October's Merchandising Plans & Treasury Tips

Halloween Pumpkins Print - Magnesina

Happy ‘October” Curation Nation teammies and faithful followers! Here are the targeted merchandising points for the month of October - they are straight from Etsy’s Merchandising Desk. These specifics are what Etsy will be looking to showcase on the front page. It’s a great guideline to use to create items for your shop or for the vintage shops to be on the hunt for. When you curate Treasuries using these merchandising tips, remember to tag them with these words and themes as well.

                 

ETSY’S central merchandising will focus on autumn, Halloween, and preparing for the holidays ahead.

NOTE:  TREASURY TIP: Create and label treasuries fitting seasonal themes for a chance to have your collection featured on Etsy’s homepage, linked from promotional emails, and new shopping pages. We’ll be looking to highlight specifically themed gift guides throughout the holiday season. If you’d like to create a gift guide encompassing a full theme throughout your treasury, be sure to use the term “gift guide” as one of your treasury tags. along with the overarching theme of your guide (using the “gift guide” term with several smaller themes is not the ideal use here).

HOLIDAY TIP: Etsy’s seasonal Gifts Email has relaunched for the holiday season. Now is the time to list your full holiday line with clear seasonal tags. Don’t forget, Etsy’s “holiday” season encompasses all aspects of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the classic December gifting holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

SHOPPING PAGES: We are delighted to introduce three new ways to shop and explore Etsy: Fashion, Home and Garden, and Kids. These new pages are a blend of curated content and category-based searches, changing frequently to represent trends in the Etsy marketplace and beyond. Following appropriate guidelines for tagging, use matching keywords on your relevant item listings to appear within search results linking from these new pages.

SEPTEMBER’S  BIRTHSTONE: Opal

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: Libra (August 24 – September 23) and Scorpio (October 24 – November 22)

While emphasis will be placed upon the seasonality of the Northern Hemisphere, it’s important to remember that the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for summer. Maintaining seasonally appropriate options year-round is good practice for boosting international and overall sales.

COLORS: Pantone’s color trend report for fall 2o11 includes quarry, cedar, and teal greens, nougat and coffee browns, orchid and phlox purples, bamboo mustard yellow, honeysuckle pink, and ember-glow coral. We’re also noticing interest in scarlet, golds, pale hues of gray, pink, and lilac, classic neutrals and nudes, rustic fall colors, jade greens and mustards.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH: An annual international health campaign to help raise awareness. The color pink and ribbon symbol embody the universal themes surrounding this cause.

HALLOWEEN: Halloween searches are in their prime right now. Make sure to take advantage of the next three weeks of seasonal shopping by tagging your Halloween products appropriately and offering extended shipping options — think last minute Halloween costumes and treat ideas.

AUTUMN: Home decor, entertaining, woodland motifs and nature’s symbols. Harvest themes encompass fall planting, preserving the summer garden’s bounty, rustic farm references and fall foods. Tagging tip: “Autumn” is a more global seasonal association than the American-based “fall” term; try including both as descriptive words.

THANKSGIVING: October is Thanksgiving in Canada and when Americans begin planning for November festivities. Classic Thanksgiving symbols include the turkey, cornucopia, Pilgrims and Native Americans, seasonal food, and fall foliage. Hostess gifts, table settings, and hearty treats are all items shoppers will be looking for.

FALL FASHION: Shift in materials, colors, and layers in the categories of clothing, accessories, and jewelry. More specifically, key basics, layering elements, the introduction of winter accessories and outerwear components, thick fabrics and rich leathers, autumnal tones, vintage boots and heavy-weight all-weather bags. Tagging tip: Try adding the term “fashion” to your appropriate items to reach a broader shopping audience.

WEDDINGS: Woodland and autumn weddings are currently underway; take advantage of seasonally-themed gift ideas, guest attire, as well as any final details that last-minute buyers may still need to purchase. Coinciding with our Halloween promotions, unconventional approaches to pulling off a creative event will have their time to shine. Don’t forget to stay a step ahead for brides currently planning and shopping for 2012 winter and spring weddings.

