Create and Market Seasonal Items

It seems silly and overly obvious, but if you're trying to sell items on Etsy, eBay, or anywhere else, pay attention to the seasons and holidays. I don't think anyone is going to forget about Halloween of Christmas, but pay attention to the 'smaller' holidays, too.

I have knot work items for sale at The Silver Puffin in Charleston, SC and on Etsy. Last night, the store owner shot me an email to let me know several of my items had sold and wanted to know if I had white coasters I could package with the blue and red varieties for the Fourth of July. I could have kicked myself! I didn't even think about putting special "patriotic"items on Etsy, and now it's getting too late to list anything for the holiday online because of shipping times. Luckily, I still have time to bring a few things down to the Puffin.

If you want to sell more items, make sure to have some seasonal offerings. Unless it's a really big commercial holiday, like Christmas, you might want to consider somewhat 'reusable' seasonal items. For example, red, white, and blue markets well for Memorial Day, the 4th, and even holidays like Labor Day and Veterans' Day. Fall items with leaves and pumpkins can be made to sell well all season long, not just for Halloween and Thanksgiving. If you sell your items online, make sure to list the items with sufficient time for customers to feel certain their merchandise will arrive on time. I know I hesitate to purchase anything online starting at a week, or even a week and a half, out because I don't trust the postal service. Don't go crazy and list your things two months early, but two or three weeks early is a good idea.

How to Become a Starving Artist - Get Yourself out There!

How can you ever become a starving artist (or, hopefully, ultimately a not-starving artist!) if no one knows who you are or has access to your creations?

Today's Internet marketplace provides unparalleled opportunities for marketing yourself and your art, writing, jewelry, etc. Of course, the world's premier source for handmade items is Etsy. Competition is stiff on the site, so you have to do your research, find a niche, and promote yourself in order to succeed. Or, so I am told by experienced Etsy user, RandomCreative, who has a series of articles on HubPages about how to create an Etsy store, sell handmade jewelry online, and develop a pricing formula. If I succeed at Etsy, it will be thanks to her knowledge and willingness to share her experiences. I'm still waiting for my first sale on Etsy, but my store has only been 'open' since Monday. If you want to become my new hero, visit my Etsy store, Stalking the Wild Snark.

Not only did I just open my Etsy store, but I also managed to get a limited selection of my items available in a brick and mortar establishment here in Charleston, South Carolina. I am deeply thankful to the store owners for allowing me the opportunity to sell my handmade coasters and doormats. The Silver Puffin is a fantastic gift shop in downtown Charleston and is known locally for its selection of high-quality, handmade items.

So, there you have it. A step on the way to becoming a genuine starving artist! If you want to open your own Etsy store, or try to sell your items in a local store, I urge you to read, read, read. RandomCreative's hubs and the Etsy blog are fantastic places to start. I read everything I could for about two weeks before even uploading a single picture to Etsy. I also took RandomCreative's advice and had professional business cards printed. They look fantastic and current online specials meant I spent less on professional business cards than I would have spent on the necessary paper to print them at home! I used Staples' online program because, as a former Staples Copy Center employee, I knew I could expect high-quality. I love my new cards and hope I have the chance to placed one in a box with a sold product soon!

Turk's Head Coasters now for sale on Etsy and at The Silver Puffin