Saturday, December 10, 2011

5 Tips For Holiday Shopping On Etsy

Etsy is a great place to shop and support independent artists, but it can be a little overwhelming to some people (cough/guys). Bill, for example, looked like a deer caught in headlights when I first showed him the site. (He finds malls even more frightening.)

If you know someone who freezes at the thought of shopping for gifts (probably not just online), I'd love it if you shared these tips:


5 Tips For Holiday Shopping On Etsy
  1. Start somewhere specific. Ask for a specific Etsy shop URL (like donnakallnerfiberart.etsy.com) and start shopping there. When you don't know exactly what to look for, it's hard to come up with Search parameters that don't bring up thousands of results. Your friends and family would be happy to suggest some shops. Just tell them who you're shopping for, and they'll point you to a good place to start.
  2.  Look at the shop announcement. At this time of year, many sellers include a shipping deadline announcement just below the banner. And when you click on an item, look for phrases like "ready to ship." Things that are "made especially for you" are better saved for some other gift occasion (for which you will shop earlier).
  3. Look at the listings. The shop may have several pages of thumbnail images. Click on a thumbnail to see the full listing. On the full listing page, you'll probably see several smaller thumbnail photos to the right of the main image. Click those to see different views of the item. There's also a zoom lens below the lower right corner of the photo, when you need a closer look. Read the full description, including where the item ships from. You'll find the price and the "Add To Cart" button in the right-hand column. You can buy with a credit card: You don't have to have a PayPal account.
  4. Get advice from the seller. If you don't find just the right gift in that first shop, click on the shop owner's profile link. I'm about to tell you how to get free advice that can lead you painlessly from your starting point to other Etsy shops with the coolest stuff.
  5. Look for the seller's Treasuries. Below the "About" box on the seller's profile page, look for a box that says "Treasury lists." Some Etsy sellers curate collections called Treasuries. Generally, a seller won't include their own items in their own Treasuries. Instead, they showcase other work they admire. Click "See More" to open a listing of all the seller's Treasuries. Click on a thumbnail within a Treasury, and it will take you to the listing in another seller's shop.


I've curated several Treasury collections, including this one of hostess gifts.


I hope that helps, Bill. And Charlie. And Bob, Jim, Austin, Tony, Clay, Shawn, Larry, Al, Craig, Dan, Alex, Dave, Don, Wayne, Herm, Mo, Jay, Jef, Mike, Steve, Tom...

2 comments:

  1. This is a fantastic post! An since you asked, here is my shop: beckarahn.etsy.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Becka! Love your shop! Any more etsy shop owners out there? Post your URL here or at facebook.com/donnakallnerfiberart

    ReplyDelete

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