So I started an Etsy shop just like most every knitter I know, but here is a little rant about why I decided to back off the Etsy life a few months ago & how it has helped me grow as a maker (and surprisingly, as a seller?)
No, I’m not leaving Etsy. Etsy is a phenomenal spot for novice sellers like myself. However, the saturation of knitwear and other goods is unbelievable. If you make it on Etsy, you really make it. Like, I'm talking 10k sales in a few short years. If you don’t make it, you end up with barely 70 sales in 4 years. I’ve had more custom orders than orders through my Etsy shop simply with a presence on Instagram, Facebook, and in the community. So what was wrong? After much deliberation about what I needed to change to make my Etsy shop more successful, I decided that the problem isn’t what I was putting up, my items, my “look”, or the whole Etsy thing… it was me.
I am the worst seller. I can’t sell to save my life. I hate promoting my stuff. I am terrible with describing each item. I am terrible with keeping my shop up to date with the latest trends and hot new things (I’m looking at you messy bun beanie… why don’t we just wear earwarmers?) Did I mention I am SO BAD with packaging. Talking in front of a camera to promote my new stuff on Instagram stories? No thank you! I have spent countless hours staring at the beautiful shops of some of the most successful knitwear folks and they just ooze professionalism, perfection, and beauty. I… do not. That’s when I realized I am not a seller.
So what was I?
When am I the most content?
When I’m creating new pieces for my loved ones, when I’m working on new projects for myself, when I’m learning new sitches, trying out yarn I spent way too much money on but oh my goodness the alpaca makes it so soft! When I have no pressure to make a certain number of sales, reach a certain number of shop likes, etc.
I am not a seller. I am a maker. And after 4 (almost 5) years in this Etsy game, I am realizing this and accepting it. What has this realization led to? I finished a LOT blankets (and even sold some?), I tested a cardigan pattern which meant I finished my first ever sweater-like item, I made my best friend a baby blanket for her third little one, I started writing patterns, I dug out my old Lord of the Rings One Ring scarf I started 3 years ago & actually made some progress on it... all these things I “never had time to do” because “I had to keep my shop stocked”.
I will still keep my Etsy shop, in fact I will expand to other platforms soon (stay tuned). I will still create new pieces for it and adding new items. But, I will only do all this when I CAN, not when I MUST. My Instagram will no longer serve as a platform to advertise my Etsy shop, but rather my maker journey & my creations. My little shop is still my virtual baby and I am proud of it, but I am no longer letting it dictate my “maker” life.
But funny thing is... once I decided to let go, I had my highest sales this winter...
