(Part 3) Top products from r/Etsy

For "prints" - I'm able to make 300 that have substantial amount of white space...as in not completely full color edge-to-edge, but illustration, or lots of colored text & boxes on white background. But I find to print 2 A2 cards on a sheet with a full bleed is about 30-40 seconds or so. I haven't used a stopwatch or what not, but I usually just let the printer do it's thing, I run off and do errands like the dishes, and just come back to make sure the ink isn't streaking if it's warned me that it's low. Usually a sign the ink is low is if there's like a skip in the print, or a very thin line...or if a color like magenta is done then the print will be lacking the pink tones.

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I get everything from Amazon, and currently I've found these to work great:

• Hammermill 80lb Cover (it's very velvety feeling and takes ink well, not super stiff but a good overall cardstock weight). It feeds VERY WELL through the printer.
  
  
• Accent Opaque 120lb Cover I bought 1200 sheets of this. It's VERY stiff board and really adds substantial weight to greeting cards, and takes color very well. The only downside is because it is very thick, every so often the printer won't grab the paper to feed through if you try to pre-load 5+ sheets of it. I have to do 2-3 sheets at a time for the printer to be able to grab it. There's also 100lb as well that's slightly thinner and good for cards and feeds a little better but I got the 120 because I had some weird Amazon coupon to make it much cheaper than the 100.
  
  
  I've also found great color with the other following papers:
  
  
• Hammermill 24# paper Excellent for just daily printing - I found 20# to be very thin but still doable! But love the 24# because the colors turn out nice and smooth.
  
  
• Canon Luster Photo Paper This paper is amazing for photography prints...I'm not too keen on glossy types but this makes the color feel richer and the luster texture helps to hide any small jpeg articfacting or imperfections in the file/print.

If you have a simple canopy I say make sure you buy leg weights. For wind resistance some people use water jugs or sandbags in a pinch (they look really tacky) I use http://www.amazon.com/Quik-Shade-Accessory-Weight-plates/dp/B000YPQPSW They work great! 30$

For the rain you MUST have walls. The day of my show I saw so many other artist's work get ruined. I use http://www.amazon.com/Wenzel-10-27x10-27-Canopy-Wall/dp/B00MP40Q44 (Price is just for 1 wall) It's pretty universal but make sure it can fit your canopy. Also make sure you get one that is "water repellent" they also help with the wind and make sure you have privacy overnight.

I also suggest going to home depot and getting clear tarp in front of your booth so people can come in and rain can stay out. Also get lots of clips and duct tape as that solves everything. Hope that helps.

I found Essential Depot on Amazon, free shipping with Prime makes it seem more reasonable. Silly question, but with Palm Oil I was told it had to be warmed up in the original container... How can you tell if the container can benuked in a microwave? It doesn't say microwave safe on the Amazon site. (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EDBEZM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3V9M1NOX9PQ89&coliid=I1XGC0BKGY2U8V)

I noticed the molds around between $50-100, is that normal? Seems rather extravagant to me.

The local chemical factory is a great idea! I have no idea if there is one near me, but still.. Major kudos on creativity.

Don't listen to the other person about "markets". There are bathbombs being sold for $17 dollars EACH with free shipping and the seller has 11k sales in less than 2 years.


Etsy isn't about being in a race to the bottom with other sellers. If you want to, make your items more than $10 and add on the shipping into the total OR just do the thing Etsy is promoting where the shipping is free after $35+ and price your items in a way that suits you. I promise you, having free shipping as a option (such as with a set minimum to meet) is tens times more enticing to buyers and benefits you a lot more (especially for lightweight items) than just selling one $6.50 + $4.50 shipping item. I have over 80k sales and make 12k a month out of ONE of my shops. I've never once let my competitors pricing influence how I "value" my work, and when I opened my shop I charged more than most people, and I've surpassed all of them in daily sales (30-60 orders a day) for over 2 years.

Okay, enough of my rant, as for shipping extremely lightweight items (with a focus on bath&beauty), these boxes are fairly popular, and you can find them on uline in larger amounts once you start selling regularly: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M5B91Q3/?coliid=I15B0YY5IERKN5&colid=3LI4KLG3587E8&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it with these bubbles https://www.amazon.com/Duck-Original-Cushioning-Perforated-1061835/dp/B0021L9M1Y/ They come in 12 inches, but you can cut it down so that each 'roll' is only 3 inches across (so it turns into 3" x 60', 4 rolls), that gives you a ton of bubbles to use. Use it to 'wrap' around your product - left to right, top to bottom, like an X sandwich. As for liquids use something like 3M No Residue Duct Tape around the caps to keep it from slipping open while it's being shipped (they have it on Amazon, but it's wayyy cheaper at home depot or lowes) squeeze the lid to make sure the tape is stuck good and then put then in plain generic ziploc bags, such as these https://www.amazon.com/Plymor-Heavy-Plastic-Reclosable-Zipper/dp/B0194CUNCO

They should be relatively safe being shipped this way. I used those boxes for (unrelated to beauty) another product I sell and they are extremely difficult to crush.

