Selling handmade jewelry in person is easy. Customers can touch, look, try-on, compare pieces...even place custom orders for something they can't find. But, when it comes to selling jewelry on Etsy...it's a completely different story. It's NOT easy to sell jewelry on Etsy. There is so much competition, especially from resellers and shops selling mass-produced jewelry.
Early Etsy Shop Best Seller
I opened my Etsy shop in 2007. Way back then, my shop was a mess. I didn't really know what I was doing and mainly sold one-of-a-kind pieces. However, I did have a couple of items that sold occasionally. I still sell these hammered dangly earrings today...
- Recycled Silver Studs - I use scrap sterling silver to make these tiny stud earrings, and they are very popular in my Etsy shop as well as in our Saturday Market booth.
- Niche Items - my sea glass jewelry and my son's large statement rings with unique stones sell consistently. Of course, these are also popular in our Saturday Market booth.
- Basic Hoops - Customers are always looking for basics, and I have a wide selection of handmade hoop earrings.
What Doesn't Sell In My Etsy Shop?
- Gemstone Stacking Rings - I sell tons in the booth, but very few on Etsy. I mainly keep these listed in my Etsy shop for my in-person customers. It's hard to compete with mass-produced stacking rings that cost a fraction of what I charge.
- Handmade Chains - My son makes some gorgeous handmade chains & bracelets. Again, these do well in person, but are hard to sell online due to so much mass-produced stuff on Etsy that's much cheaper.
- Plain Stacking Rings - Again, it's hard to compete in a sea of the exact same thing. . . for a fraction of the price.
A few notes:
- Why do I keep items in my Etsy shop that don't sell? 85% of our revenue comes from in-person selling, and we need a place for our customers to shop. Between this website and our Etsy shop, most items are available for purchase.
- Why do I have both a website & and Etsy shop? Etsy brings in customers and has a huge following. I don't! My website requires ME to bring in customers, and that takes a long time to get going. Our website will always be a work in progress and a back up to Etsy. Etsy also can be unpredictable and randomly shut down stores. In order to have a selling platform that I'm in complete control of, we have to have a stand-alone website as well.
Good luck & happy selling!
My name is Barb Macy and I’ve been making jewelry for 20+ years and specialize in sterling silver and sea glass jewelry. Thanks for visiting my page! - Barb M