Comments on: Thinking about online marketplaces http://www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog/2010/05/thinking-about-online-marketplaces/ Felt and more Mon, 21 May 2012 17:08:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nancy of Nunofelt http://www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog/2010/05/thinking-about-online-marketplaces/comment-page-1/#comment-1334 Nancy of Nunofelt Thu, 06 May 2010 12:40:34 +0000 http://www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog/?p=1052#comment-1334 Very astute review of the current marketplace sites and their status, but I think both the uncontrolled growth and complete lack of quality control has actually made most of these sites a lot of effort (for sellers) with little results. Unless the site picks you as a seller to promote, your products can't be found by the shoppers they attract. The price points are too low, and being only one store on sites with both tens of thousands of items (Artfire) up to 5 million items (Etsy), the heyday of the marketplace sites is over. They have not been positive for the handmade product. I suggest you start contacting the new, small, boutique sites that either invite sellers to join, or require you to submit sample jpegs of your products before allowing you to open on the site. I do not think that paying upfront fees for any marketplace site is worth the money today. They aren't worth it, and may not be around much longer. Set up a Google alert for "sites that sell handmade" and you will start getting list of sites that pre-select their sellers. Very astute review of the current marketplace sites and their status, but I think both the uncontrolled growth and complete lack of quality control has actually made most of these sites a lot of effort (for sellers) with little results. Unless the site picks you as a seller to promote, your products can’t be found by the shoppers they attract. The price points are too low, and being only one store on sites with both tens of thousands of items (Artfire) up to 5 million items (Etsy), the heyday of the marketplace sites is over. They have not been positive for the handmade product.
I suggest you start contacting the new, small, boutique sites that either invite sellers to join, or require you to submit sample jpegs of your products before allowing you to open on the site.
I do not think that paying upfront fees for any marketplace site is worth the money today. They aren’t worth it, and may not be around much longer. Set up a Google alert for “sites that sell handmade” and you will start getting list of sites that pre-select their sellers.

]]> By: Angela http://www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog/2010/05/thinking-about-online-marketplaces/comment-page-1/#comment-1311 Angela Thu, 06 May 2010 07:25:17 +0000 http://www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog/?p=1052#comment-1311 Thanks for taking the time to respond Abigail and Kate. i wonder what others will have to say? Thanks for taking the time to respond Abigail and Kate. i wonder what others will have to say?

]]> By: kate http://www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog/2010/05/thinking-about-online-marketplaces/comment-page-1/#comment-1310 kate Thu, 06 May 2010 07:16:06 +0000 http://www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog/?p=1052#comment-1310 I'm sorry that I didn't respond sooner, you know - work/kids/yadda yadda but, I have been looking around at the various sites, and some just ooze with crafty charm and I can feel that I want to buy something where as others just turn me off. I have a friend who sells regularly on Ebay - almost enough to survive financially but her trick is not to pigeon hole herself, she sells refurbished flea-market buys, tarted up accessories, shoes, dolls house paraphernalia etc etc. She says that the USA market is hot on English eccentricity. I have another friend who rents a unit in a converted mill and sells her stuff in the shop/gallery that is attached and she says that the 'feely-touchy' of handling and seeing craft in the real is a better seller On line is good for looking but not necessarily for buying?? x I’m sorry that I didn’t respond sooner, you know – work/kids/yadda yadda but, I have been looking around at the various sites, and some just ooze with crafty charm and I can feel that I want to buy something where as others just turn me off.

I have a friend who sells regularly on Ebay – almost enough to survive financially but her trick is not to pigeon hole herself, she sells refurbished flea-market buys, tarted up accessories, shoes, dolls house paraphernalia etc etc. She says that the USA market is hot on English eccentricity. I have another friend who rents a unit in a converted mill and sells her stuff in the shop/gallery that is attached and she says that the ‘feely-touchy’ of handling and seeing craft in the real is a better seller

On line is good for looking but not necessarily for buying??

x

]]> By: Abigail Thomas http://www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog/2010/05/thinking-about-online-marketplaces/comment-page-1/#comment-1302 Abigail Thomas Wed, 05 May 2010 18:51:09 +0000 http://www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog/?p=1052#comment-1302 It's a tricky one. I haven't set myself up with Folksy yet but wanted to - but had my reservations as to how good it would be but guess I need to try it out before I make any judgements. Promotion is the key - but I can totally understand you not being able , or even wanting to spend hours online doing so. Can't really be of much help - but let us know what you decide. It’s a tricky one. I haven’t set myself up with Folksy yet but wanted to – but had my reservations as to how good it would be but guess I need to try it out before I make any judgements. Promotion is the key – but I can totally understand you not being able , or even wanting to spend hours online doing so. Can’t really be of much help – but let us know what you decide.

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