Hot Numbers

There is always tremendous talk on Etsy regarding item and shop views and how they relate to sales. What is the thinking behind hearting an item? For future purchase? Kindness? Bookmarking? There are even outside sites where you can clearly see those numbers.
My independent research shows little or no correlation. I have sold items within 5 minutes of posting and just 2-3 views which leads me to think right customer, right moment when it was posted. Period! On Zibbet there are no public views and the internal counts can be confusing. I've been going through my items and while renewing, I found some startling numbers of items that have been around for a bit and have high view counts and hearts. A sale is a sale whether it has 2 views, 22 or 222!
Here's some great 'old' stuff, high views, numerous hearts and without a rhyme or reason, they're still here!
Groovy Clock

Cigar Box Clock

Heart Clock

Chenille Scarf

Imperfect Perfection

I ♥ handmade. I embroidered a piece that said so;


That piece sold and I decided to make another since I ♥ Handmade.

Well, this time I purposely off centered the words and had the last letters as if they were falling down and I left a thread hanging.
Handmade is not perfect. We've all had disasters, throw aways, rip outs, smudges, splashes, dropped stitches, broken wires, frayed threads, tears....I could go on and on. So this piece is not perfect but that is why I ♥ Handmade!

In less than one day, over 149 views and 8 hearts on Etsy and who knows how many views on Zibbet and no sale? I'm befuddled! Someimes I think I understand NOTHING about on-line selling but I do love making stuff!

Woke up to the picture above last week. Yes, it's beautiful but it was so cold and this is SOUTH Carolina. Today it is 72...and DH is complaing he doesn't feel great. How can you with 30-40degree temperature swings? So I will don my nursemaid hat and tend to his moans and groans....after I finish the 4th and 5th of the 5 dog sweaters that were ordered this week. Why didn't I think of this at the start of winter,instead of at the end?!

Frankie

Well, the sweater I made for Frankie from the Feb. 4 post arrived in Massachusetts and fit. Toooooo cute!

The Sales Curse

A few months after I started on Etsy, I decided to post a shadow box I had made which had been hanging in my bedroom. I actually put a fairly high price on it, not being well versed in the art yet. Literally 15 minutes later it sold. Hmmmmmmmm.... I went out, bought the materials for 2-3 more, made them, posted them and there they sat.
Last year I saw something in a catalog I thought I could reproduce better. I did. It enabled me to use the vast majority of mini chairs that I had collected. The finished product elicited raves from family and friends so I posted them. Have you guessed yet? They sat.
I have made dozens of magnetic bookmarks which sell in real life 10 to 1 as opposed to online. Why?
Today I posted a pair of handwarmers made from an upcycled sweater with crochet trim...an experiment for me. One hour later they sold. So the questions begs...do I make more? Or do I not press my luck?!

Art & Craft Fairs

I have close friends who are dealers of antiques that are quite pricey by most standards. I have been privy to their ups and downs for years and I ache for them when a show is a bust & applaud with them when they have success. The hauling of heavy goods, the endurance of long hours, the muddy field or the cold concrete floors have been chapters in their lives forever. Irregular, unpredictable, and very hard work.
For the rare times I do shows, I think of them & I ache more for them with the preparation, the set-up, the anxiety, the boredom, the cost and on and on. I don't think the general public appreciates the before,during and after effort that is necessary for craft fairs and shows.
I did a local show today and was quite pleased with the results though we are exhausted. It's nice to know that some really care about my work & that their purchase of it supports my dream. To them I say "THANK YOU".
For those that say "Oh, now I know what to do with Grandma's buttons" or "How cute, how clever, I'll have to try that at home" , I say be my guest, do it, try it and call me when you're trying to sell it and I'll come look, and touch, and measure and comment under my breath "Hmph, I could do that".

Needle Arts

I can knit. I'm not an expert but maybe an advanced intermediate. I do needlepoint & bargello and I must say I do it well! I can embroider. I can sew a hem and attach a button. I even know how (or knew how)to do tatting and hoop lace. But crochet is old/new to me. My maternal grandmother crocheted with a needle as fine as a hair and thread the same but crocheting was never my thing. I can do the stitches but cannot follow/read directions. Under expert instruction I was able to create many pieces eons ago but with no one around these days I'm left to my own devices. I bought a book called "Crochet for Kids" and it is a huge help so I've ventured into a few pieces and am generally pleased. Now I have embarked on an afghan for my home, not for sale. It took 4 tries to get the squares correct and I am enjoying the portability of it. I'm not sure of the best way to put it together but I have time to seek out help. I have about 20 more squares to complete and I will show it off IF I like it. If not, well, anyone who needs a dog blanket may apply!
Here is a trio of my basic stitch endeavors.

No Flowery Words...just flowers!

Perspective

There was a post on the etsy forums asking how many sales you had in June. Some complained about 18 being so low, some grateful for 2. It made me stop and think and note my own. Last June I had 5 on etsy. This year I had six. Bigger in price and larger in number. And fortunately, I did have a bunch offline. It made me stop and think about this business and being careful about your wishes. Would I like more? Yup! Could I handle more? Yup! Are my comparatively lower numbers a sign I should stop....nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I'm gonna eat some worms? Not yet. Basically, the question is...why am I (you) doing this? For me....
I love to create.
I love the process.
I love the planning.
I love the validation when a sale is made.
I love the raw material that morphs into something new.
I love the activity.
I love the stimulation.
I love the joy given to others.
Enough reasons to continue? I think so! I think it's beneficial to step back every now and then and evaluate. Is this enough or is there something or somewhere else your energies may be directed? And if you have any reasons like mine, you just keep on pluggin'!
And on that note here's a new item!

Independence Day

***Happy July 4th-have a great weekend and be safe!***

Moving!

I know in my last post I was a little down and closed my ArtFire shop. So what did I go and do? Opened a new Etsy shop....! Etsy is still the leader among the handmade buying and selling venues and I do have some loyalty to the site. My own shop, All About The Buttons, has been a positive experience but I felt the shop was becoming a bit too eclectic. Everything was tied together by buttons but clocks and knitted items were beginning to clash. My new shop is All About The Fiber and while things will have buttons, this will only include things made with fiber...yarn and ribbons specifically.
Many thanks to MoxieRings for my banner. I am slowly moving things over to the new shop...what a tedious process! For awhile there will be crossover items but by the end of July I hope to have it completed. Please visit!