Sell Your Creations Online

October 2nd, 2008 by Sylvia

This was recently posted over at the At Home Mom Blog and I thought it contained some great information that would be beneficial to many of you.

Please also keep in mind that this is an overview, I haven’t personally tried any of these websites. If you have any experience with them, please feel free to share in the comments.

ArtFlock

Open to artisans and crafters around the world, this website does allow all types of crafts, despite the abundance of paintings and illustrations in their Handpicked section. You can import an existing website or blog, as well. Your own website is incorporated into the community and you will be able to use your own domain.
Fees: Free to set up, commissions begin at 3.5%, ad-free version is $19.99/month

Big Cartel

Advertised as “a shopping cart for the little guy”, Big Cartel is specifically designed for small shops, with a 100 product limit. Unlike other craft sales sites, this one doesn`t lump your business into a common group. Your website stays independent. You do need Paypal, however, in order to set up your craft site. The paid options allow you to use your own domain.
Fees: Free for up Gold (up to 5 items), $9.99/month for Platinum (up to 25 items), and $19.99/month for Diamond (up to 100 items)

BizLand Crafters

If you`ve ever been to Craftsters.org (HIGHLY recommended) then you`ve probably seen the ad for this site. They actually offer a discount for Craftster members, so if you`re going to sign up, go join the forums for free first and get the discount. The price is low and they offer a lot of stuff, including a free domain name for one year, a SiteBuilder, AdWords and Yahoo credit, and quite a bit more, including an affiliate program. It actually seems to be more of a webhosting site than specifically a craft sales website.
Fees: Setup fee of $9.95, plus payments ranging from $5.95 (Charter) to $34.95 (Commerce).

Dawanda

At first glance, Dawanda looks a lot like Etsy, with featured products on the front page. You can set up a shop for free and customize it with your own banner and a photo. Only hand-made items are allowed and you must be 18 to sell on this site. You can receive payments through Paypal or your bank.
Fees: None to set up and list items, but there is a 5% fee taken out of every transaction.

iOffer

Similar to Ebay, this is a craft sales site that actually lets you import your ratings from Ebay. You can either sell or trade your products here, depending on what you prefer. It`s set up to work like a real life market, where you can negotiate and bargain for prices. I can see this as being a useful site for those who like to negotiate, but for many, it would be a turnoff.
Fees: Free to list, Final Value Fee when an item sells, depends on final price

Yessy Art Gallery

Despite the name, Yessy has categories for everything from jewelry to apparel, though they do say you must upload art only, which is a little confusing. You can try the site out with a free 14-day trial to see if you like it. It`s really a simple set up, with the categories on the front page, along with the newest galleries and newest products, though there are no photos. Payment is via credit card or US bank account and the site works as an escrow service between buyer and seller.
Fees: $59/year

YouCraftyLot

A British craft site that accepts world-wide crafters, though they insist on charging in pounds on the site. The look is similar to Etsy, again, with featured products on the main page. Paypal is the preferred method of payment here. Unfortunately, there doesn`t seem to be much information available without actually signing up.
Fees: 10p per 4 month listing

World Wide Crafters

This world-wide craft site limits products per store to 100, to keep manufacturers out.You get your own storefront on their website and the chance at being featured on the front page. This is also set up to allow you to auction your products, as opposed to simply selling them for a set price, though you have this option, as well. You choose your method of payment, online or offline.
Fees: Free setup, $6.99/month plus 2.5% commission.