Figuring Things Out

I've been spending a lot of time lately trying to figure out how best to sell online.

I'm learning about selling fees and international shipping costs.

I'm figuring out how to treat my wrist problems.

I have had a few more sales through Etsy, including custom orders. I'm going to be doing a little more revising on my pricing tonight. I'd adjusted my sterling silver findings, but hadn't fixed my plated wire findings. Then I got a custom order request, and couldn't afford to give any kind of discount on some of my earlier listed items. I want to be fair, affordable, and still make a living doing this sort of thing. Selling through Etsy has been a nice little side job, and I hope to do more, a lot more.

One thing I've noticed, when I go searching, as a buyer would, for certain products that I sell, they end up buried under pages and pages of items. Etsy is VERY big. Items are listed every second. Some stores have a system, that I am trying to do, in my own way. When you search for items, they are listed chronologically with the more recently listed items on top. If you relist the same item every couple days (like handmade earwires let's say), then that item is more likely to be noticed by buyers. It's tough. Because I don't want to be that seller that's trying to drown out every other seller. And it costs $0.20 every time you list an item. It's not much, but it adds up if you are trying to push an item that's not a big seller.

So here's my listing plan:
Since I make my findings in all different shapes and all diffferent metals, I can list each individual variation, one at a time. When I have every single style that I make listed in my store, I can start listing bulk item deals. Actually, I'll start mixing in those bulk item listings before that happens. If I can just keep up with listing something new every day or two, then I won't get lost in the sea of Etsy sellers.

Wholesale Pricing Plan:
Individual items will have a set price that you can click, buy and pay for. Discounts will be available on custom orders of 5 or more of a type of item. I.e. one pair of curly-Q ear wires: $3.00. Five pairs of curly-Q ear wires: 2.75/pr. I'll have the different prices noted on each item.

One another note, my darling boyfriend has been helping me with my wrist problem. His mum gave me one of those stiff wrist braces for the right hand (I'd only had one for my left hand, which has been fine lately). I wear this at night and when I know I will have to be lifting or moving heavy objects (like my vacuum, good lord). On top of that, he bought me three wonderful stretchy wrist glove/wrap thingys that I can wear while I work, AND one of those amazing microwaveable heat wraps. LOVE that thing. It's easy to use, and I don't have to try loading a tub full of heavy hot water to soak my wrist in - this does basically the same thing.

Time to go edit my etsy things. OriginalBeadwork.etsy.com