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Hello. I recently gave my friends 12 yr old daughter my old beaded jewelry making collection and she wants to try selling her creations and wants to start her own business on Etsy. Her Mother and I agreed to help her out but we came across sites that say it's not worth the time and effort because they don't get many sells but get many people copying their ideas. Anyone have success with that site?
I have 2 shops on Etsy, one of them is handmade jewelry. It's difficult to say whether her jewelry will sell, there is a LOT of competition with jewelry makers on Etsy and not all of it handmade (even though the sellers say it is )
But you could give it a try. I would recommend it over eBay. There is also Artfire.com which is not as well known as Etsy but also features handmade goods.
One thing, they probably have an age requirement (legally able to conduct business, credit card stuff, etc) so someone else would have to open the account and sell the jewelry that she makes. It used to be a requirement that the seller was the manufacturer, but I think they dropped that.
Copying ideas? Yes it happens. And it's very frustrating. But it doesn't stop me from listing because mine are better anyway
Thanks for the reply and info on Artfire. I like the idea of the flat rate they have. We had explained to her that she may not get any sells but she was excited and this kid is NEVER enthusiastic about anything, so we are suckered into giving her a hand.
Yes, it's encouraging to hear of a kid that age interested in business Now (Fall season) is a good time to start too, she'll catch all those early holiday shoppers. I wish her luck with her jewelry sales!
Good for her! It's great to hear about her interest in starting a business, so many kids these days don't have a care for anything beyond facebook and Xbox. Please encourage her to give it a try and to keep at it, and let us know when the store is up and running so we can do some shopping!
First off people making jewelry is a dime a dozen, it costs very little startup and really anyone can do it so there's alot of people doing it and easy to get lost in the shuffle unless your creations are really amazing and unique or unless you really market the hell out of your site.
With sites like etsy, cafepress, etc your not going to make sales if you just sit back and rely on people searching and finding your items. You need to have blogs and social media to promote your etsy store. Some people do very well on there though.
At 12, though, isn't it a lot like having a lemonade stand more so than it is about making tons of money? It's a fun little hobby for her and as long as you're not spending a lot to have the store open, think of buyers as an added bonus.
Also, there is a lady on etsy who makes beaded lanyards. I haven't seen a ton of those shops around; however, everyone wants one like mine since there are a lot of companies that require that you wear security badges so it is nice to have something pretty. It is jewelry, but with a purpose?
Thanks for the reply and info on Artfire. I like the idea of the flat rate they have. We had explained to her that she may not get any sells but she was excited and this kid is NEVER enthusiastic about anything, so we are suckered into giving her a hand.
I don't get this. Why isn't anyone mentioning AMAZON? I never used it but they say it is a great site to sell things. Someone else who has used it might help here.
I don't get this. Why isn't anyone mentioning AMAZON? I never used it but they say it is a great site to sell things. Someone else who has used it might help here.
She was asking about selling jewelry. Jewelry is a restricted category on Amazon, you have to apply to sell it, get approved, your images have to be a certain way (pure white background, very hard to do for a novice), you have to supply UPC's, and more that I can't think of off the top of my head.
She was asking about selling jewelry. Jewelry is a restricted category on Amazon, you have to apply to sell it, get approved, your images have to be a certain way (pure white background, very hard to do for a novice), you have to supply UPC's, and more that I can't think of off the top of my head.
Right. Start the less complicated way. Let her get her head above water. It's a great start.
I tried buying from Etsy a couple of times. I never got replies from the sellers. It was explained to me that they had probably already sold their items. And therein is one problem we run into. Businesses that do not reply. I only mention this as something to think about when starting a business. Replying, even if you can't help at the moment, makes a good impression. I do not go to Etsy any more.
Good luck to her.
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Now (Fall season) is a good time to start too, she'll catch all those early holiday shoppers. I wish her luck with her jewelry sales!
It is jewelry, but with a purpose?
