Selling Handmade Items Online

Of course, just about everyone has heard of eBay - the world's largest online marketplace for buyers and sellers to come together and trade almost anything!

But, if you are selling quality handmade items, you might want to look into a site called Etsy, "The place to buy and sell all things handmade." Etsy is similar to eBay, however, the rules are slightly different. The platform at Etsy is fixed price items, no auctions, and each seller gets their own shop that can be uniquely customized (with a banner, an avatar, a shop announcement and a link to your store).

Etsy charges 20 cents to list an item for 4 months. Once an item sells, the seller is charged 3.5% of the sales price. Sellers are permitted to sell anything handmade such as jewelry, clothing, handbags, baby items, accessories, and household items. The site is exclusively for crafters and artisans.

Granted, there is no argument Ebay's traffic far exceeds that of the much smaller Etsy. But, Etsy provides forums in which to promote your store, your items or just to pick up ideas from a very friendly and helpful group of members. The chat forums on Etsy are a great!

Ebay is the place to sell items that you are selling at bargain prices. But, for quality handmade creations, Etsy is by far the better place to be.

If you're a crafter, Etsy is where you need to be. And if you like to buy handmade, rather than mass-produced, you will love ETSY.com!

I just opened my Etsy store in November 2008. I have had 16 sales so far. Check it out...