My First Tooled Belt On Etsy - Comments?

[MonicaJacobson]

Nice belt. You are not underpricing it at all. Like Bob said, you really need more than 2 items in your shop. I'd give Rohn's advice a try and put it on ebay. You may not sell it at once, but you'll only lose a dollar or two listing it, and you might get a more cowboyish audience there. That said, there are a lot of people on here who sell that kind of tooling on etsy, and they seem to do all right.

However, the higher my items price (for example), the longer it takes me to sell them. Maybe etsy just isn't the right place. I haven't even tried Ebay. However, I usually don't care how long it takes. Sometimes, if it wasn't my best idea, it takes a year, but things usually sell in the end.

[mickthedig]

I just read your belt listing, most people use inches for belt size. You may want to add the inch size.

A great belt

[splitrail]

Great Belt, be patient it takes time. I joined ETSY in November I've had 1210 views, 70 Favs but only 5 sales. I agree that the traffic seems to increase with the more items you list on there.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SplitrailLeather?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Good Luck

[leatherwytch]

I am about to throw my hat into your belt ring. It is a lovely belt and people looking for that type of belt will buy it. This is how your price your work.

The cost of goods, all of them +Then how much your time is worth per hour+40% mark up= total.

Now is your belt lined. I could be wrong but it didn't look lined to me. Lining a belt prevents it from stretching out of shape. You are not over priced on that belt. Now it may take a while for the perfect customer to come and buy it but they will come. Put it all over your social media.

You may take up making messenger bags and purses they will sell faster.

Best of luck/.

[JLSleather]

It's possible that etsy might have been more appropriately named "cutesy". There are some quality items sold there, but they are largely drowned in a sea of ....well..... something else. In the leather category, the big sellers appear to be luggage tags and eye patch (yeah, like a pirate). Really.

I list patterns over there due to some tax considerations way too long-winded for here. But, doing the homework, it seems that etsy sellers generally agree that sales are a result of traffic driven from other sites - usually some 'social' thing. Which of course, leaves the question -- if they found your belt on some social goop, then WHY send them to etsy to buy it? So you can pay the etsy fees? You could have just used paypal right from where you were. That may sound silly, but I recently spoke with some people who use those etsy card readers. Craft fairs and such. People buy something, hand them cash. Then they go in, "report" it on etsy so that the visible 'count' of their sales goes up. I think that works out about 7% of the price - which they donated WHY? Ahhh.. not my problem .. just information.

As for the belt, I like to see a guy tooling a belt because he likes tooled belts, and likes tooling belts. Have I seen that design somewhere before? Looks a bit familiar.

From a money standpoint, $150 per belt would work if you don't have hours and hours in it. Some perspective, maybe. Welfare recipients "make" $800-$1000 per month, plus generally food and shelter (lets not get into the medical benefits). So, how hard should we work to earn that same amount as the one who - for instance - goes fishing every day? Again, just thinking out loud here.....

[DoubleC]

Gmk I think it's a beautiful belt and you might try using it as an sample of what you can make custom since it's already sized. I read these post and I can't help but think your confused about welfare recipients that can't afford your work or go fishing everyday? But I know people who say they work that fish everyday and I doubt you're going to sell your belt to a fish. Other posters have said etsy is not the place to sell but I've sold on there successfully and unfortunately know belt makers that just didn't make the cut. And it's as cut throat there as anywhere. so leave your belt up and at that price and just mention you will do them custom made. Then you don't have to guess at a size. Good luck, Cheryl

[leatherwytch]

I am a little confused by the comment made about welfare recipients. I never saw where, Glen, said that was his target sales audience.I am also confused how one would know how much a person on welfare receives unless they are on welfare. I doubt people on welfare as much as they may love tooled items could afford them and I strongly doubt if they are getting medical benefits those would be considered medical aides. Some people have spouses that work and they probably have even better medical benefits than those on welfare and I bet they get to go fishing because they can afford the bait.

I doubt other college students can buy lovely tooled items because they are no better off than welfare recipients. So, perhaps small items like key fobs, bracelets, luggage tags, eye patches (yes, like a pirate) may be good things to get up on your Etsy site too, Glen. Little Items are great as gifts for oneself or others and don't require a lot of work or money. Then maybe student and welfare recipients can buy them too.

[silverwingit]

I am not on welfare, never have been. Paid my way my whole life and proud of it.

But I found that comment about welfare recipients to be unnecessary, in poor taste and highly offensive. In my opinion, such ill-informed class judgments have no place on such an otherwise constructive forum as leatherworker.net.

Michelle

Edited April 4, 2015 by silverwingit

[leatherwytch]

silverwingit,

I totally agree with you, that is why I said what i did. I like yourself have worked my whole life three jobs at a time, I am still doing that. I was appalled that he would say such a heinous thing. It was not called for, not being discussed and he needs to open his narrow mind and think before inserting both his big feet.

[TexasLady]

I guess everyone is talking about JLSleather's comment on how much people get while on welfare in comparison with how much one's time is worth when doing leatherwork? Maybe I'm just in a good mood this morning, but what he said sounded perfectly logical to me.

Edited April 25, 2015 by TexasLady