There’s nothing fairly as satisfying as creating one thing your self. Many individuals who produce handmade crafts achieve this initially as a interest however quickly discover promoting their crafts to be a viable enterprise possibility that can permit them to do business from home.
However selecting the place to promote your handmade gadgets generally is a little bit of a problem. In spite of everything, there are such a lot of choices; how does one select? And everybody’s heard of Etsy by now, however in 2022, are there any options?
From stitching and crocheting to portray and jewellery making, there are such a lot of inventive merchandise on the market at present; there’s by no means been a greater time to promote your wares on-line.
I hope that can assist you with this dilemma of the place to promote your handmade gadgets. A few of these locations you’ve probably heard of, and a few may be new to you. Both method, I hope this can assist make your resolution about the place to promote your merchandise a bit simpler.
Etsy is the biggest on-line market for promoting handmade gadgets, crafts, classic gadgets, and craft provides. Due to Etsy, many artists and makers have turned their hobbies into full-fledged companies.
When you’re simply getting began, you’ll probably wish to start your journey right here.
Etsy Charges
Right here’s what you might want to learn about Etsy’s charges. Etsy prices a $0.20 itemizing charge per merchandise each 4 months. This contains merchandise with a number of portions, and you might be charged this quantity whether or not or not the merchandise sells. The remainder of their charges are solely taken when you make a sale. Etsy prices a 5% fee on the overall value of gross sales (buy+delivery) and a 3-5% fee processing charge (the quantity varies relying in your location).
Etsy’s charges are sometimes listed as considered one of its greatest cons, and every replace to its charge construction results in a brand new wave of sellers searching for options. In comparison with the numerous websites much like Etsy, although, it’s nonetheless one of many best and least dangerous routes to take. Based on Comparable Net, Etsy is the #4 most trafficked e-commerce market web site with roughly 400 Million views per thirty days, behind solely Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. That makes it an awesome place to make a reputation for your self and make these first few gross sales.
Etsy Options: Different Locations to Promote Your Handmade Objects
In case your gross sales have grown significantly on Etsy through the years, you could be seeking to develop your attain, set up a backup platform, or take your small business into your personal arms. No matter your causes, there are many options to Etsy today, some extra promising than others. Beneath, we’ll focus on some execs and cons, in addition to fundamental stats and charges related to every platform!
Amazon launched Handmade, its market program for handcrafted items, in 2015 and is rapidly changing into top-of-the-line locations to promote your merchandise on-line outdoors of Etsy. As a Handmade vendor, your gadgets will present up alongside different merchandise on Amazon, falling beneath the “handmade” class.
Beginning your Handmade retailer is free, and Amazon solely takes a fee when you make a sale – 15%. While you open your retailer, your merchandise will likely be obtainable to patrons in your nation solely. To succeed in Amazon’s international buyer base, you’ll have to have your listings translated for every nation’s particular person Amazon web site.
Storenvy prides itself on working with Indie and rising manufacturers and has grown in recent times, bringing in 2-3 Million views per thirty days. You should use the location to create a customized e-commerce retailer or listing your handmade gadgets on their market. If you wish to be part of the Storenvy Market, it’ll value you 15% of your gross sales, however there are no itemizing or month-to-month charges. It is a good different to Etsy for newbies since you don’t must spend a ton of cash upfront.
CustomMade, identified for its handmade jewellery, additionally has an on-line market for customized, handcrafted items. Sellers on this platform can supply ready-made merchandise or bid on customized design requests. This web site is geared towards luxurious craftsmanship, and most of CustomMade’s prospects are searching for customized items. By far, the preferred product to promote is handmade jewellery. Nevertheless, they provide a broad vary of product classes, and CustomMade sellers report respectable gross sales in classes like woodworking, leatherworking, and engraving.
The web site boasts 450-500K month-to-month visits, so it’s price testing! It’s essential to apply to develop into a CustomMade maker and submit examples of your work. It’s free to enroll, and CustomMade solely takes its charges if you make a sale – a ten% fee plus a 2.7% + $0.30 transaction charge.
