To Etsy, Or Not To Etsy

[kerravonsen]

Every now and then, I wonder if I should make myself an Etsy store. Usually when people ask me if I do commissions, after reveals have happened on a fan fest. One of the things I ponder when that happens, is shop names. I've gone through a few (I have a list) that turn out to be (a) not available, (b) too similar to something else, even if it is available, or (c) available, but not quite appealing enough to me.

Here be the names, and notes on same.

Not available:

• BeautifulAllusions is taken - DeviantArt
• Fantizan is taken - gaming convention
• KatsKreations is taken by multiple people
• KraftyKat is taken by multiple people
• KatsWorks is already taken on Etsy
• Allusionary is not taken, but AllusionaryAbstractions is already taken on Etsy and on Facebook
• Fantasie is a lingerie shop
• Fantasm is a soft-porn film
• Thyngs is taken - "Lil Thyngs" handmade on Facebook
• SnipOfDreams is possible but...
  • but is too similar to "Ship of Dreams" - too confusing
  • also, would make people think of sewing
• Starfire has similar shops on Etsy
  • starfirewire, bluestarfire, StarFireEngravings, StarFireDesignStudio etc
• Firetongue appears to be free on Etsy
  • Allusions to "tongues of fire" (Holy Spirit) and dragons, and speaking the language of fire
  • Unfortunately, www.firetongue.com exists, and is a site for the "OrangeCD" music software (no, I don't know why)
• MythingLinks is free on Etsy
  • but there are multiple sites elsewhere
  • And 140 Etsy shops which contain "Links" in their name
  • I do like it, though, since it points to "mythic" and maille (links), as well as being a pun on "missing links".
• FuriousFancies is taken
  • With a host of furious fancies Whereof I am commander
• CabinetOfWonders is taken on Etsy
• Wunderkammer is taken by multiple people on Etsy
• BoxOfWonders is taken on Etsy

Not attractive:

• Note that KerrAvonsen is still close to unique - I still have all the front page on Google
  • but I would prefer not to have to use it for a shop name
• LovelyAllusions appears to be free
  • I don't like it as much as "Beautiful Allusions", though.
• A Piece Of Sky is a song by Barbara Streisand
• AllusiveArtefacts is possible, but there is a problem with "artefact" versus "artifact"
• AllusiveArtifice is possible but...
  • but "artifice" also implies deception, which is not good
• Inspired Fire seems to be free on Etsy
  • It doesn't trip lightly off the tongue
  • But there are a lot with "Inspired" in the name
  • And a lot of the ones with "fire" are related like lampwork and metalwork
• Firebreath makes me think of "bad breath".
• Fireside Dreams is too folksy for me.
• Fire And Air appears to be free on Etsy
  • But is a bit too much like a partial catalogue of the Elements
• FabulousFancies is free on Etsy
  • but it doesn't tickle the ear like FuriousFancies
• MythiKat is free on Etsy (so is MythyKat)
  • but it makes it seem as if it is me who is mythical (or missing)
• MythiKal is free on Etsy
  • but it looks like a computer brand name

Possible:

• Infinitudes is free on Etsy
  • though there are 162 shops with "infinite" in their name
  • but the first page of google is almost entirely made up of "definition" pages, so it looks promising.

What are your thoughts on this, peoples?

Comments

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Artificer would be better than artifice, no fears of deception there. It would also appeal to the steampunk crowd, though there does seem to be a lot of artificers already there.

How about the Maille box/ service?

[kerravonsen]

Artificer would be better than artifice, no fears of deception there.

Oh, that's a good idea.

How about the Maille box/ service?

As a name? Too much emphasis on "maille" and not enough on allusions/imagination, I think. I don't want the name to be too limiting, because, while there will definitely be maille, I don't want to be limited to just maille, which a name like that would do.

[kerravonsen]

One that might be even better than AllusiveArtificer would be AllusiveArtisan, since I do think of myself as an Artisan.

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Oooh nice! How's KatsKrafts, or is that one long gone too? Or MadeByKat?

