Etsy

Does anyone here have any experience with Etsy? There is some really nice stuff on that site.

What kind of experience? I agree they have very jazzy stuff. They don't have a US affiliate program, but some other countries do. I have never sold anything there. 

I opened an account there recently, but then i got to know that they take a price for listing the product, and i was not ready for that so didnt do anything with it, but i think people are having a wonderful experience there

I have an account at Etsy but don't sell anything there.  I have contacted a number of sellers for permission to use an image and then I blog about their store when it relates to my site.

Some Zazzlers offer invitation design downloads there, and at least one looks like he sells the actual items.  There are a lot of interesting items on the site and I like that they are small businesses.

I used to sell handmade cards and crafts there many years ago and it was great for a while. I did make regular sales which, at that time, I didn't have to work at promoting either since buyers just found them via searching through etsy.

However, I had to give up due to a number of factors and the main ones were the increasing costs of selling eating away into any profits made and the rising postal costs here in the UK which buyers didn't want to pay for. It certainly made it impossible for me to sell low priced items and actually make any money from them. Add on the fact that it can be hard work to keep producing handmade items day in, day out and what seems like brilliant fun at first (earning money from a hobby you love) can turn into not so much fun when you are having to repeat make the same items over and over, deal with more mundane issues like packaging, treks to the post office and sorting out emails, listing items for sale and even responding to complaints when items don't make it in the mail - lots of admin involved. 

It's not something I'd consider doing again now - I much prefer writing about crafts rather than making them to sell. But I still think it can potentially be a good way for some people to earn. 

@Marie, I can see how it could become overwhelming.  The whole shipping part does not seem fun.  Selling downloadable files sounds easier, but how many would you have to sell to make up for just the cost of being on the site?  It sounds like too much pressure for me. 

Thanks so much for all of your responses. I should have been more specific. Sorry about that. I was thinking just for affiliate sales. Even though I saw they didn't have a US affiliate program, I think we could still do it with Viglink, since Etsy is one of the merchants. I was just wondering if people had experience with how Etsy converts. There is a 30-day affiliate cookie.

I actually contacted viglink to see if US people could use etsy and get paid. They said no. Etsy doesn't have a US affiliate program. It had one a few years ago and closed it. I don't know why they want Europeans and not Americans. 

Viglink told me they would let me know if etsy expanded its program. I will post here if I receive word. 

I dont know whether the affiliate program is available to Indians or to be precise Asians, then. I myself wanted to sell downloadable products there basically clipart etc but then as i said i think the cost of listing them is there which i am not ready for. I wanted to sell clipart, but till now i have not got any of the websites where i can sell for free. Does anyone has any experience with that?

Digby, thank you so much for this information! Now I don't have to contact Viglink support myself to see if I can get approved, and thank you for posting if and when things change. I would love to be an Etsy affiliate.

younghopes, I would email viglink support and ask.