Etsy And The New USPS Pricing Increase

I remember a time when it only cost me $.20 to mail a letter. That was around 1984. Today that same letter will cost me over double what it was then. It seems that shipping prices are always going to increase. The United States Post Office is increasing their rates again. So, you may want to go ahead and set up a new shipping profile and get all your mailing options changed.

If you'd like to see what your new rates are through Etsy or PayPal, Etsy has set up a chart that you can view here: New Postal Rates For Etsy For 2014 Please keep in mind that these prices are for postage purchased through Etsy and PayPal and they will be HIGHER if you go to the post office.

SO, it is time to calculate your shipping costs and change your listings. Don't forget that your shipping cost should not only reflect postage but packaging and the cost to take it to the post office. Be sure to factor in the full price of shipping as if you were paying for it at the post office as you will never kno when you have to actually do that.

Have a great weekend and I will see you all next week!

Etsy Lifts Ban On Shipping Upgrades

It's official! Etsy has lifted its ban on Shipping Upgrade Listings. Read about it in the Etsy Forum Post. So, what does this mean? Etsy has decided that it is okay to offer more than one shipping option. They plan to put some serious energy into making shipping options available in your listings. Until then, they have given the go ahead to make a listing for shipping upgrades.

Previously it was against the TOS to add an item that was contingent on purchasing another item. Because a shipping upgrade was deemed to not be a tangible item it was not allowed. After much discussion and interaction on the Etsy Admin forums they have finally changed their views.

Earlier in the year they actually tried a few different options and tested it with a select few accounts. Apparently the options provided were not all that effective so they abandoned them. Hopefully now that they are revisiting the options something will change soon. I would not expect any changes before the holidays. So, in the meantime, add those shipping upgrade listings.

When doing so I would make sure to include some information. The biggest thing that you need to have in your listing is that the upgrade is for your shop only! Also, it is probably a good idea to make sure that if you have different shipping prices that you have upgrades for each one. I suggest after creating the link you add it to all of the listings that it would work for.

These changes come just in time for the upcoming holiday season. So, get it done and get it done now, before it gets busy! That is it for today. See you all tomorrow. If you have comments please leave them here or email me MarketMyShop@gmail.com

Etsy Makes Shipping A Lot Less Complicated

Most of you probably already know about Etsy's shipping. I use it all the time. It saves you money! I bet a lot of you didn't realize that Etsy has some great shipping information for you, right at your finger tips!

On the left side of your user screen toward the bottom, tucked away, there is a section called Resources. Etsy adds things here without making any announcements so it is always good to check what's new. Honestly I am not sure how long this bit has been there. It is full of useful information. The kind of information you get frustrated with when you go to the USPS site!

 I suggest you have a look at all this shipping information and see what you didn't know! It is always a good idea to check what has been added by Etsy each day you log in. Important information can and is over looked because we are not paying attention.

I am working on the next eBook and it will be ready this week. This one is going to be about using Twitter to its fullest potential. Remember, all of the information I offer here is 100% free. My VERY inexpensive eBooks are the only way I make any money from this site. (Unless someone clicks on one of the ads, then I get like $.01!) So, if you would like to help support me and my free information please do not hesitate to buy one of my eBooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MarketMyShop

Let me know if you have any questions or comments! MarketMyShop@gmail.com

Selling Internationally On Etsy

I know most of you are based here in the US so this will apply to most of you. Ever since the major rate increase for USPS shipping I have lost about 1/3 of my sales. I did not lose any of my US sales but it would seem my international sales have screeched to a stand still.

When the rate increase happened items that would normally cost around $4 to ship became $8. I have yet to come up with a great solution to remedy this. I may end up raising my prices slightly and lowering my shipping. This seems to be the only option. I am not sure what it is but when people see $8 shipping they move on.

So, I have a few questions today and I would like a lot of answers either as comments or as emails. Has your Etsy income dropped since the postal rate increase? Have you done anything to make it better? If So, what? And for those of you readers that are not in the US: How has the rate increase hurt your business? Did your postal rates increase? Did it affect your business? Have you come up with a plan to make it better? If so, what?

On another note, I am almost done with my Twitter eBook and wanted to know what type of eBook you would be interested in seeing in my Etsy shop? Let me know by leaving a comment or send me an email to MarketMyShop@gmail.com

Shipping Cost Increases

In case you were not aware prices for shipping through the US Post Office have increased yet again. Domestic shipping has not changed all that much, but if you ship internationally you'll notice a HUGE difference in pricing.

You may want to take a look at your current prices for shipping and make adjustments accordingly. I just had to nearly double my international shipping costs because I did not raise my shipping during the last postage increase.

Speaking of postage...

Have you figured in your cost for packaging? I buy a lot of my shipping materials in bulk so that I can save every penny for me and for my customers. For example, Bubble Wrap at Walmart is $17 for 150 feet. I was able to purchase 600 feet on eBay for around $35. 4x8 bubble mailers at Walmart are 3 for $1.97 and on eBay I got 500 of them for under $50.

It is a good idea to shop around for your packing materials. And be sure you are not giving the packaging away. Add it into your shipping cost or pad it into your product price.

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them here or send me an email to: MarketMyShop@gmail.com

More Etsy Shipping Updates

Etsy recently changed the requirements for their direct shipping. You used to have a bill under $25 to pay and print shipping. They have extended that so if you have an Etsy bill of less than $50 you can now pay for postage and it will be added to your bill.

That helps out some, though I am sure there are plenty of shops that can easily hit the $50 mark and beyond. Fortunately, Etsy has announced that if you have Direct Checkout in your shop you will soon be able to pay for postage out of your Etsy Payment Account. That is good news for many of us! I will keep you updated!

As always, I am looking to help you out in any way that I can, so please feel free to email me questions: MarketMyShop@gmail.com