TallTayl Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 42 minutes ago, Kris10Tackles said: Don’t even get me started with Etsy. I don’t have a shop for candles (candles are for fun for me) but I do have had a shop for about 5-6 years. Each year they “implemented” new tools, I’ve lost sales. To the point where my views have continued to plummet and I’ve had no sales this year. All of the hidden fees are so incredibly frustrating. Thank god it’s not my day job! It all pretty much fell apart when the decided to sell stock. Appeasing investors versus pleasing sellers was no contest for them. Allowing resellers was a big nail in the coffin too. Such a shame for everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris10Tackles Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 8 hours ago, TallTayl said: It all pretty much fell apart when the decided to sell stock. Appeasing investors versus pleasing sellers was no contest for them. Allowing resellers was a big nail in the coffin too. Such a shame for everyone. 💯💯💯 I completely agree. The exposure that Etsy used to provide was wonderful as a new seller. Now it’s more like, “what exactly am I paying for?” 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Getting harder and harder for small businesses to survive! I do ok when I list vintage jewelry on Etsy but rarely even do that anymore. My brick & mortar locations do best and I'm happy because I don't like to ship stuff anyway. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jancita Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 3 hours ago, Kris10Tackles said: 💯💯💯 I completely agree. The exposure that Etsy used to provide was wonderful as a new seller. Now it’s more like, “what exactly am I paying for?” 12 hours ago, TallTayl said: It all pretty much fell apart when the decided to sell stock. Appeasing investors versus pleasing sellers was no contest for them. Allowing resellers was a big nail in the coffin too. Such a shame for everyone. So true. I was just reading yesterday how Etsy has become a Wall Street darling, which means, yes, of course they’ve changed their focus to investors and are doing so at the expense of makers. Too bad investors and makers can’t be the same group of people. I think we need a new model 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 i always test market there. its a great way to see if things work or don't. Prices mark them up. If you are in business then you are not in it to sell for free. Plenty of sellers I have no idea if they make any profit. Candles with free shipping at extremely low prices it's insane. Believe or not people will buy at any price if they believe in your product. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 It is no different at craft fairs and festivals. The event coordinators all get paid first regardless of the sweat equity of the merchants and vendors. It is a variation of the feudal caste system. If you are not 100% paying attention to the dollars and cents profits vanish quickly. if I wanted to work for free I would volunteer, or just sit on my couch watching Netflix while petting my dog. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 I'm not an experienced candle/wax goods seller but after reading through this post, I have a few questions, maybe someone can shed some light. - How can selling single, inexpensive items that only cost a few dollars or say under $10 make a profit? Like wax melts, melt cups, candles < $10, etc. Referring to if that is the only item a buyer purchases. The shipping alone would almost cost as much as the product. - Wouldn't it be more productive and profitable to sell bundles or gift sets instead of single inexpensive items? - Are there shopping cart restrictions that make you purchase a certain amount? Other than their $35 for free shipping? IDK. As a shopper I feel weird or guilty buying a single, inexpensive item online. I'd rather run to a local store and buy it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 42 minutes ago, Laura C said: I'm not an experienced candle/wax goods seller but after reading through this post, I have a few questions, maybe someone can shed some light. - How can selling single, inexpensive items that only cost a few dollars or say under $10 make a profit? Like wax melts, melt cups, candles < $10, etc. Referring to if that is the only item a buyer purchases. The shipping alone would almost cost as much as the product. - Wouldn't it be more productive and profitable to sell bundles or gift sets instead of single inexpensive items? - Are there shopping cart restrictions that make you purchase a certain amount? Other than their $35 for free shipping? IDK. As a shopper I feel weird or guilty buying a single, inexpensive item online. I'd rather run to a local store and buy it. Short answer... it is not profitable to sell single small items on Etsy, unless the single item is priced quite high. Even then, the time to package, ship and follow the item is very expensive. There is at present no ability to restrict purchases to a minimum cart value, so with excel spreadsheet at the ready, you need to REALLY comb through your listings to see if it is worth the overall costs. I learned the hard way 😜 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smells in here Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 I know this is old..But I'm not sure how any candle makers can make money on etsy ??Where in the heck are people getting wax and fragrances?? I have to order online and pay high cost shipping on product. To sell a 16 ounce candle free shipping for 15 bucks? I mean that wouldn't even break even for me. I created a account but jeez. How to compete with some. So my etsy account just sits. While I try to figure out how to buy make and sell for a little profit atleast just enough to buy more supplies so I can hobby more. Those making mad money selling candles. Good job!! I would have to list my 16 ounce for 30 bucks to come out. Who wants to buy a 30 dollar candle when you can get bbw candles 3 for 30 on a sale 😭😭😥 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 4 hours ago, Smells in here said: I know this is old..But I'm not sure how any candle makers can make money on etsy ??Where in the heck are people getting wax and fragrances?? I have to order online and pay high cost shipping on product. To sell a 16 ounce candle free shipping for 15 bucks? I mean that wouldn't even break even for me. I created a account but jeez. How to compete with some. So my etsy account just sits. While I try to figure out how to buy make and sell for a little profit atleast just enough to buy more supplies so I can hobby more. Those making mad money selling candles. Good job!! I would have to list my 16 ounce for 30 bucks to come out. Who wants to buy a 30 dollar candle when you can get bbw candles 3 for 30 on a sale 😭😭😥 My advice? Don’t compete on price. Market to your target and ignore the rest. Plenty of your fans will pay whatever you charge. Aim for them. I turned off the “free shipping”, raised my prices, updated my pictures and smashed all of my sales goals by 1,000%. etsy is useful to reach new customers who otherwise would never find you. It also lends credibility to new sellers. With so many new shiny websites appearing like popcorn, it is hard to figure out who is trustworthy. Those with private sites and Etsy sites with sales and reviews seem more legit (right or wrong). