Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Enviable Problems

I suppose some of my problems are enviable, I know there was a time when I would have blinked jealous eyes at one who complained about too many custom orders. Yesterday, I made a comment on twitter regarding the state of my custom orders. I have not been selling many ready to ship items as of late. I had just finished the last custom order in my queue when another was ordered. Honestly, I just wanted to take a little break from the high speed order making. It's alright though, I'll make custom orders from here to doomsday, if people are still ordering them.

The comment I received back was a harmless, "Oh, to have your problems" sort of thing. I get it, I wasn't offended or anything, but the whole situation got me thinking a little bit though. No, I didn't hurt myself. I was thinking about a time right before I abandoned the etsy forums. I had left my usual haunts for the critiques section as I had a brand new design idea I wanted to bounce off people. I was meant with, well, let's just say they weren't amenable to my request. In fact, I was derided for asking is general with off handed comments like, "you don't really need any help". When I related the incident to old friends who had already given up, they too pointed out that they were treated the same when asking for help. The general consensus seemed to be that, as relatively successful sellers, we could only be there lording our success over them, not genuinely in need of help.

Most 'old school' etsians are no longer forum participants. I only see a few here and there when I stop by to lurk. The squeaky wheels that hang out in the ideas and bugs forums, the mentors that throw around recycled advice over and over again in the business section and the socialites that, well, socialize in etc. round the clock. It seems as if forums are designed to keep out anyone with enviable problems. Sure, they are a place to commiserate, but it's as if they don't realize that we all struggled through those problems too and it was only time and hard work that got us to a place where we have other things to complain about. I absolutely would take my current problems over the ones I had three years ago, no sales, low views, crappy pictures, etc. I just wish I could whine just a bit without feeling like I was acting superior, oh well. Here's to always having these kinds of problems!

In other news, I did take a picture of my knitting. The image doesn't really capture the pretty of this yarn. There is a metallic filament in it that I don't think shows up here. but I needed to have prove now, not later in the sunlight. I don't know if you can see them, but there are twisted stitches running the length and in between them is where the stitches will eventually be dropped. That is what is going to make this look amazing, if I ever get back to it, that is. It is such a pretty combination of greens and purples which I don't think is properly depicted here either, but at least there is now evidence of my other skill set.

I have one more custom order to finish today and I got all the pictures of the unlisted items left over from the Maker Faire done yesterday, so I'll continue listing the feather combs and a crap load of pendants today and most of the week. Hopefully I can get back to the knitting sometime before it becomes cool enough to actually wear the scarf.

3 comments:

SarahKelley said...

I sympathize. I'd like to complain about slow sales once in awhile, but I dare not.
I've yet to have the problem of having to push to keep up-- maybe one day;)

AJ said...

Seriously, you two can throw some of those extra sales my way, I won't mind ;)

I was going to set up a custom listing for my ever-popular crystal bracelets yesterday, but then a plumbing disaster struck. My house is out to sabotage my plans for success! It's a conspiracy, I tell you!

*removing tongue from cheek*

In all seriousness, I'm very happy that you're both succeeding, because you both put a lot more work into your Etsy shops than I do! Don't let the bitter people get you down.

FetishGhost said...

To each of us... our fleas seem to be as gazelles.