Seller: Kay Kwan, HeKnowsMyName Sells: Wedding accessories Number of years using Etsy: 1 year and 10 months Number of hours spent on Etsy-related work, per week: 25 Average amount of time it takes to make each piece: 2 hours
Seller: Alyssa Zygmunt, BROOKLYNrehab Sells: Vintage and handmade home goods Numbers of products sold to date: 1,723 Estimated 2010 Etsy-based revenue: $25,000 Money and time-saving techniques: I learned to have a mix of products to off-set the amount of time the ceramic production requires. I collect vintage items making it easy to pick from my stock and fill in the shop when I am low on ceramic pieces. Jewelry takes very little time to make/assemble once the design is finalized, so I can photograph pieces once, remake them, and repost the images.
Seller: Kristiana Pärn, Kris Blues Sells: Paintings, prints Number of years using Etsy: 4 years Number of products sold to date: About 2,300 items Average price of a painting/print: $20 for prints and $125 for small paintings Average amount of time it takes to make each painting: Depending on size and complexity of the piece, it could take anywhere between 3 to 10 hours to complete.
Seller: Mary Andrews, Contrary Jewelry Sells: Jewelry Number of years using Etsy: 5 1/2 Number of products sold to date: 4,170 Most time consuming part of the business: The packaging and shipment of my jewelry. I take great care in the packaging of each order to ensure it represents my brand and tells a story. I want each customer to feel as though they are opening a present when receiving one of my jewelry designs. Money and time-saving techniques: For starters, investing in my own postal scale and stamp meter. Also, creating limited runs of my jewelry designs. Instead of having to create, photograph, and list new items after each sale, I can simply restock the same listing until the limited pieces have sold out.
Seller: Barbara Polinsky, BMJNYC Sells: Jewelry Estimated 2010 Etsy-based sales: $100,000 Number of hours spent on Etsy-related work, per week: 60 Average price of an item: Wedding bands in 18K gold start at $410, engagement rings in 18K gold from $700 to $10,000 Number of items purchased from other Etsy sellers: About 100
Seller: Jenna Park and Mark Sopchak, Whimsey & Spice Sells: Baked goods Numbers of products sold to date: 5,310 Number of hours spent on Etsy-related work, per week: 20 Most time consuming part of the business: Cutting and packaging marshmallows and answering e-mails and inquiries. Money and time-saving techniques: We try to have most things prepped before hand, including bags pre-labeled, paper and ribbon cut, etc. It streamlines things immensely. Average price of an item: $8
Seller: Jennifer Sarkilahti, Odetteny Sells: Jewelry Numbers of products sold to date: 102 Most time consuming part of the business: The production process and also maintaining consistent marketing. It’s important to be continually adding new products to keep the shop fresh so people will keep coming back. Average price of an item: I do have some items that are larger or more complex design-wise, but I try to keep the average price of my jewelry under $100.