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris10Tackles Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 (edited) On 2/7/2021 at 6:09 AM, Smells in here said: Who wants to buy a 30 dollar candle when you can get bbw candles 3 for 30 on a sale 😭😭😥 🙋🏻♀️ I’m the person who would buy a $30-$40 8oz candle over anything from BBW because I’d rather have one amazing and unique candle than anything from BBW. Edited February 8, 2021 by Kris10Tackles 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smells in here Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Well perhaps I might finally list one and you can purchase from me 🥰 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smells in here Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 I'm so glad you are having success Tall I hope to make my debut soon. It's been a long 3 years of testing SO MANY waxes, wicks, smells. Tons of money gone lol. Started as a weekend thing I'm going to make a candle!! Then turned into I'm going to make a candle that isn't garbage. I really appreciate the advice. I have really been thinking about the shipping/cost thing. Looking at packaging cost to. I guess all I can do is throw some things up and pray for the best. Question do you sale on amazon? I have been checking that out to. Curious if amazon handmade is worth the troubles. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 11 minutes ago, Smells in here said: I'm so glad you are having success Tall I hope to make my debut soon. It's been a long 3 years of testing SO MANY waxes, wicks, smells. Tons of money gone lol. Started as a weekend thing I'm going to make a candle!! Then turned into I'm going to make a candle that isn't garbage. I really appreciate the advice. I have really been thinking about the shipping/cost thing. Looking at packaging cost to. I guess all I can do is throw some things up and pray for the best. Question do you sale on amazon? I have been checking that out to. Curious if amazon handmade is worth the troubles. it takes a while to find your lane, but once you do the rest falls into place. Make what you love. I chose to not sell on amazon. It does not fit my business model. several forum members do, and as far as I know like it. @MilosCandles any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilosCandles Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 3 hours ago, Smells in here said: I'm so glad you are having success Tall I hope to make my debut soon. It's been a long 3 years of testing SO MANY waxes, wicks, smells. Tons of money gone lol. Started as a weekend thing I'm going to make a candle!! Then turned into I'm going to make a candle that isn't garbage. I really appreciate the advice. I have really been thinking about the shipping/cost thing. Looking at packaging cost to. I guess all I can do is throw some things up and pray for the best. Question do you sale on amazon? I have been checking that out to. Curious if amazon handmade is worth the troubles. You need to find your niche and where ever you are comfortable selling, there is no one right way. Some people sell just at fairs, some on Etsy, Facebook, Instagram, there own website, Esty, eBay, Amazon, Work, giftshops. Everyone one has pros and cons and they differ person to person. Amazon does have a larger learning curve that some, and I may not suggest starting on Amazon. I started at local Craft Shows, and then added Etsy, and then my own website and then Amazon. That was a 3 year process. Just understanding 1 platform at a time, and making sure I have a solid understanding and not overwhelming myself doing too much at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilosCandles Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 On 1/24/2021 at 2:24 PM, Laura C said: I'm not an experienced candle/wax goods seller but after reading through this post, I have a few questions, maybe someone can shed some light. - How can selling single, inexpensive items that only cost a few dollars or say under $10 make a profit? Like wax melts, melt cups, candles < $10, etc. Referring to if that is the only item a buyer purchases. The shipping alone would almost cost as much as the product. - Wouldn't it be more productive and profitable to sell bundles or gift sets instead of single inexpensive items? - Are there shopping cart restrictions that make you purchase a certain amount? Other than their $35 for free shipping? IDK. As a shopper I feel weird or guilty buying a single, inexpensive item online. I'd rather run to a local store and buy it. This is the reason I LOL when I see people wanting to sell 2oz-4oz candles. I sold 4oz tins for like a year. When I looked at my costs/profits. My cost to make a 4oz Tin Candle was like $1.85 and the 8oz tin was like $2.10, but I charged $4 more for the 8oz tin. Hmmmm Waste of time and energy. I make Melts for me to sell, but will not sell them wholesale. Until I get a machine to pour candles for me and cut my labor costs, and then buy in BULK and can make them for pennies, just not worth it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 On 2/7/2021 at 1:49 PM, TallTayl said: I turned off the “free shipping”, raised my prices, updated my pictures and smashed all of my sales goals by 1,000%. Awesome, good for you TallTayl. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty1_AJ Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 Yeah, I opted out of free shipping at Etsy as well, and it has not hurt my sales at all. Hang it. Once they forced me to pay for their offsite ads, I kissed free shipping goodbye with zero regrets. To answer the Amazon question, I sell there but charge more for my product. Amazon's fee is higher but it's simple and straightforward ... no hidden fees, listing fees, or forced offsite ad click fees. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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