Before and After

Over the past few days, I've been struck by the truth of the oft-repeated mantra of Etsy sellers: "It's all about the photos."

Some of the very first things I listed on Etsy expired and I decided to reshoot them before relisting them. While I'm no whiz at photography or computer graphics, I think my skills have improved.

Before:

After:

It's the same card holder taken with the same camera, just better lighting, composition and Photoshopping. This little holder languished in my shop for 7 months with the "Before" photos and then sold in a little over a week with the "After" photos.

What Etsy truisms have you found to be...well..true?

The Five Senses (and Selling)

A few weekends ago, a friend invited me to bring my wares to a Mother's Day home show. I had a lovely time and learned a lot, especially seeing my purses in action. I watched as ladies stroked, scrutinized and swung my purses over their shoulders. Being primarily an on-line seller, I rarely get to see people interact with my products. The home show gave me a much better idea of which fabrics work (and which don't!). While selling on-line appeals to my shy and retiring nature, I miss sharing with customers the tactile joy I get from textiles. (I often stop friends on the street and ask them if I can feel their clothes...I've learned to do this tactfully through much trial and error.) It would be great if selling on-line could appeal to all five senses instead of just one. Smell-o-vision for everybody!

Another highlight of the evening was an order for a handbag/wallet set from my most excellent hostess. Here's a photo of the complete set:


I'm especially pleased with the button decoration - my embroidery skills are usually rather dull.


Note to self: ask Bill Gates about Smell-o-vision and the interweb at next neighborhood bbq.