 

I am sure there is good and bad for both.. but the whole online thing works for me.. as well as many others.. Now that I am a legal business I think about doing some of those bigger juried shows in my area.. .. just haven't because those good shows are during a time.. when I am my busiest online.. so I don't fuss with the shows..

[rjweb]

I can agree with you Kevin, if you look at any Christmas shopping it is going on line sale, no body wants to travel to the malls fight the crowds, can’t find a parking spot, much easier on line. I do my Christmas shopping in my underwear, late at night, even Black Friday is a big online sale day, RJ

[kmmcrafts]

29 minutes ago, rjweb said:

I can agree with you Kevin, if you look at any Christmas shopping it is going on line sale, no body wants to travel to the malls fight the crowds, can’t find a parking spot, much easier on line. I do my Christmas shopping in my underwear, late at night, even Black Friday is a big online sale day, RJ

Yeah, and just a side note here.. One of our local groceries stores has gone to online believe it or not.. Yes.. Meijer stores here in Michigan started doing this online shopping.. they actually pay shoppers to go shopping and deliver the said groceries to the customer.. I have a cousin that has been making about $600 - 700 a week doing just this.. she shops for the people and drops of the items to the customer.. sounds kind of weird.. but many people are doing it.. the items cost a little more that the customers are ordering.. but yeah..

Years ago I always thought it was the dumbest thing for people to pay for someone mowing their lawn.. now days.. in my area.. not many people mowing their own grass..

I think as time goes on.. you're going to see much more of this kind of stuff... and if you're not online now and building a following.. you'll probably be left behind at some point down the road... maybe sooner than later..  

[Kragax]

Well, if it gets that bad, I have a woodstove. LOL

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

On 10/31/2017 at 7:39 PM, rjweb said:

I can agree with you Kevin, if you look at any Christmas shopping it is going on line sale, no body wants to travel to the malls fight the crowds, can’t find a parking spot, much easier on line. I do my Christmas shopping in my underwear, late at night, even Black Friday is a big online sale day, RJ

Just trying to think of Yogi's quote here. Something like I hate going to the mall no one goes there any more or something like that,

[amazingkevin]

something to think about!