THE HOLIDAYS: If we haven’t hammered it home enough yet — or if you’re not participating in this year’s Holiday Boot Camp — now is the time to list your full, holiday-focused line. Emphasis should be placed upon gift ideas, decor, and options for entertaining. Shoppers are already planning and searching for holiday-themed gifts: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Now is also the time to get ahead of the game by listing your 2012 calendars.

BOSS’S DAY: From the sophisticated to funny, there is a wide range of products that would make ideal gifts for the boss (and also work as gift ideas for coworkers throughout the holiday season).

Trending Topics:

Halloween: Celebrity references, film and pop culture reinventions, clever costuming plays on words, pet costumes, baby costumes, group options, last-minute ideas, vampire themes, folk and vintage decor, photobooth props, and the classic color combinations (orange, black, yellow, white, red, green, purple).

Wizardry, magic, owls, and mysticism with the release of the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Vampires: They’re back on the radar with shows like HBO’s True Blood and November’s premiere of Twilight: Breaking Dawn.

Personalization: Gift ideas with monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiac, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.

Sports: Football, baseball, and horse racing (in Australia) are in focus this month.

Weddings: Handmade and vintage variations on the wedding dress, engagement rings, creative invitations, save the dates, and signage are on the rise.

Fashion: Fall and winter accessories, vintage boots, patterned leggings. Sheer layers, lace sleeves, brocade, trenches, tailored jackets and blazers. Bright solids paired with black, platform pumps, cocktail rings, tribal and native references.

Garden Preservation: Canning, jams, preserves, and stocks.

Culinary Trends: DIY culinary kits are on the rise. Classic cocktails, home brewing, beer and wine accessories, herb infusions and kits, garden to table.

Designer Vintage: Authentic fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories.

Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.

Natural History: Woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.

• Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, arrows, diamonds, paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones, constellations, fortune telling.

• Large scale vintage and handmade paper maps, botanical and anatomy charts.

• Upcycled lights, lamps, exposed bulbs, and chandeliers.

• Creative gadget cases, docking stations and accessories.

• Bike caddies, baskets, and creative accessories.

• Shabby chic decor and accessories

• Video game-inspired references

• Writable chalkboard surfaces

• Feather hair extensions

• Wall and laptop decals

• All things steampunk

• Vintage cameras

• Braided hair

• Mermaids

• Peacocks

EVENTS IN AUGUST:

• October is Breast Cancer Awareness, international drum, and vegetarian awareness month.
• October 1-3: National Day, China
• October 2: Daylight Savings (Australia)
• October 12 – November 5: Spring Racing Carnival (Australia)
• October 3: German National Reunification Day
• October 3: Oktoberfest winds down
• October 7-8 Yom Kippur
• October 10: Columbus Day
• October 10: Thanksgiving Day, Canada
• October 14: Winnie The Pooh published, 1926 (UK)
• October 12-19: Sukkot, sundown
• October 17: Boss’s Day
• October 24: United Nations Day
• October 26: Deepavali
• October 30: Switch to wintertime (France)
• October 31: Halloween
• October 31: German reformation day

*** Special tip: Tagging your Treasuries with a single word, or multiple word that is meant to be a multiple word, will help us find your lists. Tagging with multiple words that do not relate to one another might be detracting your list from being found.

A Model on MS Excel to Factor in Fees into your Profit - Guest Post

Hi, This is Som from Som’s Studio!

When we run a business, the profit we make, is key to our success. If you have a store on Etsy and accept payment via PayPal, it is very important to factor in the fees you pay while calculating the profit you actually make.

To demonstrate my point, let me start with a simple model on Excel. If you can add, subtract, divide and multiple…trust me you will be able to make this model work for you.