Launched in 2020, Goimagine is a brand new web site like Etsy for promoting handmade gadgets. As such a brand new platform, it doesn’t at present have a whole lot of visitors; nonetheless, it’s been making headlines in a whole lot of huge locations (like Martha Stewart, Condominium Remedy, and BRIT+CO, to call a number of) resulting from its mission-based enterprise mannequin. All income from Goimagine are paid on to its makers and artists, and the remainder are donated to charity.
To promote on Goimagine, you could stay within the US, and your merchandise have to be handmade. No mass-produced, classic, or resell gadgets are allowed. Goimagine’s Starter Plan prices $2.50 per thirty days, plus a 5% transaction charge. Regardless of being a brand new platform, sellers report having made sufficient gross sales to date to cowl their plan prices.
Simply Artisan is a model new on-line handmade market that launched in 2020. It was established as a vendor-centric different to Etsy, dedicated to low charges and strictly handmade or designed gadgets. Regardless of being very new, the platform is off to an awesome begin – the location is effectively designed and has nice performance.
As of but, it doesn’t have many shoppers or distributors; nonetheless, throughout its launch section, it’s providing free month-to-month membership plans, so you may strive it out risk-free. Simply Artisan takes a 7.5% fee solely if you make a sale.
Finest identified for its in-person markets, Renegade Craft affords a web based retailer the place you may store and promote all yr. Renegade Craft is picky about its distributors and curates gadgets which have an indie craft feel and appear. It’s a must to apply to vend of their store and, if chosen, pay a hefty 40% fee on all gross sales. That mentioned, Renegade Craft will deal with 100% of your advertising and customer support – all it’s important to do is ship the merchandise!
Aftcra is a web based market much like Etsy, besides solely for handmade items produced within the US. To promote on Aftcra, your gadgets have to be made within the US and should not be mass-produced, classic, or resold with out modification.
Whereas this web site doesn’t have a ton of visitors or distributors at present, it’s fully free to arrange your retailer and listing your gadgets, so you may strive it out risk-free! Aftcra solely takes a 7% charge when your merchandise promote.
Handmade Artists’ Store began as a discussion board for crafters and artists. Due to that, you’ll discover a tight-knit group right here, regardless of being a comparatively small web site. Artists and sellers reasonable the location, in addition to assist one another of their companies.
To promote on Handmade Artists’ Store, your merchandise have to be handmade—no reselling, classic, or mass-produced gadgets allowed. The location prices a $5 per thirty days membership, and after that, no different charges or commissions. You’ll, nonetheless, nonetheless be topic to PayPal’s transaction charges.
IndieCart, previously Hyena Cart, launched in 2004 as a web based market for handmade material diapers. Material diapers are nonetheless one of many extra fashionable gadgets to promote on the location, however additionally they carry loads of different classes. IndieCart doesn’t have a lot visitors, but it surely does have a reasonably loyal following of patrons and sellers. It prices $7.50 per thirty days to arrange your retailer, and IndieCart doesn’t take some other charges or commissions.
iCraft is one other smaller web site like Etsy with a small however loyal following. Sellers who keep on with the location say they see roughly half the amount of gross sales on iCraft as they do on Etsy however make a proportionately bigger revenue from these gross sales. iCraft is a strictly handmade web site – no mass-produced or reselling allowed. Their pricing begins at $10 per thirty days and a one-time, $25 registration charge. After that, iCraft takes no further commissions or charges.
Etsy Options for Worldwide Sellers
Not on the Excessive Avenue is without doubt one of the largest options to Etsy, boasting 5-7 Million guests per thirty days. It’s only obtainable to artists and makers primarily based within the UK and Eire at the moment, although it’s open to patrons worldwide. Not on the Excessive Avenue includes a extremely curated collection of merchandise and is slightly choosey about who it selects to promote on its platform.
