Learn me- small online shop. Etsy? Square space?

So, I've been told in the past, people would pay for merchandise with my designs on it. In fact, it's happened. (grocery life). I am increasingly annoyed with my job and I'm looking to maybe supplant and eventually replace my income, with whoring myself out. Mickey three-year, the dumpster fire, and grocery life have all been requested. 

The question becomes, how do I sell this crap? I've done ebay in the past, but I'm just not a fan. Afaik- etsy makes it easy, but they take a cut. Square space is an interesting option, but I know nothing about it. 

What does the hive mind say? Who do I hawk my goods through? I'm not looking to make much, just enough to pay my child support and maybe buy a used escalade. 

Any reason why you couldn't just start with Etsy until you get a following and then transfer to something else?  Get the ball rolling and start pulling in money while you figure it out?

I have a friend that sells through Amazon.  You can set that up so that they pick up from you or so that you have an amount at their local warehouse.  They will rip off your idea after long enough if its something that's doing very well.

Etsy isn't bad to start out with, my wife runs two shops ( struggling to not shamelessly plug them, maybe later).

Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:

Etsy isn't bad to start out with, my wife runs two shops ( struggling to not shamelessly plug them, maybe later).

 

 

Please plug away. I think most of us try to buy from other GRMers if there's an option. No shame in that!

In reply to Javelin (Forum Supporter) :

My wife's jewelry shop and other crafty things she does 

House of Sparrow Studio

And an eclectic store she runs with a family friend

PimpN'Trash

Shopify if you're going to be posting lots of stuff.

Etsy is hard to search from outside etsy, and if you're posting a lot of stuff the fees will nickle and dime your profits. 

Shopify is $30/month. They have their own payment manager and you can use your own. Tons and tons of plugins.

Downside of shopify is you gotta do it all yourself. Start with one of their templates and go from there. 

Start Instagrams and Facebook pages as well. 

93EXCivic said:

Start Instagrams and Facebook pages as well. 

That's a swmbo thing. I already have two instas I don't run for other projects lol. 

Here's what I've learned from opening my Etsy store: 

You have to have everything ready to ship out the door when you post your listing. If you guess on the shipping info it could bite ya later. 

There are some fees but not a lot actually. Without going into great detail say if you are selling an item for $25 you'll pay roughtly  $3, but of course this is dependent on where you're shipping it to, how much the shipping is or if you're offering free shipping. 

Lastly, you have to pay for marketing if you want real traffic going to your listings. Etsy has an algorithm that puts marketed and free shipping listing up first and I'm sure other things going into that as well.