Etsy...

When I began crocheting and made items people were really interested in, almost everyone said I should put my items on Etsy and sell them. 

And I tried that.

And it was a waste of time and money for me. 

Why is that so?

Because first of all, the market is absolutely saturated with crochet items. Everyone and their grandmothers has crocheted items on Etsy, and getting one's items noticed at all is indescribably difficult. People who have never tried to offer a handmade item on Etsy have no idea just how bananas it is, to try and hit the sweet spot on the algorithm to the point where one's items land on the first or second page. 

Second, Etsy is not just for handmade items as it once was. There are now vintage/antique items available on the same page, thus driving competition even higher. 

Third, Etsy has business practices that lead to THEM making more money on their users, as opposed to practices that help the users make more money. 

I'm looking into some alternatives, including turning this blog into my own craft website. I've considered expanding beyond just crochet and doing jewelry, and changing the name of my venture to Crafty Crafty Joy Joy. I'll think about it.