(no subject)

[merimask]

 Holy monkey.  I sold this guy on my Etsy site today...

Yep!  Someone bought the Fire Dragon.  I think that's the most I've ever been paid for a single mask.  So it seems I can sell really expensive things there after all (as well as the impulse items like barrettes & pins).  That's very encouraging.  That's well over a thousand dollars of sales in a month, & compared to the kind of overhead I have when I travel to a show, this is costing me next to nothing.

Pretty cool.   Now I need to make another Frost Dragon & put it up.  Wait 'til everyone sees those beautiful icy blues. 

Happy Birthday (a day late!) shvetufae...stuff is getting mailed to you tomorrow.  :-)

Comments

[shvetufae.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! I won't say I'm surprised, though. Your stuff is gorgeous and well made, and people recognize that.

How lovely that you get to keep most of your earnings on Etsy. I'm so glad it's working out.

And thank you for the birthday wishes. Yay, a mystery birthday package! *can't wait and hugs you* *muah!*

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm actually surprised because to my mind the handmade items on Etsy are prices VERY low...I'd characterize them as wholesale prices based on what I see at shows & in galleries. My stuff ie definitely high-end so I was a bit worried about moving my big pieces...but it seems to be happening. Yay!

Aww...I'm sorry you're going to get your gift late but I hope you like it. :-)

[pzb.livejournal.com]

HOLY MAMA!!

That is so freaking awesome! I'm so happy to see that that site is working so well for you. :D And that had only been up a couple days, hadn't it?

Yay for sites that work!

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Yeah! I put it up on Friday I think & it went Sunday morning...that's not bad! I paid for a showcase that's happening on Wednesday...I WISH I had time to do one more spectacular thing by then because my big masks do seem to get plenty of attention.

I wonder if this is holiday shopping or if things will always be like this for me on the site? Hmm...

[moonphased.livejournal.com]

Wow! Big congrats on selling that beauty! :D I'm sure that'll mean good things for you as the word starts getting out even more. And that's great news about being able to keep more of your earnings when you sell off of Etsy. ^_^

*huggles* So happy for you!

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm feeling pleased. I didn't think that mask was getting much attention...apparently it got just enough. ;-)

*hugs* How are you? I saw on the news today that Hawaii was getting flooded because of the rain. Freaky weather!

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

Wow! Etsy is really working for you. Given the type of forum that Etsy is, Bob thinks that there may be some people out there surfing it for "up and coming" artists, before they hit big and become unaffordable.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I wonder if that's it. I have to say I've seen some STUNNING pieces & I know they'd sell for 3X as much in the galleries, so it might just be. I'm trying to keep my prices fair but those BIG masks (Medusa, Dragon) just had to go for at least what I'd get at a show & they seemed to do well anyway.

It's an inexact science, trying to figure out how a new market will behave. I'm just trying to be as reasonable with my prices as I can while being fair to myself...that seems to be working.

I-Con is in April this year, by the way. About two weeks later than usual. Harlan Ellison is going to be one of the guests!

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

"I'm trying to keep my prices fair but those BIG masks (Medusa, Dragon) just had to go for at least what I'd get at a show & they seemed to do well anyway."

You can't drop prices too far, or people don't have the perception of value. So far you seem to be striking a good balance.

You've got me wondering if I want to give it a crack. At first perusal, I didn't see anyone out there doing the type of thing I do. I just don't know that I've got the energy for it.

"I-Con is in April this year, by the way. About two weeks later than usual. Harlan Ellison is going to be one of the guests!"

Cool! I may have to try to go catch his appearance. I'll either drag you or Greg - the two of you can hash it out. But I'm taking one of you. I've got it on my calendar - I need to make sure that I don't schedule on top of it, and I need to remember to put in for a half a vacation day on the Friday. We're definitely taking the ferry again!

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

Whoa. Your Etsy shop really is doing freakishly well, you know. For a shop to make enough for a person to LIVE on in the first month (in some cases anyway, I live on less than a thou a month) is pretty much unheard of. And items priced in the hundreds usually take MONTHS or even years to sell!

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I know I've been very lucky. It's pretty much the same thing that happens to me at shows. Even if no one else makes money I usually do ok because no one does what I do. I'm fortunate that I have a unique niche.

Scadian fan..

[sfandra.livejournal.com]

Hi there. I'm a huge fan of your work, having seen you at Birka and Pennsic. Several of your circlets live in my home and at my friends' houses. If you're going to Birka this year, I'd like to talk Commissions with you. I'm interested in buying a Wolf mask with a particular color scheme, and then hopefully you can create a custom piece too -- a russian Firebird.