The Best Online Reborn Help Forum!

Poisonivy14 · Senior Member

a new place to sell!

Play Days Dolls · Guru

Thanks so much for the info!

Tina W. · Guru

I'm going to give it a look. Getting sick of Ebay, this might be a good change.

mkhammy1 · Senior Member

I, too, am sick of Ebay. By the time you pay all their fees, and Paypal fees, you hardly make anything! I checked out Etsy, and it looks like their listing fees are .20 per item in each listing, plus 3.5% of the selling price. From what I can see so far, you get one pic per listing. You'll still have to pay Paypal fees or credit card fees, whichever you use, unless they let you take money orders. Honestly, how do these people expect us to make any money?!?!? I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has sold on Etsy as to what their experiece was like.
Melinda

Buffington · Guru

Etsy started about a year ago or so. It has been slow going but many more are coming in. I found a lovely woman who made hand-knitted sweaters/hats/booties and she made them to fit my 20 Vivien. They are just lovely and her prices are reasonable. I like the fact that this stuff has to be hand made.
I too think the fees are very reasonable, not like evilbay! lol

Tina W. · Guru

Pat
Have you sold any babies on Etsy yet? I browsed the site a bit and was wondering how the reborns were selling there. The listing fee is definately better than ebay but is anything actually selling?

Buffington · Guru

Nope, I haven't. I didn't think they had been around long enough. Mostly it is crafters and doll artists going in there versus the general buying public (as far as the babies goes anyway). I was going to check in a while. Although I might try it and see how it goes.
How about you? Have you tried with your babies?

Tina W. · Guru

No not yet. I have to admit the cost to list there is extrememly reasonable compared to ebay but I wanted to see if anybody else was having any luck there. There seems no way to tell if they are selling or at what prices since its a buy it now type of place.

-- Edited by Tina W. on Monday 3rd of August 2009 03:09:23 AM

Buffington · Guru

Well, at least if you put a baby in there, you know what price you'll get for it as you set that price yourself. I think I might put one of my earlier babies in just to try it. I might just price it at a "gotta have" price and see, eh? lol

Buffington · Guru

I put 4 of my babies in a few weeks ago and not a nibble :( Although I do have 4 people that heart my site :)
I wonder how I tell how many people have at least looked at my babies? Any Ideas?

GrandmaGail · Veteran Member

Your baby is so sweet and realistic !

Buffington · Guru

Thank you :) She is my own personal baby. For some reason I just bonded with her and can't bear to give her up for adoption :o

mactopolis · Senior Member

I think every selling place will be rough..the economy is terrible for every type of business...eBay is tough trying to sell anything...to sell your reborns there you need to establish yourself with the buyers which can take a very long time...well known reborn artist like Mrs Helen J and others...eBay fees are a scam...but we will continue to reborn baby doll kits,because we love the art form,regardless if we sell any of our art,any of our babies...I have not even came close to selling 1 of mine...but I don't care,its more or less still a hobby...I love my precious creations and my art can only get better and better,with the enjoyment I get in this fabulous art-form

jburle · Senior Member

I absolutely love etsy.com..... I had my etsy store about ohhhh I think 3 years now. IT just depends on your prices and what you have that ppl want...

Don't get upset if you don't get anyone for a couple months... Ppl would come and look and sometimes add you it hasn't been only late that I got sales and don't worry if ppl don't leave you a feed back... I still have a comment missing that someone didn't even care to leave me a comment for other lovely ppl to check out. BUt I love etsy!!!

Buffington · Guru

I know. It's like websites. Ppl think that "if you build it they will come". :o
It's more like, if you advertise they have a chance of finding you and then come. It's not automatic. Like selling babies, you have to get your name out there, then you get a following (hopefully).

