If you’re selling on Etsy or selling handmade anywhere else, you, my friend, are in a great spot!
Handmade is growing so fast it’s hardly measurable. Etsy is just one example of the trend but it is a great example! See below:
It’s no surprise that Etsy traffic ramps up before the holiday shopping season, but take a look at both the sheer volume of people and the year-over-year growth shown on the left side of the graphic (from compete.com).
26% Yearly Growth! – This for a website that is already almost one of the 100 busiest sites on the whole Internet!
Love: Handmade’s Secret Weapon
The reason this is happening is so simple and you’re going to think I’m a little crazy when you read it.
Handmade is Fueled by Love. Love is the secret ingredient of the handmade marketplace that no mass production item anywhere can compete with.
A handmade item is created with love. It is often purchased as a gift out of love. And it is cherished and loved unlike anything off the shelves at a big-box store.
Are You Selling On Etsy?
If so, keep at it! Consider it a real opportunity. If not, why not?
Check out our Resources Page for tools I use to work online riding the wave of Handmade awesome-loving-perfection-ness!
Raise your hand if you love handmade! 🙂
~Kim
That’s good to know. So far vintage and supplies does the best for me. Hopefully, my handmade items will pick up.
It’s great to see these positive figures in black and white!
Definitely seen an increase in my shop!! Handmade is so much more personalized- from the selling and buying!!
Not only is handmade growing by leaps and bounds, but as I look around at retail stores I see Etsy driving design everywhere! I’m excited about the possibilities, I do hope it continues!
I do love handmade! I’m just starting a blog, with the help of your great tutorials, about creating handmade items to celebrate life’s milestones. It’s called A Banner Day (adorablebanner.com if you want to see the progress!) There is no gift that speaks love like a handmade gift. Thanks for all of your good advice and encouragement.
After 4 years on Etsy I am happy to see it is going strong. Nice update for us, thank you.
My sales on etsy 2011 far exceeded 2010. Here is a challenge to each seller on Etsy. Request your family or special someone purchase your gifts from other Etsy sellers. I was very happy to get gifts from Etsy sellers, this past Christmas from my husband. I am sick of meaningless gifts from off shore. Give me Etsy!
Lovin’ my Etsy! I just had my 100th sale last night! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!
I see more and more professional quality products, which is very encouraging.
I love getting up every day and being able to do the work I love and get paid for it! As my extended family has watched my progress on Etsy, they have begun to get more interested in contemplating their own dreams. And I have a friend who is opening her shop in the near future!
I have been working so hard everyday following your advice on how to make my etsy shop more successful. It appears from these numbers that many other etsy sellers are working just as hard too. Hooray for Handmade!
This was great to read. I am already a big ‘homemade’ advocate, making all of my things from scratch, but I haven’t started an Etsy store yet…one of these days I just may have to! Thanks for sharing.
I’m raising my hand:)
I love handmade and tell everyone who will listen to buy handmade.
The above example is helpful, we are on the right track.
Handmade with LOVE is the best route to go. I am new to Etsy and have received such great support from the Etsy community. I have noticed that sales are starting to finally increase as I reach listing 40-50 products in my store. http://www.etsy.com/shop/MYCACouture
I do! I do! I want to see handmade go off the charts! This looks like a step in the right direction, thank you for posting this!
I sale on Etsy seasonally and have had as much success as I can sew. I really like the Etsy format and can tell that it is growing in popularity among online shoppers. Thanks all the updates and information you share with us.