In our case, let me be a seller on Etsy (which I am!) selling a pair of earrings. The Cost Price (material, labor, overheads etc) in this example is $8.00, and consequently I have priced the Selling Price (SP) at $16.00. So my total Sales (also called Profit) is Selling Price (SP) – Cost Price (CP) = $16.00 -$8.00 = $8.00.

I have opened an Excel document and typed in the data and have applied this simple formula under CellF4.

(Click on pics to enlarge)

Now the Profit percentage is calculated as (SP-CP)/CP *100 = ($16.00 -$8.00)/ $8.00 *100 = 100%.

I have applied this same formula on Excel, but to simplify have changed the format of Cell G4 to “Percentage”. To do this, right click on the Cell G4, Select “Format Cells”, and find “percentage” under the “Number” tab.

Now, to calculate the fees. Etsy charges a fee of 3.5% of SP and a fee of 0.20c per listing.

PayPal charges 2.9% of SP and a fee of 0.30c per transaction.

(Click on pics to enlarge)

So total fees amount to $1.52.

Total profits goes down from $8.00 to $6.48.

Profit percentage goes down from 100% to 81%.

In another example (below), both Earrings B and C have a CP of 0.50c. Earrings B priced at $1.00, show a profit of 100% before fees, but a loss of 13% after factoring in fees. Earrings C, in contrast shows a break-even point when SP is $1.07.

This simple model can easily be applied to sale of any product, and can be modified to include additional expenses to reflect true profits.

Have a happy Tuesday!

Approaching Consignment Shops- Guest Post

Sally here from NightOwlCraftworks!  I hope you find this post helpful, inspiring, and motivating!

This wonderfully inspiring item is available from BySaraLynn

Etsy is a wonderful venue (amazing really), but what if you want to expand your horizons?

How do you approach a consignment shop & what should you expect…

The scariest part of consignment for the crafter is integrity.  You are putting your livelihood in the hands of another, trusting them to represent your brand and protect your investment.  It’s a good idea to start with places that are established, have a good reputation, and have a contract. 

Representing your brand is very important.  If you find a shop that you love to go into, that is clean & professional, and fits your items you’ve hit the jackpot!  A good sign of a great shop is that they keep things fresh and moving.  You don’t want your items to sit in a back corner hidden from view from the world.  You need a “spotlight”.  You may have to share the “spotlight” and rotate around the shop, but a good shopkeeper wants to keep all their creative’s happy!  Know more than one shop that fits the bill?  Even better!  The more people see your work, the more you’ll sell!  Try to keep at LEAST a 30 minute drive (an hour is even better) between shops.  It’s just polite.

Good reputation you say?  Yes I do!  What do you mean? I’m talking mostly about their reputation with the other creative’s they work with and their relationships.  Do they stay in contact?  Do they make sure they “ante up” come “payday”?  And how do you find out about their rep?  Ask them if you are that bold, if they have a good reputation they will understand where you are coming from and be proud of their status.  Or you can find other creative’s that sell at that shop and ask around.  Do your homework!

Once you’ve found the perfect shop, you want to present yourself professionally.  The first thing you need to do is CALL first!  Do not go into a shop and expect that you will get the attention of a shop owner just because you have the coolest items since knitting needles.  They have customers to tend to and bills to pay.  Make an appointment so you can present yourself and your wonderful wares without added stressors.  If you have it display ready and can be easily priced all the better!  Bring enough that day just so when they stop drooling over your things you can help them shelve it ;)  Some shops frown on websites on the label.  The shop owner would really like to make the sale if they’ve done the work to present you.  People sometimes see a website and think they’ll go home and find it cheaper from the maker.  This brings me to…

Your reputation counts too!  To be fair, keep the prices the same or close to the same as the prices in your shop.  This is sometimes hard for us “little guys” to understand.  Why does a shop want so much when we’re doing all the work?  They get to do the “easy” and “fun” work.  Not so my pretties.  There is a ton of overhead in running a shop.  They may not be creating, but they are supporting creative’s.  They still have to make rent, utilities, packaging, insurance, etc.  There is a lot of behind the scenes that isn’t present at the forefront.  They don’t have to be there, they want to be there.  You have to respect them for that!

