Smashing Darling - really?!
when i was looking at Etsy alternatives (Etsy serves me well, but unfortunately things are so underpriced there that for a long time I didn't feel like I could charge fair prices* for my work) I opened shops on Mintd, Dawanda and Smashing Darling, too. I was putting my "production pieces" in these shops - items I'd make more than once, like the braille pendants, silk chokers, etc.
Mintd changed their format - and without paying them $20.00US a month now, you can't add more than three items to your shop Scratch.
Dawanda, I'm saving for a later date - it's a big European market, which I could use, but I just don't have the time right now to start all over promoting it. In fact, I don't know how *anyone* has the time to do all this internet stuff - now that I have a job again, I'm finding it difficult at best.
A few days ago I logged into Smashing Darling, about to cancel my shop - not sure what happened but I wound up not doing it and I'm glad I didn't yet, as I've actually made a sale there. I haven't ever really promoted my shop there and have no idea how this person found me - ideally I'd love to know these things and find out what works, but... that's a common thread among all these online shop options - you just can't track a thing!
These earrings will be headed off to Washington D.C. as soon as I can get them made this weekend. For better or for worse, Smashing Darling is not like Etsy - their stores are free but they have an 18% commission rate. They also have a rather strange payment schedule - rather than using paypal, they transfer funds directly into your bank account once or twice a month depending on when you make the sale - for me, this means I'll have to check up on this, I assume as I'm unaware as to whether they send you a notice or not. On the other hand, it feels good not to have to pay paypal.
Needless to say I will be raising my prices there slightly, as I have at Etsy - I raised them recently to accommodate a living wage and keep my wholesale customers happy, and have since stopped caring what other people charge.
Also, one of my absolute favorite models just took home a couple more pairs of earrings from my Etsy shop. This woman is amazing - clothing designer, bellydancer, mother, and photographer, she owns a small and growing pile of my pieces. I met her doing a craft show in Raleigh, NC - she came to my booth all miles-long legs and beautiful hair and took home a giant and pretty expensive cluster pendant of a size I haven't made since.
This is all so very exciting - every sale I make in the next week or two is going toward the purchase of my new little baby - and as soon as that happens I'll be able to post all the new pieces I've somehow been making, even with such little time to spare.
Well, that's that, it's time to go to work now. I'm headed to the country for the weekend, house-sitting some friends' beautiful place about 30 minutes outside of the city. I'm looking forward to some peace and quiet and trees and working on my book for a while. When I come back, I have one more week, a mere five days, of office hell left over and then... FREEDOM!
Or, at least, far more suitable employment.
Oh and by the way - for those of you wondering if The Indiego is possible here on Vox.com - apparently not. My attempt at embedding an ad in a post here only resulted in giving out a bunch of free advertising I can't make good on myself. If you figure out a way around this here, do let me know!
Comments
But really, how did you know that Close Knit and Bolt are my two favorite shops in Portland? (oh and Lush too) I will be shopping the whole Alberta neighborhood when I'm in town.
oh yeah, lush. i am a total lush for it!
i live in between alberta and the mississippi neighborhoods - NE/NoPo is where it's AT!
as far as taste is concerned, Close Knit gets my "favorite" vote - they have the best books, too - most of my knitting is pretty "fashion-based"