Etsy Advice and Opinions

[Sophie74656]

Just looking for opinions. I'm getting some sales through my etsy shop, and hopefully they continue. If you are buying an item, how important is nice packaging to you? Right now i have white boxes for shipping and purple tissue papee that i wrap the items in. I just ordered some business cards to include that will have a link to a discount code.

There are more things i could do to make the package prettier like getting nicer paper and stickers and stuff. Would it be worth the investment? I mean it's not a huge amount of money but still money.

 

[Marynator]

I feel some sort of lovely packaging makes me feel I'm buying from someone who really cares about her business. Like I've ordered things and it comes in just a basic brown envelope with bubbles and a piece of tissue paper, and well yes that item's nice but I'll totally forget about where I bought it from. But I've had things that came in a box with a lace bow tied around it, and a professional card attached, and I'm just like "wow, okay I'm buying from her again".

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Nice packaging is all well and fine (perhaps gender plays into this) but I certainly don't like packaging that is excessively wasteful or that fails to protect an item from damage. For some reason, Amazon comes to mind... been getting better of late though...

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Sophie, can you please consolidate any future threads for your Etsy page into this one, and I can change the title to something more general of your choosing for you? It's just that this is the third or fourth thread you've started asking for advice about your Etsy page, so if this is going to be a regular thing, it should be in a single thread.

 

[Sophie74656]

My applogies. I will stick to this thread

 

[Locutus of Bored]

No need to apologize, you didn't know and didn't do anything wrong. Let me know if you want me to change the title.

 

[Pondwater]

I like pretty papers. I either collect them or reuse them.

 

[Refuge]

Speed of delivery impresses me the most. Obviously protective packaging is a definite priority. The niceties? I actually like brown paper and string. Bags or boxes. It's so old fashioned and a bit classy. Shredded wood inside. You could get a stamp made as a one off and just re-use it, with a reference to your business.

 

[cosmic mouse]

Just looking for opinions. I'm getting some sales through my etsy shop, and hopefully they continue. If you are buying an item, how important is nice packaging to you? Right now i have white boxes for shipping and purple tissue papee that i wrap the items in. I just ordered some business cards to include that will have a link to a discount code.

There are more things i could do to make the package prettier like getting nicer paper and stickers and stuff. Would it be worth the investment? I mean it's not a huge amount of money but still money.

IMHO only sticking to standard packaging that is sustainable and/or biodegradable would be nice. Or otherwise achieving a reasonable aesthetic without using plastic and non-eco-friendly materials... just my take. E.G. compostable*/recyclable materials for the box and tissue paper (some of these look very nice in addition to being earth-friendly). No ribbons or accoutrements* unless they're made form corn starch or something degradable. But that's just me...
Sounds good though- good luck with Etsy! I've never used that site, but have considered it in the past.

*oddly enough, spell check does not recognize these. Hm.

 

[MacLeod]

It depends if it's for me not so much, if it's a gift for someone else then I might expect nicer packaging but also expect to pay extra for it.

 

[Sophie74656]

Thanks for the input guys. What I'm going to go with for now is wrapping the item in tissue paper and sealing it with a thank you sticker. I also have a busineaa card with a discount code that i will put in the box

 

[Marynator]

IMHO only sticking to standard packaging that is sustainable and/or biodegradable would be nice. Or otherwise achieving a reasonable aesthetic without using plastic and non-eco-friendly materials... just my take. E.G. compostable*/recyclable materials for the box and tissue paper (some of these look very nice in addition to being earth-friendly). No ribbons or accoutrements* unless they're made form corn starch or something degradable. But that's just me...
Sounds good though- good luck with Etsy! I've never used that site, but have considered it in the past.

I do like ribbon if it's reusable, like not that plastic kind but rather cloth ribbon that you can fold up and use for your own packages later, I feel you can just never seem to have enough of that with your gift supplies.

 

[WraithDukat]

The Mrs uses Etsy a lot, and little things that show effort do get noticed by her and are appreciated. So I would go for it yes.

 

[cosmic mouse]

I do like ribbon if it's reusable, like not that plastic kind but rather cloth ribbon that you can fold up and use for your own packages later, I feel you can just never seem to have enough of that with your gift supplies.

My mom reuses ribbon like this all the time... she makes her own wrapping using cloth ribbon, etc. since she also sews (so she usually has ribbon and stuff hanging around as scrap).

 

[cultcross]

For me it depends what it is. If it's something arty or decorative, something you might give as a gift, then the seller putting effort into the packaging is appreciated. If the packaging is just to get an item from you to me in one piece, then I don't care. Most of my etsy shopping is cosplay related and there I just want a box and some bubble wrap. But when I bought some custom literature coasters for the Mrs, I appreciated the attention to detail on the packaging. I think the answer is that it depends what you are selling and what your target market is.

 

[Sophie74656]

I appreciate the input guys

 

[WraithDukat]

I appreciate the input guys

 

[Riker'sMailbox]

I prefer buying handmade items from etsy than going to huge stores.

I love when items come in packaging that shows some care. However, ultimately it is about the quality of the item. I just brought handmade Disney dresses for my daughter and niece from an etsy shop that just packaged them in plastic Post Office packaging. No thank you card or anything. But, the dresses are really cute so I would buy from that shop again.

 

[Nakita Akita]

I only buy books, movies and fencing equipment on line. Utilitarian stuff.
I know I'm in the minority but unless I am requesting it shipped as a gift, to me it's just more junk I have to get rid of which ultimately cost the company more money that I think they probably could have used for something else.

 

[Kor]

I like to get a handwritten note on the seller's letterhead, explaining a little about the item's background or how to use it, or something like that.

Kor