In case your software to promote on Not on the Excessive Avenue is permitted, you will have to pay a one-time becoming a member of charge and a 25% fee on all gross sales. The becoming a member of charge, which is negotiated on a person foundation, is sort of steep – reported to be round £200. Nevertheless, most sellers report incomes greater than sufficient in gross sales to make up for it.
Not on the Excessive Avenue plans to open its platform as much as sellers in additional international locations, however the course of will probably be sluggish. You may take a look at their vendor software and signal as much as be notified when it’s obtainable in your nation right here.
Folksy is one other UK different to Etsy. To promote on Folksy, you have to be primarily based within the UK, and your items have to be handcrafted – no classic or resell gadgets allowed. Folksy has gathered an honest viewers in recent times, having round 250K guests per thirty days. Folksy sellers have even been featured in big-name publications like The Guardian and Elle Ornament.
Their fundamental plan begins at £0.15 + VAT per itemizing, or you may select a paid membership that prices £5 per thirty days and permits limitless listings. You may check it out without cost together with your first three listings.
Numonday is a UK-based handmade items market that launched in 2016. It options every thing from hand-sewn clothes and crafts to tremendous artwork. Whereas sluggish to start out, this web site has seen some development just lately and is now netting round 100K visits per thirty days. Many sellers report challenges navigating and importing their listings to the location, however most say they’ve made no less than a number of gross sales there.
It prices £10 per thirty days to hitch Numonday, however the firm doesn’t deduct any charges or commissions outdoors of normal fee processing charges. They provide a free 14-day trial, so you may strive it out risk-free.
The Nooks is a web site like Etsy that includes a curated assortment of handmade gadgets. It additionally occurs to have a number of retail shops throughout the nation. With 4 worthwhile storefronts and extra on the way in which, The Nooks is a wonderful different to Etsy if you happen to stay in Canada. To promote on the Nooks, you could apply and pay a $29 per thirty days membership. Nevertheless, they take no charges or commissions out of your gross sales!
16. Madeit (Australia)
Madeit is an Australia-based web site much like Etsy that launched in 2009. Because it’s been working, it’s undergone a number of enhancements and facelifts and is now gaining reputation, reaching 75K guests per thirty days. To promote on Madeit, you could stay and handmake your merchandise in Australia. The location’s pricing begins at $5 per thirty days, they usually take no fee or charges out of your gross sales outdoors of PayPal’s fee processing charges.
17. NOVICA (International)
NOVICA is a world, fair-trade artisan market that goals to chop out the middlemen and provides artists and makers a spot to promote their wares for dwelling wages. And it’s been a well-liked thought! NOVICA at present sees about 700K, month-to-month guests.
Right now, NOVICA accepts sellers from Mexico, Central and South America, West Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. To promote on NOVICA, you could apply by emailing particulars and photos of your merchandise to: [email protected]
Different Locations to Promote Your Handmade Objects On-line
When sellers determine to department out from Etsy, many search for alternate, strictly handmade marketplaces, however why restrict your self? There are so so so many extra profitable choices on the market, and a major advantage of branching out is that you just’re in a position to attain a very totally different viewers.
With eBay being the #2 ranked e-commerce web site on the web, it’s price making an attempt out as a platform on your handmade gadgets! Many Etsy sellers listing their merchandise on each platforms and relying on the product class, most report incomes extra gross sales on eBay. It’s free to create your account and listing your first 250 gadgets on the market. eBay takes its charges as soon as your merchandise promote – 12.55% + a $0.30 transaction charge.
When you make consumable merchandise, beginning a subscription field enterprise is a wonderful approach to improve your income. The trending subscription field firm, Cratejoy, has a great deal of product strains—some handmade, some not. Along with its tens of millions of month-to-month views and 40,000+ subscriber base, Cratejoy affords tons of assist to construct your subscription field enterprise efficiently. Cratejoy’s fundamental membership is free, they usually solely take a fee if you make a sale – 11.25% + a $0.10 transaction charge.