Late response, but if you're still looking I recommend these labels. They work great on both inkjet and laser printers.

Here's what I would do:

https://www.clearbags.com/7-3-16-x-7-1-16-crystal-clear-protective-bag-183x179-100-pieces-b7x7spc.html

https://www.clearbags.com/8-x-10-double-sided-white-backing-board.html

(I would probably cut these to size myself - maybe you could find them elsewhere pre cut)

https://www.amazon.com/Quality-Park-64015-Document-Mailer/dp/B000NNY3MK/


Hope that helps! When I make prints, I try to make them standard sizes - it helps your customer be able to frame it easier also.

How large are the blankets? Are they small enough to use poly mailers? Whenever I buy clothes online they usually come in these. You might even be able to save on shipping. If not, putting them inside small, clear trash bags (the kind for offices with no tabs/drawstring) with the ends neatly folded, then inside your normal packaging, would also be fine. Black or white bags are the ones I associate with garbage.

I have moved into a larger house - we specifically hunted for a house that had studio space because my company was spilling out of the office into the guest room, family room, kitchen etc. 1.5 years later - we are looking to move again - this time with a full walk out daylight basement for my studio.

I recommend using as much vertical space as possible. I have put up shelves and cut up cardboard boxes to create dividers so I can cram them full of envelopes. Clear tubs with snapping lids that stack Labels, etc. My husband has built custom risers for the printers to store paper underneath. Pegboard, 100s of tiny drawers. Anything and everything really.

It's awesome to see your business grow and how much stuff you need just to stay organized.

Buy some high quality cardstock, get yourself a cheap papercutter, a 1/8" hole puncher (like $4 after a Joannes coupon), and with a little bit of design skills you're all set to make your own hang tags! I usually attach them with some of that really nice little and silky looking embroidery floss attached to a tiny gold safety pin or loop it around anything with a loop.

I use these but they're 4x6:

https://www.amazon.com/100-CLEAR-Reclosable-Zipper-Bag/dp/B000OVHW24/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1481228757&sr=8-1&keywords=4%22+clear+storage+bag

There's also these at 4x3 but you have to buy them with something else to get free shipping:

https://www.amazon.com/Beadaholique-4-Inch-Resealable-Zipper-Shipping/dp/B009LIOOPO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481228838&sr=8-2&keywords=4%22+clear+storage+bag

I use this Brother Laser Printer (wifi enabled) and use half sheet adhesive labels. I thought the dedicated label printers were too expensive and this allows me to print packing slips as well.

chipboards for ~ $0.17 + poly mailers that are also ~ $0.14 - $0.20 would put you a good amount under budget.

Chipboard envelopes are a little more expensive.

Shop around Uline, Ebay, Amazon, and other shipping supplies stores to compare prices and choose what would work for you.

500 6x9 PolyMailers on Amazon are $14.98.

On Pratt, they are $50.05.

Both have free shipping.

My first time attempting to post a link, but you could slap these dollhouse tongs on one of these keychains and DIY that shiz.

http://www.amazon.com/100-RIGID-PHOTO-MAILERS-ENVELOPES/dp/B000HHOOEY/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AXVMCNC53RJ95
Photo mailer classified as a package both on etsy and at the post office.

I buy bubble mailers on amazon, they come out to be about to be about $.08/each and I ship USPS first class package which only cost about $3. Not sure how many ounces your packages are though so the cost for you might be a little bit higher. As far as hay/straw for decorative packing...be mindful that some people are allergic.

It's just a home-office style laser printer/copier, nothing fancy at all. An older version of this Canon, I think: http://amzn.com/B008YD1V08

And here's the adhesive I bought: http://amzn.com/B000JGQM1Q

Expect to have really sticky fingers and waste the first page you try to sticker-ize - even after reading the instructions, it took me a couple pages to get the hang of it!

I just bought my first real postage scale as it was on sale around Christmas. For the last 6 years I've just been using this kitchen scale to weigh without issues:

EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale, White Chrome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CM8TZC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_jOLByb7VEGHTG

Etsy has good calculated rates for some countries, others you'll need to go by postal provided scales to get a base idea of your rate ranges. Calculated shipping seems to do well for a lot of people here but I only ship priority flat rate, and only ship in the US now to avoid stress so I have no experience with it.

So, I know you specified that you want a cheap method, but I'm putting this out there for others that are reading as well. A DYMO thermal printer & the labels are so easy to use and they save me a ton of time. After I finally stopped hand-writing addresses on each envelope, I tried the print & tape method but it's inefficient and a pain in my ass.

Having had much frustration in the past with laser printers I was hesitant, but the little DYMO has led me to once again have faith in printers. It is thermal, so there's no ink allowing you to print and stick immediately.
No I don't work for DYMO. I'm sure there are other thermal printers that work just fine but this is the only one I've used. Labels are affordable as well.

Side note: If you aren't printing labels through Etsy, you're missing out on postage discounts for national orders. In the US, anyway.