There's a bit of a sale at the shop!!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Pondering...

I found this article about etsy being a false feminist fantasy and I really don't know what to think about it. There are bunch of people over at the etsy shop group on ravelry talking about it and that's how I found it. I know that I set up my shop as an outlet for my creative side. I'd love to be able to dye yarns for a living and become the next Lorna's Laces but that's not what I expect from etsy. If I wanted to make this a real business I'd probably come up with a real business plan, talk to some of the friends we do have in the textile/wool industry, make deals with bricks and mortar stores in my area and get my name out there at festivals. But I'm not doing these things. I feel like etsy gave me a community of people, yes they are mostly women, who love to be creative too. I would still be dyeing yarns and fiber even if I didn't have an etsy shop but I wouldn't be able to experiment as much because I'd run out of room in my apartment! Etsy has given me the freedom to create. I don't know why there are less men on etsy, maybe they're just not interested. Maybe the first commenter on the article summed it up. If its not getting them off or its not something they really need men just aren't interested. Women like the impulse buy. Maybe its as simple as that. I don't know...any opinions?

3 comments:

loopykd said...

Personally, I don't care. I started my Etsy shop just to sell stuff I don't intend to use. I haven't sold anything at all yet but if I do great; if I don't, that's great too. I don't care one way or the other and I don't care if there are no men there. Etsy gives me an opportunity to sell to people looking for what I am selling; that's the bottom line.

Amanda said...

One thing that might factor in is that you don't see many men making stuff like you might see on Etsy. Or if they do, they have their own website and not as part of Etsy. I can't really agree with the commenter you quoted, about women being more impulse buyers - just most of the men I know make their impulse buys in places that sell electronic gadgets, car parts, tools, etc., which aren't the sort of thing you would find on Etsy! So really, it's not so much a feminist fantasy as just a place that women happen to like better than men. Ditto up craft fairs, hair salons, dance clubs...

Linda said...

I think the same as you in that if I really wanted to be a big money maker then I would do things differently. I think that a lot of people who sell on Etsy do it there because that is how they want it to be and no more. Its an easy way to sell with no worries about websites etc.
I don't usually even think about feminist issues, gender differences etc. people are people!
I have bought from a couple of superb male sellers too. :)