I have a few that people haven't left me any feedback. Oh well.

peachycheeks · Veteran Member

Hi- reading about ETSY and I went ahead and put 5-6 babies on there and it looks like people do both ETSY and Evilbay- I mean EBAY-lol! Actually I sold three dolls this weekend on Ebay- I think I only made about $200 because like you all are saying the economy and plus there is usually about a thousand dolls on there at a time. I have lowered my prices a bit just to keep buying kits and supplies. Maybe with holidays coming it will pick up. I like ETSY too- I figure I can't lose much by trying them. Ebays fees are so ridiculous.

Tina W. · Guru

Thats good news that you sold three over the weekend! Let us know how you fair on Etsy, maybe time for a change for me, I just can't see giving E bay all my money!

-- Edited by Tina W. on Tuesday 21st of September 2010 12:28:05 PM

Georgiaga · Senior Member

I'm liking that Etsy has a fixed pricing and not an auction strategy, but then again...maybe auction is good too...I think someone looking on Etsy might be a more serious buyer as the stuff is more unique and therefore maybe less of a crowd, but more of a serious buyer of OOAKS would shop there. JMHO blankstare

I cannot believe all the reborns/newborns on Ebay that are horrible! I mean really, these people clearly never read a tutorial and just got supplies and winged it! I cannot be so hard on myself after seeing all that mess! disbelief

My Rosie is almost done and although I won;t sll her as she will be my first full-on techniques newborn, she still has less than accdeptable skin texture problems, but she'll pass well as a first I think. I'll post pics in the AS soon! Ready to get on the next and NOT make that mistake again! aww

Every time I think I have enough supplies, I need something else...ugh! More stuff to order, but there's nothing worse than not having the one thing you ned on hand!G smile

Noantum · Senior Member

True, you'll always need something else hehehe and of course it's always what you really need. I'm curious to know if anyone has been successful on Etsy lately. Last I knew the babies weren't selling. I guess as far as the quality of babies on eBay......well I guess some really believe they're babies are good. Some obviously aren't and it's a shame that the person would try to sell it, but as we all know it's a learning curve.

I have my first which I'll always keep. Then my second which is really bad I may take apart. It came out very bad

My mom says I should sell it because compared to what she's seen on ebay I shouldn't feel bad. I just keep telling her well that's them. I will never sell a doll I feel is poor quality and not up to my standards.

The only thing though.....is.....I don't know if I would get the same price on Etsy that I get from auctions on ebay. I'm pretty satisfied with what my babies have gone for so.....idk confuse

Georgiaga · Senior Member

Thanks for the advice Emily!
I guess Ebay is still the better choice, then...I noticed only a handful on Etsy...I just thought if someone searched "reborn" baby they would get all the choices and then they could click on your sale in Etsy as well...Sometimes when I'm scrolling through all the reborns on Ebay , I just stop mid-stream as there are too many! I wouldn't want a buyer to do that and miss mine if I ever get to sell there.

Buffington · Guru

I have had my 3 babies on Etsy for...hmmm, let me see now.... well, a REALLY LONG TIME!!! :(
Lots of ppl heart them but no body wants to adopt them. And I lowered the prices on them. I didn't think they were THAT bad :o
Well, maybe they better stay in my nursery after all. I have sold 6 sets of triplet doll kits (6" minis) over the past year and a half. I think I got in there when they were pretty new on the scene. Most of those little kits went to OZ and NZ. I think one went to CA. But that's all for me. I know other people have really good luck.
I'm thinking of listing all my endangered species t-shirts on there. I do make them. I have a large heat press for the designs in my basement. Only problem is I have to photograph all of them! YIKES!

Georgiaga · Senior Member

How do you estimate the shipping to different countries?

Buffington · Guru

I think I only have shipping within USA and Australia at this time. I put in my ad that if you want it shipped to any other country that is not listed, to contact me first and I'll calculate it then. I always try to do flat rate shipping to other countries as it saves them money.
Then I contact them back with the shipping, asking them how they want it shipped and the amount for each, then when they decide, I change my ad for a moment to allow them to purchase using the Etsy shopping cart. Works out well for everyone.