Etsy or eBay?

Detouring a bit from design subjects, I need to clear my head a bit about online selling.  I sold on eBay from the beginning.  For so many years it was great.  As it says in a bio somewhere, I traveled and did major shows for years so selling is in my blood.  eBay's greed forced most sellers like me off their pages.  It was good while it lasted.

A couple of years ago when they were once again making changes and upping costs, there was a big exodus to other sites.  I chose to try Online Auction.  I tried for several months to make that work.  I was unwilling to pay the fees and still have to spend all day networking on the site or pulling leads from outside.  I also found I didn't care for the tone of the chats there.  I don't even remember if I sold anything.  I tried.  It was not eBay. 

When we closed our brick and mortar store recently I had a lot of merchandise and it had to go somewhere.  I had signed up, back when all the options were being discussed on eBay, with Etsy.  It was billed as all warm and fuzzy.  Was that Richard Scarry or Dr. Zeus??  Anyway, faced with the dilemna of having no space left in my home and a storage bin overly filled, I turned to Etsy.

It is WORK!!!  I could hold down a fulltime job for the time I'm spending promoting myself on there.  Talk about JUST a venue.  The front page is even provided by hard working sellers hoping to be recognized.  I thought it would be helpful to join a few teams.  At least they offer threads to expose one's listings.  The first one I joined was one with a lot of members.  I posted.  They killed my post and gave me notice that I should post on a primary thread that already had over 8,000 posts.  I didn't do that.  I guess I want my own headline. 

Looking around, it appeared that some folks got attention by doing Treasuries.  It took a while to do the first one and I've lost at least two in the middle of putting them together, but I found it entertaining.  The creating, not the losing.  I learned a lot.  I find I am more attracted to the kinds of merchandise that Etsy doesn't care to put on the front page.  For example, I don't need or want or even understand the apparently incredible need for fingerless gloves.  They couldn't be very efficient for making snowballs.  Who wants frozen fingertips?  I like color.  I even wrote to CS asking why they used such muted colors on the Front Page.  The reply told me how to make a Treasury.  Shades of eBay!!  Clean your cache, children. 

The one Treasury I did that got the most recognition, I think, was for that team who didn't want me to think outside their 8,000 plus box.  I was going to resign from them after I complained to the individual known as the Captain and he blasted me pretty well.  Not sure how to handle that other than not reply.  It seems ugly attitudes and quick tempers weren't limited to eBay.  Just think, we used to complain about that like it was an enigma. 

I've followed all the suggestions I'm willing to follow.  I've linked this blog.  I've made Treasuries.  I've posted to the forums.  I have reduced prices and done a Coupon Code.  I've put links on Twitter.  I won't let them at my Facebook account. 

It's a full time job and the return..well..it could be better.

Thanks for listening.  Comment, condone, criticize or commiserate.  "I'm listening".  (I loved Frasier)