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Got Art? Get Etsy

Some people are artistically inclined and can create interesting, beautiful things. Of those people, some do it for the love of the art, and others hope to make a living doing it (they also probably love the art, too). I remember being about 9 years old and making lumpy clay figurines, which I then tried to turn around and sell to anyone who came near; I put a sign on the door of my house advertising my wares, as I recall. I didn’t make many sales, as you might imagine.

Today’s artists and crafters have options for selling their creations that didn’t exist back in the day. The Internet has made the public storefront concept accessible to anyone. No more handwritten signs on doors, lightposts or bulletin boards! But even with a website, many makers of handmade goodies have trouble getting noticed; after all, who has the time to spend marketing and driving traffic to a site when you’re busy making your creations (and probably working a day job as well)? But without traffic and marketing, who will discover what you have for sale?

If you’re an artist or craftsperson creating lovely, interesting or useful things, and you need a place to display and sell them, look no further than Etsy.

Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade and/or vintage items and supplies. To see what drives them, check out their website: “Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice: Buy, Sell and Live Handmade.” While the site has been around just five years, hundreds of thousands of artists and crafters from around the world use Etsy to sell their wares. Some even make decent money doing it!

Many of the sellers on Etsy are eco-conscious. Some are vegan, others embrace recycling, and still more are turning vintage chic into the hottest modern looks. On my last visit to the site, the featured items (“handpicked” for the front page) included fabric-covered buttons, a blown glass bowl, cocoa-colored stationery, and vegan shoes. But those items were just the beginning. If something can be handmade, then it can be found on Etsy, made by an eager artist-turned-seller.

I have artist friends who manage Etsy storefronts for their creations, and they seem happy with being able to put their goodies out for display and sale. If you’re one of those creative, talented types and have creations of your own to sell, you should probably give Etsy a try. Your art could be the next Big Thing in handmade products!

Just don’t do lumpy, ugly clay figurines… I’ve got that niche covered.