Comments on: Etsy Alchemy = DIY Outsourcing http://amitgupta.com/blog/shoebox/2006/01/27/etsy-alchemy-diy-outsourcing-an-awesome-idea/ 20-something entrepreneur. Lives in San Francisco. Takes photos. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:05:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: ati http://amitgupta.com/blog/shoebox/2006/01/27/etsy-alchemy-diy-outsourcing-an-awesome-idea/#comment-2428 ati Wed, 21 Jun 2006 11:23:15 +0000 http://amitgupta.com/blog/?p=100#comment-2428 You said "Cheap handmade stuff made by real people. ", and that's actually a sad thing. Etsy is not meant for "cheap" - like in "getting designer wares for cheaper". If you want "cheap", then Woolworth may be the right place, or any dollar store. Many of the sellers underprice (and can harm the artists who sell on Etsy and have to make a living from their products), because they are either inexperienced in pricing and managing a business, or they don't care, because to them, it's just a hobby. However, what's truly amazing about Etsy is the fact that most of the sellers made the items they offer themselves. You will hardly find mass-produced and import wares, and those who cheat the community are a rather minority towards all those really gifted and honest artists. You said “Cheap handmade stuff made by real people. “, and that’s actually a sad thing. Etsy is not meant for “cheap” - like in “getting designer wares for cheaper”. If you want “cheap”, then Woolworth may be the right place, or any dollar store.
Many of the sellers underprice (and can harm the artists who sell on Etsy and have to make a living from their products), because they are either inexperienced in pricing and managing a business, or they don’t care, because to them, it’s just a hobby.

However, what’s truly amazing about Etsy is the fact that most of the sellers made the items they offer themselves. You will hardly find mass-produced and import wares, and those who cheat the community are a rather minority towards all those really gifted and honest artists.

]]> By: Ian Gilman http://amitgupta.com/blog/shoebox/2006/01/27/etsy-alchemy-diy-outsourcing-an-awesome-idea/#comment-823 Ian Gilman Tue, 14 Mar 2006 05:37:16 +0000 http://amitgupta.com/blog/?p=100#comment-823 More DIY outsourcing, for wine: <a href="http://www.crushpadwine.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.crushpadwine.com</a> More DIY outsourcing, for wine:

http://www.crushpadwine.com

]]> By: Nick Gray http://amitgupta.com/blog/shoebox/2006/01/27/etsy-alchemy-diy-outsourcing-an-awesome-idea/#comment-717 Nick Gray Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:25:50 +0000 http://amitgupta.com/blog/?p=100#comment-717 Hey Steve- Actually, I paid someone on Etsy to keep checking this post for me... just kidding, Amit emailed me. Thanks for a great reply (and I checked out your patches, they are pretty cool). Etsy seems like a good way for artists to get easy cash flow infrastructure. Maybe it will turn into a dating site one day. Hey Steve- Actually, I paid someone on Etsy to keep checking this post for me… just kidding, Amit emailed me. Thanks for a great reply (and I checked out your patches, they are pretty cool). Etsy seems like a good way for artists to get easy cash flow infrastructure. Maybe it will turn into a dating site one day.

]]> By: Amit Gupta http://amitgupta.com/blog/shoebox/2006/01/27/etsy-alchemy-diy-outsourcing-an-awesome-idea/#comment-716 Amit Gupta Thu, 02 Feb 2006 03:07:46 +0000 http://amitgupta.com/blog/?p=100#comment-716 Thanks for the link, Nick! When I find the time, I'd like to read more about Swadeshi and how the concepts apply to a global marketplace of individuals. p.s. Steve -- the patches are great, thanks! Thanks for the link, Nick! When I find the time, I’d like to read more about Swadeshi and how the concepts apply to a global marketplace of individuals.

p.s. Steve — the patches are great, thanks!

