I love the set-up of 1KM and since having a store and listing items is free I plan to stay there. Business isn't swift, but I can afford to be patient for free and I have had a few sales there.
ArtFire. I've struggled with it. I tried DaWanda and iCraft and ShopHandmade and got no response. I didn't shut my stores down on those venues, but I'm taking things down as they sell and not adding new things.
With ArtFire I'm paying $7 a month. Business has been slow, but when I've made sales they're nice solid ones. Which makes me want to hang on.
(Meaning I'm selling only necklaces and bracelets on ArtFire. Etsy and 1KM sell mostly the lower priced noserings and earrings. Go figure!)
Now they've reinitiated their Free Ride program, with a twist. If you can refer 12 people and they join as a Verified member (paying $12 a month to open a store there) you, PLUS a friend of your choice receive a Free Ride. Meaning you quit paying the monthly store fee. Which would be great.
So I was thinking what folks need to do-- instead of everyone trying to refer 12, two-people teams need to try to refer 6 a piece. So the team picks one person and both use her referral code to try to build 12 referrals. When she gets her free ride, the other goes to her freind who helped pass on her code. Make sense?
Who wants to team with me?
On a totally different note I listed my entry for the Etsy Beadweavers Team June Humor Challenge. I think it would be a great graduation gift!
I wove a ribbon of peyote on the diagonal in two subtle and shimmery shades of white glass Delicas and detailed it with clear rainbow-finished beads. The piece snaps closed, invisibly.
When you get it you get it and when you don't, you don't-- as any lover of Gary Larson's The Far Side knows! This clever little tongue-in-cheek bracelet proclaims the wearer's geekery, but only fellow geeks will notice! I called it Inside Jokes!
And while you're here check Tuesdays post to enter to win a $25 thebeadedlily gift certificate or two!
hey sarah,
ReplyDeletehow long have you been selling on artfire? I tried 1kM and only had one sale. it was depressing. But I always chalked it up to the fact that people couldn't use paypal there so they decided against it. (?)
Do you think my jewelry would sell on artfire?
I've been on ArtFire since November. May is 7 months. I've only sold 6 things, but the average price on item was just over $70. $7 a month fee.
ReplyDeleteI've been on 1KM for near the same amount of time. 5 sales averaging about $20 per item. Free to list, just taking their cut off the top when something sells.
Compare that with Etsy. It cost me about $50 a month to sell there and I sold over 50 items in May, but the average item price is less than $20.
I wish I could understand that but all I can do is gather the info and try to make decent choices.
As to whether your work would sell, on ArtFire-- I'd think so.
What is 1KM, I can't find the link to your shop???
ReplyDeletei LOVE THE BRACELET!!!! that's one of my all time favorite sayings ( and comics!)
ReplyDeletei wish i could partner with you, but i am concentrating on the move right now...
good luck.
I've sold quite a few things on iCraft.ca, but as custom orders. I tried Artfire, but didn't fall in love with their design. iCraft looks more sophisticated. You should check their "Sellers' Bootcamp" program. It's just awesome! http://icraft.ca/sellers_bootcamp.php
ReplyDeleteGardanne-- I answered on your blog:)
ReplyDeleteAmber-- oh *why* am I not surprised? :D
Sunshine-- iCraft looks great! And listing is a breeze. I was there for months though and when I hit the end of the free trial period it just didn't make sense to me to stay there and pay. I still have my 5 listings up:)