Protect your investment.  Really this is probably the most important element.  There needs to be a contract that you are completely comfortable with.  They are the “boss” so if there are parts of the contract you’re uncomfortable with ask about it, most times they’ll change it.  Each contract can be different and unique.  The main points are that you agree upon a rate and how and when you’ll be getting compensated.  Most shops will take 25-50%... The Storque has a great post they put out recently for Reevaluating your Pricing.  If you haven’t considered building in your wholesale & retail cost and you want to branch out, now’s the time to tweak those items!  Another good thing to talk about at this point is when & how you would get your items if you or the shop owner decided it wasn’t working out.  These are all hard things to talk about, but things you need to be prepared to deal with.

Last but definitely not least, be committed to the consignment gig if you’re putting yourself out there.  Make sure you always have stock in case the shop you’re working with runs low!  Maybe you can spend a day every month checking with your shops to make sure they have everything they need (& it’s a great reason to check up on them).  A shop front isn’t too much different than an Etsy shop… the more there is the more you’ll sell! 

The Checklist:

                  Find a shop that has a stellar reputation.

                  Make sure it fits your brand & style.

                  Call ahead, make that appointment (don’t be late!)

                  Package it to sell, bring enough to stock!

                  Discuss contract, rates & payment schedule.

                  Check back to restock and awe over the beauty that is your talent!

{Guest Post} Milk Glass

Hi there, Kristi here, guest posting for the great Curation Nation! I feel so honored to be a part of this wonderful community of Etsians, and it's been so much fun getting to know my team members. I feel like I slack on keeping up with everyone's treasuries, so hopefully guest posting will redeem me :)

One lazy summer day, I decided to stop in a brightly colored thrift store on the way to my boyfriend's house. It was so overwhelmingly messy and cluttered that I almost had a panic attack (people that know me, know this isn't far from the truth)! I decided to wade through the piles anyway, and I ended up with some great milk glass vases for only .25 a piece. This was the beginning of my interest in milk glass...

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Milk glass has been around since the 16th century, but it has only been called "milk glass" since the 20th century. I learned a lot about this lovely glass on the Collectors Weekly website, which you should all check out if you get a chance! Once I realized how cute these white glass pieces looked, I decided to get more and work it into my decor. I now have several vases, compote pieces and a hobnail lamp that I love! One place I can always find great milk glass pieces that fit my design aesthetic is Etsy. Here are some of my favorites:

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Well, I hope you all enjoy milk glass as much as I do! If you want to be a super-collector, you could always join the National Milk Glass Collectors Society :)

From the FP to the TV: rctees

As small business owners, we'll take what features we can get.  The main goal of this team is to promote each other by making FP-worthy treasuries.  We get extra excited when our team members are featured in the storque.  A couple of us have been (or are going to be) featured in magazines.  But can anyone say that we've had our work featured on TV?  Before long, one of us will be saying so.

Toni at rctees was contacted by Jess Ward, a member of the production staff for the Animal Planet and member of the Etsy community since 2009, about the Abby Cat tee.  She was looking for unique cat shirts on Etsy for the host of a new Animal Planet series Must Love Cats. 

At first, Toni was a little skeptical.  This is completely understandable whenever someone contacts you asking for samples in order to be featured.  (I immediately went through a phase of doubt when Vogue Knitting contacted me.)  But she did exactly what she needed to do, which was research who was contacting her and find information to back up that their request was legitimate.  She eventually had a real time phone conversation with Jess and knew it was all real.