Mercari, the uber-popular resell app, is a wonderful place to promote your handmade gadgets. Many artists and makers report good gross sales utilizing the app; nonetheless, they are saying patrons on Mercari are steadily searching for a discount. You’ll have the perfect luck together with your revenue margins if you happen to worth your gadgets with room to haggle. Mercari is free to make use of, they usually take a ten% fee and a couple of.9% + $0.30 transaction charge when you full a sale.
Bonanza is a web based resell market, much like eBay, that sees roughly 4 million guests per thirty days. Along with promoting merchandise in its market, you need to use the platform to create a retailer and add your listings from eBay, Amazon, Shopify, and Etsy, making it tremendous straightforward to make use of. Many sellers report success promoting classic, collectibles, and artwork there, however not as a lot with crafts and different handmade merchandise. You may create your listings without cost, and Bonanza takes a 3.5% fee if you make a sale.
eCrater is one other on-line resell market much like eBay. The largest classes of merchandise to promote there are expertise and collectibles, but it surely additionally includes a honest quantity of handmade items. The location brings in about 2 Million views per thirty days, and it’s free to create your account, so it’s price testing!
Promote on Social Media Platforms
On-line marketplaces and e-commerce platforms aren’t the one locations you may promote your handcrafted gadgets. You too can use social media websites to unfold the phrase about your crafts.
Fb Enterprise Pages now have the choice to listing merchandise on the market, and you can too select to promote regionally or ship gadgets on Fb Market. Moreover, Fb Teams have develop into big drivers of peer-to-peer gross sales. You will discover and promote in teams which might be energetic in your area of interest, product class, or on your audience. Simply ensure you’re following the group’s guidelines, many teams don’t permit self-promotion. You too can begin your personal group or share images of your wares in your private profile and let folks know that you just’re open for enterprise.
Instagram has develop into one of many greatest platforms for permitting artists and makers to earn a dwelling doing what they love! To promote on Instagram, all you want are the proper hashtags to get your handmade merchandise in entrance of potential prospects. Whereas there’s no direct store characteristic on Instagram (but!), many sellers use distinctive hashtags to designate obtainable gadgets or listing them of their tales. You then take orders through DM and simply want a approach to settle for funds.
When you handcraft merchandise which might be well-suited to video format, TikTok is the brand new place to be. Consumers love having the ability to look in on an artist’s or maker’s course of, and as a significant bonus, your craftsmanship might simply go viral. You too can use your web page to listing gadgets on the market, utilizing customs hashtags much like Instagram.
Promote Your Handmade Items Wholesale
When you suppose you may’t promote your handmade gadgets wholesale, suppose once more! The demand for artisan and handcrafted items to produce resorts, present shops, e-commerce outlets, and extra has skyrocketed. Most of the unique artisan wholesale marketplaces out-perform the extra industrial ones. When you’ve honed your craft, developed your model and packaging, and are ready to ramp up manufacturing, you need to completely contemplate making your merchandise obtainable wholesale.
Unusual Items is a wildly fashionable web site for inventive presents, boasting 3 Million guests per thirty days. Not each product on their web site is handmade, however all of them are inventive and distinctive. Due to the web site’s area of interest viewers and market, they’re fairly selective in selecting sellers to work with.
Slightly than organising as a person vendor on Unusual Items, you’ll both promote your merchandise at wholesale costs or present achievement for them. They don’t have any listed charges however work with artists and makers on a contract foundation as a substitute.
Launched in 2017, Faire is a web site like Etsy for impartial artisans and makers – besides wholesale! And the concept has been well-received too, seeing 2.5-3.5 Million visits per thirty days. Sellers say Faire is a extremely profitable platform – a majority making their first massive sale in lower than every week. Stationary is without doubt one of the extra fashionable gadgets to promote, however they provide a wide selection of merchandise. What’s not allowed are merchandise not produced or designed by you, tremendous artwork, and resell items.
