Nemia

[Nemia]

All I have right now is an Imgur site for my pictures. I used to have an Etsy shop which thrived while I sold hairsticks but never really took off when I tried to sell some of my crochet bags. I closed the shop because it was eating money instead of bringing in something.

I'm constantly making new crochet bags that I don't actually need simply because I love crocheting so much I have HEAPS.

Now I'm thinking about starting it anew or putting up my things here for swaps. It's been some time now that I can't afford even the tiniest luxury and I long for the times when I could buy decks from my Etsy money, or swap used decks for bags. I have simple crochet bags and my beloved cruciform wraps which can be used as spread cloths, too.

Please dear people, tell me honestly whether it would be worth doing that again. Crochet is so simple that anyone who wants to have a crochet bag for his decks can simply take a hook and make one. There is nothing easier in the world. And many people don't like the slightly fussy look of crochet, this flair of "my frumpy auntie made it and now I have to use it" In addition, in my totally isolated little place in the world there is not enough yarn choice. So why should I open a shop for stuff the world doesn't really need even if I love making it?

Should I invest money to re-open a shop that floundered and may never get off the ground, or simply give away my much-too-many crochet bags, or hope for swaps? Or just forget it?

[Charlie Brown]

I don't know how much it costs to open the Etsy shop, but I can tell that your work is very nice. It sounds to me like you're far too eager to diminish your talents. You say that "nothing is easier in the world" but it's really only easy for you because you have skill in it. I'm quite sure I couldn't do that.

[Amoroso]

Nemia, I think there is a market for your products. I'm not very good with cloth stuff, but your bags look nice. You have an eye for color.

If you want to sell something, you have to make it eye-catching. Some of the photos you took made the item look interesting and tempting, while the others were just OK. Look at successful occult shops and see how they present their products for advice. It's good that some of yours have actual decks in them, but I noticed that others also put some crystals, bowls, etc in the background so that the potential buyer can visualize how your wares would look like in their altars, tempting them into buying. Take good, high-resolution photos.

Do note of which of your items are best-selling, see what they have in common, and try to replicate them. If hairsticks sold so well before, you may want to sell them again when you re-launch. Maybe you can place your items in different albums so that buyers who only want to see hairsticks can focus on them.

These are just recommendations though. Lately I've been hanging around Etsy to look at indie decks, and these are what I noticed.

[Charlie Brown]

Amoroso speaks true. I was at a social media for small business event a while back and they said similar things.

[Nemia]

Thank you, I was simply thinking about the reasons why my second shop failed. I put up only good pictures - not the meh ones that I put on Imgur which I use to remember what I made when I usually photgraphed the bags with cards in good lighting. Sometimes, I put crystals, but usually only a bag and a deck or some cards.

I won't go back to making hair sticks - my own long hair obsession is over, I don't use hairsticks any more and have packed up the stuff. My hair stick business worked well because I was active on a long hair forum where we all obsessed about hair jewelry and when I started my own, people wanted to buy them. They were quite pretty but I won't start that workshop again.

Right now, I don't even have the money necessary to re-start my Etsy shop. Maybe I'll do so later. But I'll upload more pictures, make better pictures, and if people are interested in a swap or an order, they can simply send me a pm. If that works, I'll re-open the shop later.

Thank you for your input, I appreciate it very much!

[Joan Marie]

But I'll upload more pictures, make better pictures, and if people are interested in a swap or an order, they can simply send me a pm. If that works, I'll re-open the shop later.

That's a good idea- maybe you could post in the "Buy/Sell/Trade" section.
You might find some takers there for sure.

[Amoroso]

Wish you well on your venture, Nemia. I know you can do it!

[alavendermoon]

Nemia, your tarot bags are gorgeous! It's hard to make it on Etsy these days because there are just so many shops out there. If you want to re-launch, I would consider putting up your listings but then using other sites like Tumblr, this forum, or Instagram to advertise! I know there's a market out there for tarot pouches, especially lovely ones like yours, but I think the market just tends to get oversaturated sometimes. I think they key is marketing yourself most of all, and the tarot bags second. If people vibe with you as a person, they'd rather buy your tarot bags over anyone else's. I hope that makes sense and that you re-launch again soon! <3

[Joan Marie]

I think they key is marketing yourself most of all, and the tarot bags second. If people vibe with you as a person, they'd rather buy your tarot bags over anyone else's. I hope that makes sense and that you re-launch again soon! <3

That's makes total sense and I think you've nailed the key to modern marketing.

[Nemia]

Thank you all my dear co-tarotists for your encouragement. I hope I'll soon have the time to start again thank you again.

[BreathingSince72]

Nemia,

I am particularly intrigued by the very first photo in the link as well as the wrap you created for the Deviant Moon. (My daughter would adore it!) Where are you located and what would you charge for the wraps and what do you think shipping would cost to California?

Victoria