So she sent shirts, merely hoping the host would choose to wear them.  In June, she received a message from Jess telling her that John (the host) wore the Abby Cat shirt and wanted to know if there were MORE colors because he liked the design so much!  So Toni gladly sent another color. 

NJ Wheelock, one of the artists that John interviewed while wearing the Abby Cat tee, contacted Toni just a few days ago with photos from the shoot. John also contacted her to let her know that some of the photos from the shoot were up on the Must Love Cats facebook page.  The episode that the Abby Cat tee was featured on was filmed in Catskill, NY, and features the Catskill Cats.

We are all proud of Toni and are quite anxious to see her shirt on TV!  Toni says about the experience, "I’m still in the 'pinch me' stage, and my emotions are just all over the place.  This is one of the most exciting things that’s ever happened to me and my husband, Mark. It’s one of those surreal experiences that lets you know that what you’re doing is so worth while."

The Abby Cat tee is set to make its debut on Episode #6 of Must Love Cats series that starts airing in January 2011 on Animal Planet.

Be sure to "like" RCTees on facebook and check out the entire Abby Cat line in her shop.  You can also follow her on twitter for more updates!

Get to know your team: Raceytay

Hello again, team!  This week we're getting to know Tracey of Raceytay!  I chose her because she dominated the "most team treasuries made" competition that we didn't even know we were having (because we really weren't).  But she still made the most.... with 23 team treasuries!  Stand up wherever you are and give her a standing ovation!

I mean it.

Okay, you can stop now.  Let's get to know Tracey!

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Ashli:  Who inspired you to be an Etsian?

Tracey:  The inspiration to open my shop came from Preeti, of Preetalina Photography. Seeing her selling photographs on Etsy was the kick in the pants I needed to get the ball rolling. I reserved my 'spot' on Etsy in September, but did not actually open up for business and start selling until almost December. I'd had an account at redbubble where they sell images, cards, calendars and the like but it didn't seem to be going anywhere. Etsy seemed the next logical step. Plus I knew another Flickrite who had a successful letter press shop on Etsy, which further convinced me. 

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Ashli: What is your favorite thing about Etsy?

Tracey: My favourite thing about Etsy is that it is dynamic. It's always changing; with the seasons and the market. This keeps me from selling the same things over and over again. Also, it has helped me to believe in myself. I make nice photos. I finally believe it. Some of them are extraordinary. I finally believe that, too. They are hanging in the homes of people who don't know me, people I didn't give them to for free! Famous people own my photos. It's exciting and humbling at the same time. 

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Ashli:  What is your favorite thing in your shop? Tracey:  My Favourite shop item changes, right now it would be a tie between the Red Flyer Bike and the Field of Poppies. Although as I look through the items now, thinking on this question, "Sometimes, when you fall, you fly" jumps out at me. And I look to see it on the wall across the living room and I sigh - mainly at the quote (I love Neil Gaiman) but also at the photo and the memories it evokes. Least favourite? Wonderland. That photo took weeks to get right. I nearly gave up. source A little known fact about Tracey: "I am an introvert. I can go days without speaking to anyone. Happily :)" Get to know Tracey on: twitter blog

A Front Page Treasury by EverydayDiamonds

EverydayDiamonds is a fairly new member to the team and already landed a FP treasury! Thank you!

Also, we can now tag our treasuries!!!  The team tag is "Curation Nation".  Two words, no underscore.

xo
Ashli

Get to know your team: Garden22DesignStudio

Hey team!  I thought it would be fun to do little features of team members every week.  I'll try to post this every Sunday.... but promise me you won't be too disappointed if that doesn't happen!

This week I have chosen Cristy at Garden22DesignStudio and Garden22Vintage.  "Why?", you ask?  Well it's quite simple.  Cristy knocks out at least one treasury a day, and a good majority of them are team treasuries.  And they're not just slopped together "let's see how  many treasuries I can make today!" treasuries.  They're jaw-droppers.  She has had several make front page, including one for the team.

So let's get to know Cristy.

