how do you feel about etsy or ebay stores

[jesennia]

If a vendor has a lot of stock that changes rapidly , how do you feel about the etsy store format, or ebay.

A'Kai Silks silk veils scarves skirts bellydance by akaisilks (considering there isn't much in there right now)

Both have built in shopping carts, search funtions, categories, linked to paypal or any other payment method, and you have a visible way of tracking feedback/ seller reputation.

I'm posting new topic about web/stores since this question may get buried in the last one

[mahsati]

These are fine for me. I tend to think that ebay's search is better, but I like etsy's design better. I purchase from both equally. :)

[MaryRaks]

I actually like shopping from etsy better - it feels less "crowded" to me than ebay, but I think that has more to do with the lack of volume importers. When I'm looking for something new or browsing, I go to etsy way before I go to ebay (unless I'm designer costume hunting).

[lylagus]

i like esty....i don't deal with ebay it scares me.

[KHari3]

I go to eBay when I want something as cheap as possible. I go to Etsy when I want something handcrafted and quality, like a gift.

[Mintaka]

I love to shop from Etsy. I like the ease of it and being able to read about the artist, and the list of materials being used. I will shop at Ebay if I have to to find cheap costuming materials.

[jesennia]

do you think the etsy search funtion is ok?

how do you feel about a main website that links to the etsy store for instant purchase? using the website as a gallery and biography with photos and descriptions but then linking to the store

[Michala]

I have an Etsy store! Love it!

The two sites are generally geared for different things..... Etsy is specifically for quality handmade items (like your silks), unique vintage items, and supplies for handmade items. You can list that stuff on Ebay but it is better for cheaper and wholesale items or harder to find, rare "auctionable" things. It is unfortunate that a lot of people see Ebay as a virtual garage sale and perhaps aren't as willing to pay as much for an item as it is worth. That's not always the case, but frequently. I suppose once you get an Ebay store established people will be willing to pay fair value for items, but who knows. Personally, I think Etsy is easier to use (buying and selling) and the atmosphere is "friendlier". It's known as a place for artisans and the expectations are higher.

[TheGreatKathyLori]

I like etsy in that if feels more personal to me, less mass-market junk. I've been happy with everything I've gotten from etsy and I usual browse there a few times a week.

[Mahsima]

I never shop on Ebay. I vastly prefer Etsy.

[PepperLotus]

I usually only shop on Ebay if I need something very specific. But if I am looking for new costume pieces, or if I'm in the mood to browse, I definitely choose Etsy. I like the idea of my money supporting something that has been handcrafted and that may be one of a kind

[badriya_al_ahmar]

I agree with what everyone else has said about Etsy--I tend to have more automatic respect for a vendor on Etsy as an artist. And Etsy's search system is actually not bad, but they are bad at explaining how to use it.

To answer your website question, as a purchaser I see nothing wrong with linking the pages of a main website to the pages of your Etsy store. I'd make sure Etsy's rules allow that, though--they want to be a destination, not a shopping cart system.

[Desideria]

Originally Posted by lylagus

i like esty....i don't deal with ebay it scares me.

I have a store on etsy and on artfire(had items on ebay). I prefer etsy better as I design and handmake my own items and costumes. I sell on etsy, my products do not sell on ebay. And all I get on ebay are rude men trying to get over. Buy an item real cheap so they can resell it for more. I have had bad luck on ebay. And their fees are outragious..

http://www.etsy.com/darkdevi

Dark Devi Designs

Desideria
DESIDERIA - Intriguing and Captiving Belly Dance. Middle Eastern - Gypsy and Fusion Dance

[jesennia]

thank you for the feedback, i love etsy too. Ebay has become a junkyard.

[bintbeled]

I have shopped on Etsy and eBay, but prefer eBay. Maybe I'm just more used to it, but it seems easier to quickly browse through an eBay store than an Etsy one.

[dancingstar]

Originally Posted by KHari3

I go to eBay when I want something as cheap as possible. I go to Etsy when I want something handcrafted and quality, like a gift.

same.

[Lara L]

I only shop ebay when I absolutely can't find what I'm looking for anywhere else- and chances are that's something vintage rather then hand crafted. I think having a landing page website linked to an etsy store for actual purchase would be a great way to easily find you, for those of us who already know we want to deal with you particularly.

[Lara L]

on another tangent, I use zencart for my business shopping cart- I had to have my 'web-guy' set it up initially, but I can update it easily myself, & the program itself is free. you can use paypal checkout, pay for hosting that supports ssl and use whatever credit card processing you already use, or link to another 3rd party payment gateway like authorize.net.