Is Anyone Selling Anything These Days?

I am so frustrated! I have not sold anything in so long. I am discouraged about even trying to make any new stuff.

Is anyone else selling anything or is everyone having the same problem. I see a lot of people advertising the same things over and over. I see a lot of eBay auctions that never sell. If anyone is making any money please tell me what you are doing.

I used to have a lot of regular customers. I send out newsletters to them. I advertise here, on myspace on live journal. Nothing helps.

Maybe there is just to much of a flood of crafty stuff out there.

Maybe a bunch of us could get together and figure out some ways to promote ourselves. Go in on some advertising together, so something!

I need to pay my bills. I do landscaping in the summer and make a lot of money, but that money's gone now thanks to it getting cold here early. I can't seem to find a job just for the winter.

 

Sales are pretty slow this year. I have not had much luck with Ebay, mostly people looking for cheap stuff and not quality items. I did just sell 2 items on Etsy yesterday and I'm pretty happy about that. I wish Etsy had the same amount of traffic that ebay does. Also it would be really nice if Ebay would lower listing fees. I think word of mouth and self promotion is about the best way to get things sold.

 

I'm a bit frustrated too... although I am rather green at selling on ebay, I must admit. This past month, though, even though sales weren't as high as I would've liked, I did better than the month before.

I've even been to a few craft shows, which didn't bode well at all but I did hand out a lot of business cards, and at the very least I've gotten more traffic to my store.

I think it'd be great to find a way to get together and try to increase our sales somehow, although I don't know which direction to go with it... Anyway, I'm not worrying about it atm, since I'm going on vacation in a few days (can ya believe I'm leavin' saturday!!!!) so, I'll be back attending my ebay store in January, I've got a few new things to list....

Hopefully things will pick up in the new year!

 

I have a few things on Etsy, but since I have only sold two things I don't really want to list anymore. I have an eBay store, but once that stuff ends I'm getting rid of it. Just another expense. I used to make sell a lot on eBay years ago.

I'm not trying to sound greedy, but I have bills to pay.

Well if anyone has any ideas or wants to join together to do something I am in. I'll put on my thinking cap. Maybe a group eBay ID? I don't know how that would work though.

 

Oh BTW have fun on vacation cerridwen!

 

yep me too, not sold a thing for a month - Iv had a few custom orders, but nothing else is selling :-/

perhaps people like going to the mall too much for theyre xmas shopiing....meh

Hopefully things will pick up soon for us all

 

I don't think it's greedy at all. The whole point of having a job is earning an income.... and if it ain't earnin' an income, then it sucks!

For sure, in the new year, we'll have to coordinate something.

I've talked to a few folks, it seems a bit slow for everyone....

 

I do well locally, but my online sales are not what I know they could be. My frustration about selling online stems from not being able to track where my traffic comes from. Etsy currently does not have a way for sellers to track traffic and I really think it would benefit them a lot to know this kind of information.

Right now I am going to be setting up every Saturday at our local market until Christmas. I am going to put a notice in my store for those who want to know where I will be selling locally.

I think this year, handmade sales are down in general. People are buying things like high ticket items such as electronics, homes, cars, trips..... handmade is sort of taking a backseat to that.

 

Also, the thing about Etsy is you need to list often in order to get more exposure. If you don't list often your store becomes stale and people are not able to find you.

 

my sales blew up before thanksgiving, it was insane... they have slowed down a lot

i wonder if everyone is done christmas shopping

they should pick up again once everyone gets christmas money LOL

 

I dont sell over ebay or esty or nothin but I have a website mostly just for fun I guess. I dont have a paypal or anything but Id like to get one on there. I been sellin a decent amount but I just do it for fun mostly. Makes me a few dollars here and there. Nothin to big. Its not like I could live off of it but I do it for fun and in my spare time......I sell pretty good though. Found that my hemp necklaces were doin better during the summer pretty slow now but my hemp headbands are sellin good now and knitted stuff is doing good

 

I hope so. I'm just kind of freaked out because if this is what the winter is going to be like I'm screwed. I've already gone through over half of the money I saved in the summer for winter. I do landscaping in the summer and I can't seem to find a winter job. Everyone wants full time, experienced people. On the bright side I did sell a few x-mas wreaths I made.

 

Smiling, I know exactly where you're coming from.

There have been a couple years where my business wasn't making the money I needed to pay the bills, and unfortunately doing what we're doing is a very seasonal, undependable industry for income.

Have you tried looking at either getting work through a temp agency, where most jobs only look for someone to work for 3 months, or if you don't have the office skills for this sort of work, why not do seasonal retail?

I've done that before, worked in a retail store for 3 or 4 months during the Christmas season or during the summer, on the condition that I had weekends off to do my craft shows, which brought in a few extra dollars. There have been a couple occasions where I scored a job at a craft store which turned into employee discounts on yarn and knitting supplies, which was a great deal for me!

 

In past years of selling, between Thanksgiving and New Year's, it's slow for me. This is when I usually take a break or start making more summer stuff to keep up with the demand at that time. I do make renaissance dresses, hoodies, hoodie dresses and such to help throughout this time but sales don't start increasing until after Christmas, guess everyone is busy buying gifts.

 

plus, the cost of living is going up and wages are staying the same. I know i can't afford to buy phatty things and I am sure there are people like me. Good luck all!

 

I hate to say it, but I am glad we are not the only ones. WE have a couple things listed on ebay now and only one has a bid, but there are still like 3 days left or soo. Soo go to ebay and buy my stuff, haha. I live at the beach also, so this time of year always sucks...hope it picks up for all of us struggling at home artist/business people.

 

My ebay has slowed down but i noticed people using buy it nows instead of bidding, which is really good for me, probably buying for christmas... What is sad is I get really excited about an item i make and if it doesnt sell i get upset HAHA like my item is the unpopular kid at school HAHAHA

 

Yeah doesn't it make you feel like a looser. I get so mad when I make something I think is so awesome and people eith don't bid on it ir it goes for a few bucks.

cerridwen- I live in a really small town, next to a really small city with small town all around. My cousin has been trying to find a part time job for months. She's looked everywhere and given applications to everyone with no avail.

On the bright side I have sold a few x-mas wreaths, something else I do in the winter. Although I used to sell tons of them.

Well I put a whole bunch of stuff on eBay and I guess I'll have top let it go cheap to get some cash.

 

We know how it is not to have things bought. Alot of times I dont see how the shit doesnt sell, when I see some of the shit they do buy...damn free commerce

 

I know I don't get how some people make such a killing and there stuff isn't that great. I do understand people not wanting to pay a lot for something if they don't know how good the quality is. I used to sell stuff fairly cheap on ebay, but then those customers would come back and custom order stuff or buy stuff off my web site, where the prices were more. It used to be once I got a customer, they would come back for more. Maybe there is such a huge amount of people making things that aren't that good and people have been burnt.

Would anyone like to swap business cards? I don't know if that does a lot of good, but it's worth a shot. Email me at- smilingfrogs@aol.com or PM me.