Etsy vs. eBay?

[pawsntails]

I'm in the etsy camp - I have done much better on etsy than I did on ebay.  Plus, I am much happier with my profit margin without the higher fees.  I don't really worry about people just trying to get ideas.  There are a lot of items being sold on etsy and a lot of new buyers coming in.  You should go for it! 

[randall321]

Which one does everyone reccomend? Selling DIY clothes on ebay/etsy or homemade clothing on ebay/etsy?

[VikingKnits]

I think both have their benefits. I've done well on eBay because it has higher visibility and a wider audience. However I do not appreciate the fees, and the percentage they take of your end sell price - I make very little profit without them taking half of it - on average they take half my profit (fortunately I'm in it for the fun not for a living!).
Etsy, despite being smaller (I guess), and despite having less audience (again - my opinion!), are better. You get your own shop front, which I think is great, the listing fees are far more affordable, allowing people making a small profit margin, like I imagine many crafters do, (because of the time you put in), to actually sell a portfolio of more stuff - I think it's great!
Plus I like the friendly feel of etsy, it's more of a community because it specialises in crafts, so it's likeminded people buying and selling stuff that we appreciate, if you know what I mean!!
(Sorry for rambling there!)

[randall321]

That's definitley the thing I'm worried about.. Most of the people I know (no use debating this one) would not buy anything on Etsy, they don't trust the community thing

[randall321]

I know this topic has been done to death, but due to age cirumcustances.. I need your opinion.

I can't sell on ebay for another 2 months (bday). I could start selling stuff on ebay right now. So I could make a profit and sell even more stuff.

I read that ebay is better if you already have a base of customers, I don't. Etsy seller fees are much more reasonable however.

Most designers like meowkiki, black and lipgloss, your little diy montster are selling on ebay or just by themselves.

I also read somewhere that you can get a prepaid debit card and use that on etsy. Is that true?

Which one?

[xxmetal_mistressxx]

I feel that it is a catch 22 for etsy vs ebay.
Etsy I believe while making a snuggly place for people specifically looking for handmade goods does not provide the traffic that ebay does, but the fees are more manageable.

Ebay is wonderful for the amount of people it attracts, but out of those potential customers how many are entering "xxxx" into there search bar. I think ebay sweeps your item into a combination of either mainstream jewelry ( or clothing, or bags) or a small diy group (that being mostly comprised of people that already know about etsy.)

[naturalcreation]

> I've chosen to keep my prices reasonable (not $20 for a pair of earrings like some people charge)

Yikes. In some inventories that is the lowest price for a pair of earrings. Are you saying that $50 earrings do not do well on Etsy? What materials are these high priced earrings made out of, to fare poorly? Does Etsy have any sort of collector market - people looking for rare stuff?

[chemical_emily]

After years of making yarn/art/fiber goods, I've finally decided to dive in and try and sell some stuff online. I know Etsy is the queen of handmade goods market, but I also know it can take quite a time commitment to advertise/network in order to get sales, considering the saturation and competition of the market, yarn especially. I'm a full time college student and also take care of my mother, so I'm considering taking the Ebay route, as I'm just looking for some supplemental cash, not a full time income. I'd love to get some more experienced people's opinions or advice on which route to take. Thanks!

[PyrateWench]

My advice: try both and see what works best for you. That's what I do. Personally, I prefer Etsy because it's a LOT cheaper. eBay has crazy fees and a different market. Etsy customers love hand made and have a different attitude. I post a few on eBay and do make sales, but my main store is Etsy just because I like the storefront feeling. I also tried Artfire.com for a while, made some sales, but not enough to justify monthly cost - they just don't have the foot traffic as the others do.

[chemical_emily]

Thanks for the advice! I checked around on Ebay, and you're right about the costs not justifying the work.