]]> By: Steve Cooley http://amitgupta.com/blog/shoebox/2006/01/27/etsy-alchemy-diy-outsourcing-an-awesome-idea/#comment-713 Steve Cooley Wed, 01 Feb 2006 09:44:19 +0000 http://amitgupta.com/blog/?p=100#comment-713 Hey, Nick.. it's unlikely you'd ever see this comment, but.. maybe you will. I'm not looking for a new job, I'm looking to be a one man empire. It's not about replacing my day job (which I love), it's about being able to execute an idea, and have someone else handle almost all of the boring crap. I don't have to go reinvent the wheel to have a storefront.. Etsy handles the that, and paypal handles the money, and I just get to be the unstoppable creative force that I try to be, unencumbered by the dreary realities of running a hobby business. The hardest part for me is keeping stamps around. I get to do what I love and get compensated for it... not just in my day job, but with my free time, too. Like any realistic artist, I pimp out my skills to people who want them... How I pay the bills is with professional skills. Of course I'd rather be completely financially independent, preferably with a branding exercise like this... but who knows what these avenues will lead to? I don't, but I'm going to find out for myself. The etsy effect is what lets me explore new income opportunity without having to sink all of my free time developing the infrastructure. -steve Hey, Nick..

it’s unlikely you’d ever see this comment, but.. maybe you will.

I’m not looking for a new job, I’m looking to be a one man empire. It’s not about replacing my day job (which I love), it’s about being able to execute an idea, and have someone else handle almost all of the boring crap.

I don’t have to go reinvent the wheel to have a storefront.. Etsy handles the that, and paypal handles the money, and I just get to be the unstoppable creative force that I try to be, unencumbered by the dreary realities of running a hobby business. The hardest part for me is keeping stamps around. I get to do what I love and get compensated for it… not just in my day job, but with my free time, too.

Like any realistic artist, I pimp out my skills to people who want them… How I pay the bills is with professional skills. Of course I’d rather be completely financially independent, preferably with a branding exercise like this… but who knows what these avenues will lead to? I don’t, but I’m going to find out for myself.

The etsy effect is what lets me explore new income opportunity without having to sink all of my free time developing the infrastructure.

-steve

]]> By: Nick Gray http://amitgupta.com/blog/shoebox/2006/01/27/etsy-alchemy-diy-outsourcing-an-awesome-idea/#comment-712 Nick Gray Mon, 30 Jan 2006 19:09:40 +0000 http://amitgupta.com/blog/?p=100#comment-712 Etsy looks neat - I checked it out and ordered some greeting cards. I am curious to their quality. Will report back in a few weeks when they arrive. Thanks for the tip. RE:the economic models behind this, my friend Akshay sent me this link a few days ago - http://davistudio.blogspot.com/2006/01/techno-swadeshi.html He said it was via your friend Seth Godin. Still, this Etsy stuff is total hobby. $3 and $5 art crafts aren't going to get your friend at Apple a new job any time soon. Etsy looks neat - I checked it out and ordered some greeting cards. I am curious to their quality. Will report back in a few weeks when they arrive. Thanks for the tip.

RE:the economic models behind this, my friend Akshay sent me this link a few days ago - http://davistudio.blogspot.com/2006/01/techno-swadeshi.html He said it was via your friend Seth Godin.

Still, this Etsy stuff is total hobby. $3 and $5 art crafts aren’t going to get your friend at Apple a new job any time soon.

]]> By: Amit Gupta http://amitgupta.com/blog/shoebox/2006/01/27/etsy-alchemy-diy-outsourcing-an-awesome-idea/#comment-708 Amit Gupta Fri, 27 Jan 2006 20:01:16 +0000 http://amitgupta.com/blog/?p=100#comment-708 The internet is tiny sometimes. Minutes after buying the OMGWTF patch I mentioned above from Etsy, I got an email from the creator <a href="http://www.somejunkwelike.com/wordpress/" rel="nofollow">Steve Cooley</a>, seconds later, an IM from my friend <a href="http://www.davemorin.com/" rel="nofollow">Dave Morin</a>. Turns out Steve works just a few cubes away from Dave at everyone's favorite fruit company. :) The internet is tiny sometimes. Minutes after buying the OMGWTF patch I mentioned above from Etsy, I got an email from the creator Steve Cooley, seconds later, an IM from my friend Dave Morin. Turns out Steve works just a few cubes away from Dave at everyone’s favorite fruit company. :)

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