[kerravonsen]

Yep, KatsKrafts is long gone too.
MadeByKat isn't itself taken, but there are a LOT of MadeByKatsomething stores, so I deem it too common.

[helenarickman.livejournal.com]

My daughter makes a decent living off of her Etsy store, and she lives in Los Angeles. Ain't cheap out there.

[kerravonsen]

That's encouraging. Though every article I've read about selling on Etsy is all about promotion and marketing and going to craft fairs to promote yourself and "how to sell big"... and that's not really my motivation. I mean, yeah, when I retire I might think about that, but I do actually have a job I like which gives me a good living.

My motivation... is more on the lines of being able to feed my craft addiction, in two ways. The least important is getting money to pay for the materials and tools (as I said, I do have a decent living). The most important is as an outlet for my creativity, to get my work into the hands of people who will appreciate it... because I'm getting to a point where my friends-and-relations are starting to say "No! Don't give me any more! I have more than I can use!" which is rather discouraging.

In order to find strangers who would appreciate my work sufficiently, one way is selling on Etsy with an appropriately high price which indicates its artistry and craftsmanship. A "ransom for my babies", so to speak.

So I wouldn't be making lots of stuff, and I wouldn't be marketing the hell out of it... which means that, according to all those articles, I'd be Doing It Wrong. 8-(

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Mythicalinks?

I keep thinking about selling knitted items on Etsy but the freight's a problem as always. I suppose I could offer free freight and price accordingly. There's also the local TradeMe which I should give a go, but they take a commission. I'm not keen on funding that utter bastard Gareth Morgan whose son runs it.

I did set up an Etsy shop a while back but never listed anything. I think I called it Nico Crafts or something like that, but admittedly I never researched the name. Maybe I should think of something snappier.

[kerravonsen]

I suppose I could offer free freight and price accordingly.

You mean add the freight cost to the item cost? Would that work if the postage was different to different countries? Or would you add the potentially most expensive postage cost to the price, so as to cover it for everyone?
I think it's also possible to limit where one will post to. Certainly, there are Etsy shops I can't buy from because they only post to the continental US.

but they take a commission

So does Etsy, but it's something like 3.5% I think.

I'm not keen on funding that utter bastard Gareth Morgan whose son runs it.

Then don't. Don't feel like you should give TradeMe a go if you loathe the people associated with it.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I've come across free freight items on Etsy, and I do find that attractive, living so far away yet paying the same as anyone else. I could offer discounts for anyone in NZ and Australia - freight to anywhere else is much the same. I think given my location it would make buying more attractive to people elsewhere. I'm not sure how easy that is to set up to be automatic.

TradeMe's commission is twice that. Decision made about them!

Another thing I've considered is using my graphic art designs on Zazzle as it's fairly easy - they do all the work - and I don't have to post anything.

[kerravonsen]

Another thing I've considered is using my graphic art designs on Zazzle as it's fairly easy - they do all the work - and I don't have to post anything.

Now that's a good idea. I've used Zazzle myself for a few designs, not really to make money, but to simply make custom t-shirts for myself. So my storefront is totally crappy because I haven't done anything with it, but that wouldn't be the case with you.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Nice!

Can you use KatsKorner or a variation on that for your Etsy shop?

[kerravonsen]

Can you use KatsKorner or a variation on that for your Etsy shop?

Well, there are very few (three) Etsy shops with "KatsKorner" in their names... but I'd rather choose something else. Maybe I could change my Zazzle name instead?

(later)
I've changed the Zazzle name, and while I was doing that, I uploaded a banner, so thanks for prompting me to do that!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I'll have to think up a decent name for my Etsy shop, and if I succeed, will use that for Zazzle too.

Does Zazzle just sell in one's own country? That cuts potential customers down a lot.

[kerravonsen]

Does Zazzle just sell in one's own country? That cuts potential customers down a lot.

I have no idea, I never checked since I was only interested whether they sold in Australia.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Feel free to slap it down... KatIsKrafty?

[kerravonsen]

Does not appeal to me. I'm liking "Infinitudes" more and more. I don't care if people think it's too fancy or obscure or whatever.