To promote on Faire, you should apply and be permitted. Faire takes a hefty fee – 25% in your first sale with a brand new buyer via their market after which 15% for repeat prospects. Nevertheless, they don’t take a fee on gross sales you make to your personal prospects that you just deliver to the location. Regardless of the charges, Faire has overwhelmingly optimistic vendor evaluations.
Launched in 2017, Abound is a curated wholesale market dedicated to indie manufacturers and retailers within the US and UK. In that point, it’s grown significantly, bringing in over 500K visits per thirty days. Abound is searching for a sure aesthetic and is fairly picky of their software course of—they solely approve about 30% of their vendor candidates. That mentioned, it’s free to use and be part of. Abound solely takes a fee if you make a sale – round 8%.
Vary.Me is a wholesale market that brings in 300K month-to-month guests and works with huge manufacturers like Walmart and Complete Meals. Slightly than functioning as a typical e-commerce platform, the location works extra like a high-tech relationship web site that matches patrons and sellers. Distributors element a excessive degree of success with the location, even going as far as to say that Vary. Me’s $1,200 per yr premium membership is greater than price it. Nevertheless, you may be part of the web site and arrange your vendor profile without cost!
Do you produce sustainable or eco-friendly items? EarthHero stands out as the wholesale market for you! At 300K month-to-month guests, it’s a reasonably fashionable venue and has been featured in locations like Martha Stewart and the Sierra Membership. To develop into a vendor on EarthHero, you could apply, and your merchandise have to be made from sustainably sourced supplies.
Tundra is a wholesale market for each commercially produced and handmade merchandise. Just like Faire, it was established in 2017. It has slower to launch, bringing in round 200K visits per thirty days. Nevertheless, you may promote on Tundra fully free. Sure, you learn that proper! Tundra makes all its income from further providers, like expedited delivery, insurance coverage, and commercials.
Promote on Your Personal Web site
When you’re searching for an alternative choice to Etsy, you’ve most likely thought of promoting by yourself storefront. Beginning a web based retailer comes with some further work and dangers, however if you happen to’ve been promoting handmade merchandise on-line for some time or already do a whole lot of work to market your self, it might be time to contemplate it! When you’re fully new to doing your personal advertising and driving your personal gross sales, there are many reasonably priced choices you may check out comparatively risk-free too.
Shopify is an e-commerce platform that means that you can construct an internet site and handle just about your complete enterprise in a single place. From customizing a web based retailer to managing stock and monitoring gross sales, you are able to do all of it with Shopify. You may strive Shopify free for 14 days. After that, Shopify’s charges vary from $29-$299 per thirty days, relying on your small business wants.
BigCommerce is an e-commerce platform much like Shopify. You may get began promoting your handmade gadgets instantly with a free 15-day trial. Their charges begin at $29.95 per thirty days and go up relying on what you want for your small business. One neat factor about Massive Commerce is that you would be able to additionally promote on eBay, Amazon, and Fb via their platform.
Massive Cartel is a web based retailer builder particularly designed for artists and makers. When you’re simply getting began, Massive Cartel makes organising an internet site tremendous straightforward to do. You may strive it out and listing your first 5 gadgets without cost. After that, their pricing begins at $9.99 per thirty days. This makes it an awesome, low-cost possibility if you happen to’re not fairly prepared for Shopify.
Sq., the corporate that introduced you the cellphone bank card reader, additionally has a platform for creating your personal web site. When you’re already utilizing Sq. for in-person gross sales, it makes syncing your stock on-line tremendous straightforward. Their intro pricing plan is free, and also you solely pay a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction charge.
Ecwid is one other web site builder particularly for e-commerce. A neat characteristic is that you would be able to arrange your Ecwid on-line retailer to sync your stock from different platforms like Amazon, Instagram, Fb, and extra. It’s free to create your retailer and listing your first 10 merchandise. After that, it prices $15 per thirty days and up.
