Update on WildernessCrafter at Etsy.com

I’ve had Wilderness Crafter at Etsy open nearly a week now and am very pleased with my experience thus far. I’ve listed close to 20 items and have made 2 sales. The first came last Fri - a vintage Holly Hobbie doll and wardrobe pattern destined for South Korea. The second order came in just last night and I haven’t gotten PayPal payment confirmation on it so may have to cancel. I’ve notified the buyer and hopefully she’ll get back to me soon. If not, I’ll have to assume that she abandoned her order prior to completing the final step which is authorizing payment.

When looking at options for making money at home, Etsy shows promise as a way to generate a little income – only time will tell how much. Listings on Etsy are limited to handmade, vintage or craft supply items so definitely not for everyone but perfect for me. The system tracks views per item and I’m impressed with the amount of traffic. It also allows for comments and ratings on both sellers and buyers so it’s easy to see feedback on any member. Being brand new, there is no feedback on me yet. I have to wait until a customer receives an order and then comments.

The listing process and uploading photos is a little time consuming but I’m getting faster. The process is straightforward so the slowness lies with me. And it’s not just the online portion – the photos have to be taken first. I’m not much of a photographer so this is another area where I am increasing my skill and speed. The pricing is the trickiest part. I find myself spending quite a bit of time researching recent sales of the same or similar item before selecting a price. But that’s a good thing because I’ve also discovered that I’m not good at guessing.

My biggest problem is the one I’ve brought on myself by collecting all this stuff over the years. Now that I’m digging deep to unearth treasures to list on Etsy, I’m face to face with the monster I’ve created. I keep reminding myself that I’m decluttering AND making a little money so it’s a win-win. Things I am never going to use will be finding their way to other homes, freeing up space in mine and I’m contributing to the bottom line around here, as well. Can’t beat that!