As you know I have an Etsy shop where I sell my prints and cards. I chose to sell through a 3rd party website rather than my own mainly for ease. All I have to do is add my listings and they deal with all the technical, online shopping cart type stuff.
I have recently been wondering if I should be selling somewhere other than Etsy. Would somewhere UK based be better? Maybe somewhere smaller than Etsy, with less competition? I’m still very unsure but I have been doing some research and thought it might be useful to others.
All these sites work the same as Etsy in that they provide you with a shop and deal with all the payment processing. You just have to list and then dispatch your goods.
Giggling Hedgehogs Website (click to visit)
I found out about Giggling Hedgehogs from another UK Etsy seller who mentioned it on Twitter. They are a platform for sales of British gifts, vintage, handmade and unusual items.
They are a pretty new site, starting in October 2013, so still fairly small. In their blurb they say they supply extensive marketing support and I like the idea of less competition from other sellers.
They have 3 packages, the first one costing £2 a month with a maximum listing of 20 products and a 10% commission rate. The second is £5 a month, 5% commission, max of 50 products and 4 item promos a month included. The last one is £10 a month, unlimited products, 8 promos a month and only 2.5% commission. (All prices +VAT) I like the idea of the £5 / month package as a starter and no listing fees as I do end up paying quite a lot per month on Etsy in listing fees.
Not On The High Street Website (click to visit)
I remember reading about NOTHS in a Easyjet in flight magazine years ago. They are the only site I’ve found through its own promotion and not through a seller’s promotion. Their marketing is extensive and includes TV, printed catalogues and national and international press.
They are for UK sellers only and pride themselves on their exclusivity of their sellers. They have an application process to go through and they specify they are looking for innovative and original, high quality products, a wide variety and great photography.
They have 2 million unique visitors a month which doubles at Christmas. They also provide e-learning, video guides and events for their sellers.
They have a £19 (+VAT) joining fee which I assume is a one off rather than annually and charge 25% commission. This seemed incredibly high when I first looked at it but I think without listing or monthly fees it probably works out quite cost effective. I like the idea of them working on a commission as they have to work hard to get their sellers noticed as it’s the only way they get money is through sales!
Looking at the items for sale on NOTHS they are high end goods marketed towards buyers who are happy to pay that little bit extra, which is something I like the idea of! I am tempted to apply just to see if they’ll have me for starters!
Etsy Website (click to visit)
Etsy is based in the US and is open to all International sellers. There are no applications to open a shop, simply create an account and off you go. You can sell Handmade, Vintage and Supplies.
There is a 20 cents (approx 12p) listing fee and they take 3.5% commission on sales. Your listing lasts 4 months before it expires and you have to relist. Due to the enormous volume of sellers on the site you need to re list regularly (daily even) to get your listings seen so you end up paying quite a lot of lusting fees.
Etsy is a huge marketplace, which means lots of competition to be seen. It also means it is easy for people to set up shops selling cut price mass produced goods passing them off as handmade and some sellers aren’t happy at the recent changes meaning you can now sell products manufactured by a 3rd party as long as the designs are your own.
One of the things I like about Etsy is the community. The forums, teams, Etsy Success blog and the Seller Seminars are all very helpful additions for sellers full of useful advice on running your business successfully.
The fees on Etsy are very reasonable and I find the site easy enough to use. Because the site is American the prices come up in dollars unless you change your settings (it did mine automatically but someone did query why my prices were in dollars so I wonder if that puts some UK buyers off using it).
Folksy Website (click to visit)
I think of Folksy as the British version of Etsy. It is UK only and is therefore a lot smaller than Etsy. I’m not sure if this is good or bad (less competition but probably less customers too). You can sell supplies and Handmade but not Vintage for some reason. It was started in 2008 and currently has nearly 6000 sellers. Like Etsy there is no application process to sell, simply sign up and start.
There is a 15p fee per listing and they charge for multiple quantity listings unlike Etsy (eg. if I list something on Etsy with a quantity of 10 it’s still only one listing fee). They take a 6% commission (prices +VAT). You can also take out Folksy Plus which gives you unlimited free listings and re-listing for an annual fee of £45.
I do actually have a Folksy shop but it’s currently empty as I never bothered renewing my listings. I got on better with Etsy and decided at the time to just concentrate on one shop.
Fine Art America Website (click to visit)
Fine Art America is a print on demand service so really useful for artists and photographers. (Sorry any crafters reading this ;-)) You basically upload your images, choose how you want them printed and what you want to sell them for and when a customer buys from you Fine Art America take the money, make the prints and then dispatch them. You pay Fine Art America what they charge for the print and you keep the profit.
They print prints on paper, canvas and metal, print phone cases and cards and prints can also be mounted and framed. With a free account you get a profile page, the ability to sell via Facebook, you are able to promote your events, get included in press releases and they have contests, chat, groups and a blog.
With a free account there is a maximum of 25 images you can upload. For an annual fee of $30 (approx £19) you can get a Premium account which gives you unlimited images, a shopping cart on your own website and commission on accessory sales such as mounts and frames.
It is a US site and is open to everyone. It is huge and has over 100,000 sellers! Prices are in dollars which again may put some UK buyers off but I am very tempted to try it out. It won’t cost me anything to try!
Made From Scotland website (click to visit)
This site is for Scottish designers, artists and producers or those with a Scottish connection.
There is an application process to go through before being accepted as a seller and this is listed as a benefit of selling with them, ensuring all sellers meet their quality checklist. You get an online shop front and benefit from their online and offline marketing. I found the site by looking up ‘made in Scotland’ on Google, so it is obviously well marketed towards those looking for something Scottish.
You also get a dedicated account manager to help you out.
There are no prices on the website, it just says they have bespoke packages that include an annual fee and a percentage commission. Not knowing how much it will cost me does put me off applying a little bit but I like that it is a smaller site so it is easier to be seen, in a niche market and I do like the idea of their being quality control over who can sell. (As long as they’d accept me of course!!)
So those are the ones I’ve looked into. I’m sure there are more out there. I’m still undecided. It takes a lot of work to promote a shop and all my logos and printed materials have my Etsy shop address on them. But I do keep thinking, the more places I’m in, the more chance of more people finding me.
I will probably go with Fine Art America. As I said, it will cost me nothing to try it out. I am tempted by NOTHS for originals, limited editions and commissions as I think it is well suited to high end, more expensive stuff and the site is aimed at those who are willing to spend more. Giggling Hedgehogs appeals to me too because of its small, personal feel. I need to do some sums and see which package is best for me. Maybe start small and see what happens. Made From Scotland also appeals for the local Scottish theme but not knowing prices puts me off a little.
I am also interested in your experiences. If you sell online, who do you sell through? Have any of you got any experience with any of the sites I’ve listed? Please leave me a comment and let me know……