IndieMade is a website-building platform for artists that makes organising your on-line retailer a cinch. You merely choose a template, add particulars to your listings, and also you’re set! Your customization choices listed below are fairly restricted, however their fundamental pricing plan begins at $4.95 per thirty days, making it a simple, reasonably priced possibility for newbies.
38. Use a Print-on-Demand Service
When you’d prefer to mass produce the gadgets you’re creating, utilizing a print-on-demand service may be the proper possibility for promoting your arts and designs. With print-on-demand providers, you’ll both create your designs utilizing their design instruments, or you may add your designs on to their websites. You’ll then select which sorts of merchandise (clothes, mugs, stickers, residence decor, cloth, stationery, and extra) you’d like to position your designs on. When you’ve created your merchandise, you’ll earn a fee on every merchandise bought, and the corporate will ship it on to the client.
Listed here are some print-on-demand corporations to discover:
Promote Your Crafts in Particular person
When you take pleasure in getting out and about, there are lots of locations the place you may promote handmade gadgets in individual. Charges and timeframes will differ primarily based in your location, however you may search regionally for the next kinds of occasions and gatherings.
39. Craft Gala’s
Craft festivals are an fulfilling approach to promote your merchandise. You get to work together with consumers and showcase your handmade crafts personally, which is advantageous in case your product would possibly profit from an illustration. Individuals like to be hands-on and contact gadgets earlier than they purchase (I do know I do!).
Holidays are the preferred time to search out craft festivals, however if you happen to do a radical search, you may be shocked to see that they’re supplied all yr lengthy. And relying in your sort of product, there are lots of specialty festivals all through the nation, that includes every thing from artwork and sculptures to clothes and sewn merchandise. When you do your analysis, I’m certain you’ll discover festivals in your space.
40. Trunk Exhibits
When you make t-shirts, jewellery, purses, and equipment, you would possibly take into consideration incorporating trunk reveals into your promoting routine. Generally known as residence events, they had been made well-known by direct gross sales corporations like Tupperware and Avon. However the trunk reveals of at present are a lot extra than simply promoting merchandise. They permit folks to come back collectively, socialize and have a great time whereas shopping your merchandise and testing them out. Some modern-day direct gross sales corporations you could wish to discover are Stella & Dot, cabi, and Matilda Jane.
41. Brick and Mortar Boutiques
Getting your handmade gadgets into brick-and-mortar boutiques may be simpler than you suppose. Look fastidiously on the outlets you frequent, as a result of all of them get their items from someplace. Some boutiques will promote your gadgets without cost and take a fee as soon as they promote, whereas others cost a month-to-month charge for the area you utilize.
42. Native Markets
Final however not least, the great previous Saturday/Native Market is actually profitable for some of us. It’s a well-liked place for artists, jewellery makers, meals distributors, and extra to promote their wares. A cool factor about native markets is the assist system. Many cities are very pro-buying native and encourage residents to buy regionally every time doable. I bought at our native Saturday Market one yr and had many nice recollections from that point. It not solely helped me unfold my wings business-wise, however I made new buddies, a few of which I nonetheless must today.
The right way to Flip Your Handmade Passion right into a Enterprise
Whether or not you’re simply getting began in your craft enterprise or seeking to take it to the following degree, you’re right here since you’d prefer to generate income out of your work. Because of the booming on-line world and altering shopper attitudes, it’s by no means been simpler to make a dwelling doing what you like.
One of the simplest ways to make a constant revenue out of your small enterprise is by diversifying your income streams. When you’re new to 1 technique of gross sales or one other, begin with platforms that carry low upfront prices so to get acquainted with it risk-free. When you’ve mastered driving your personal gross sales and doing all your personal advertising, contemplate branching out!
I hope this listing of locations to promote your handmade gadgets will likely be a assist to you. Have some other concepts so as to add? Please go away them within the feedback under!
Initially printed Might 17, 2017. Content material up to date August 2022.