 

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Ashli:  Who inspired you to be an Etsian?

Cristy:  I had been wanting to start my own business for some time after having my two kiddos. I did a lot of research trying to figure out how to go about doing so when my husband and I were faced with some major life circumstances that put my business plans on the back burner. Like many others, he was a victim of the poor economy and lost his job. At the time, we were located in Indianapolis IN. He was offered a job in Houston TX which we accepted. During the process of selling our house, our Realtor asked me if I had ever heard of Etsy (I had not) and told me all about it, encouraging me to sign up. We moved to Texas, got settled in a bit, and I thought, "Why not?" The rest is history :D

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Ashli: What is your favorite thing about Etsy?

Cristy:  I absolutely love the friendships that I have made. Smart, supportive and diverse women of all ages have been an incredible source of inspiration and encouragement for me as I have been getting myself up and running. That in and of itself is a huge blessing for me in my life right now. 

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Ashli:  What is your favorite thing in your shop?

Cristy:  Hmm, that's a tough one. I've been adding some new things lately and I'm excited about my new textured journals and pressed flower journals, but I would have to say my new favorite thing is my real flower jewelry. They are super fun for me to make and it was a step outside of my comfort zone to get started on them. My favorite one right now is this one:

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At the time of our interview... Cristy had made about 45 Treasury Easts!  So glad to have this treasury making machine on our team!

Get to know Cristy on:

twitter

facebook

I forgot a Front Page Treasury from back when the team was getting started... this one was curated by WoodenNickelsJewelry!

Team Promotion

Hello team!

This morning Eileen sent out an email with some tips to help promo your treasuries.  Here's a quick recap:

-Convo each seller included in your treasury with a link to the treasury.  "Click on the first photo, go down to contact seller, send them a quick convo including a link to the T (Copy the entire message). Now hit backspace 3 times to take you back to the T and click on the next picture. Go down to contact seller, paste the message and repeat."

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 This process adds 16 clicks to your treasury.  Those clicks are also important because once an item is clicked it can be "tracked" on craftopolis.  This allows users who search for treasuries they're included in to find themselves, even without a convo.

-Tweet your treasury.  Announce your new treasury with a link, send an additional tweet with the featured shops' twitter names in the tweet (ex:  @factorygrlashli you are here! www.etsy.com/treasury/link2389472309).  This allows your followers and the featured shops' followers to click and comment on your treasury.

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On the other side of this... if someone on the team links to their treasury.... Feel free to retweet it.  But be careful to not "overtweet" and "overretweet".  If all of your tweets are the same and feel spammy, you are more likely to get unfollowed.

-Post your treasury on the facebook group page.  If you have a fan page, you can post it there as well.

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Please note that these are not rules for the team.  They are simply suggestions to help promote your treasuries and the featured shops.

Now... let's get down to the fun stuff!  A little birdie told me some teammates were asking for an image to upload with their listings to represent they are on the team.  I took the quilting ladies image from the facebook/twitter pages and made it smaller and squarer(?).  Feel free to save this image and upload it with your listings.

Also, you may have already noticed the blog buttons on the sidebar.  If not... just copy the code in the box, go to your blog, click on "Design" and then "Add A Gadget" in the sidebar.  Select "HTML/Javascript", paste the code under "Content", and click "Save".








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Thanks again everyone for everything you're doing for the team!  Happy treasury making.

xo
Ashli

June 22, 2010 Curated by OhMyAmpersand

Front Page Team Treasuries (so far)

Curated by Garden22DesignStudio

 

Curated by SuchAPrettyDress

Curated by RaceyTay

Curated by DollfaceDeville

Curated by Blushie

Curated by PluckingPendants

Congratulations and thank you to all of the curators and those featured!  If one of your team treasuries has made FP, and I missed it.... get a hold of me, and I will add it!  From now on, screenshots will be added as they occur.

Now let's go make some treasuries!!

xo

Ashli