Thursday, January 29, 2009

What a shame I didn't go to London today, it is a (cold, but) beautiful day here. Fingers crossed it will be the same tomorrow.

Anyway.

I would like to pick your brains on something. If you don't mind! What with the new consumer protection act in the US and the fact that most of the things I make are kind of, mostly, aimed at kids, I have decided that, for the moment, Etsy is not for me. Which is why I've sorta shut down the shop. So, what to do now?

And this is where I want to ask you a few things: do you have an online shop (not Etsy) at Folksy or Dawanda (or elsewhere) or Big Cartel? What do you think of it? How is it working for you?

Also, as a customer (and here I'm assuming that you've tried buying from an online indie / crafty shop), does it matter what currency the prices are displayed in? Does it matter 'where' the shop is, i.e. stand-alone, Etsy, Dawanda (you name it).

And, how do you come across the items that you end up buying? Do you randomly search the internet? See it on other blogs? Do you search 'umbrella' sites like Etsy etc? Do you see them on Flickr? And what are the deciding factors that actually makes you hand over cash for indie / crafty items?

You can probably guess that I intend on opening shop again in some form. I do, I do! The last couple of months has really made me think hard about what I want to do, what I want my life to be like. And although I haven't got a big ol' master plan or anything, well, selling handmade loveliness is pretty high up there!

Previously, I think my shop has suffered from both my items being scattered in many different disciplines (because I love trying and learning new things!) and me not being very focused on it in general. But I want to take it seriously, I want to take ME seriously and work hard at creating something positive in the world.

So, I think I have narrowed my focus (that is not to say I won't expand eventally, hey!) to things I enjoy making, even for hours every day. Things I know I can make well, because that is very important to me, the quality. I have experienced buying things that didn't quite live up to the standard I was expecting, like a pretty print printed on very flimsy paper. But quality standards is probably a discussion for another post, eh?

For now, I hope you will/can help me by answering the questions above. Help me push the boat out - I'll do my very best to row it in the right direction!

Labels: shop talk, thinking