Selling Venue Series: Just the FAQs

… I was originally going to split this post up because of the large number of sites researched, but I decided to keep them together for easier comparing. Be forewarned - it is very long, but informative. I researched the sell sites that Roseworks and I found so we can compare fees and features among them all. Ratings and seller/customer views will follow in later posts.

redbubble, zazzle, cafepress:
sites where your art, design,graphics & photography are placed on tees, mugs, etc

Etsy:
“Your place to buy & sell all things handmade”
20 cents to list (good for 3 months)
3.5% commission/fee with each sale
$0.20 to renew/relist
forums: yes (best of all I saw)
notes: very large, established - can be both pro and con

Art Fire:
“Sell without fees. Create without limits.”
Basic membership – free with 10 listings
Upgrade: special now at $7/month (normally $20) and unlimited listings (good for 3 months) … ...that’s 23 cents per day
Zero % fee with sales
forums: yes
notes: one page listing; in beta long to work w/sellers to fix bugs quickly

Silk Fair:
“Makes Buying & Selling Fun and Easy”
*not handmade only
Free store & free listings
3% fee with sale
Import/export listings from other sites
Google, Paypal & authorize.net checkouts
blog to display products
videos are allowed
unlist item option is available
bulk delete
store minichats
can use feedburner with store
Google based product submission
forums: Y chat rooms: Y blogs: Y
other: search & filters w/pop up window of listing as cursor passes; etsy list import ability; test drive feature

Wink Elf:
“An online shopping venue for designers, artisans and all creative folk to buy and sell handmade items for your home and family. Built by hand with a love for handmade goods, you will discover free stores, no listing fees and a low selling-only fee”
2.5% fee with sale
$5.00 per month or $50 per year, all inclusive: all fees & upgrades (including sell fees) –or-
free store w/free basic listings w/upgrades available
listings can be set for 1 week to 1 month long
basic plan: gallery pic, buy me & offer options, schedule listing, auto relist option, submitted to Googlebase
• upgrades: $0.05 - Bold Title
• $0.10 - Picture Gallery (add extra pix)
• $0.10 - Category Feature
• $0.25 - Main Page Plus Feature
PayPal, Google Checkout, 2CheckOut, Authorize.net, NoChex, WorldPay, Ikobo and Protx
uses HTML in listings
***has personal e-mail
imports eBay feedback score
forums: Y
other: tweets new listings; has mailing lists for your customers

Shop Handmade:
“rewarding creativity”
Free to sell, unlimited listings
Commission is optional...choose fee w/sales that goes to rainforest protection
Fees: $0.25 listing top-up, bid for Gallery listings – bids start at $0.10 per day (promo area) (they recommend NOT to start off with Gallery), unsponsored shop will have fees to list
Up to 5 photos
Paypal checkout
forums: N
notes: Can auto sale %, has environmental awareness aspect

Crobbies:
“handmade crafts and hobbies”
Free to sell, unlimited listings…they note that fees may change from time to time
3% fee with sale
6 month listings
Has the cursor over pop up listing
Forums: Y
other: seems very new/small

1000 markets:
open shop for free
zero fees for setup, listing or hosting
No Paypal or other processing fees
Uses Amazon payments
Sell fees: 5.5% plus $0.50…no additional transaction fees – amazon payments does not take out fees from orders originating from 1000 markets
Forums: Y

Trunkt:
“We Connect Exceptional Artisans With Wholesale Buyers”
For wholesale to the trade and for shoppers
Organized with portfolios
Isn’t an actual sell site: portfolio connects to websites where items can be found plus space for events (shows ‘n such)
Has place for notebook from guests, separate tab for trade, “our work” “about us”
Need to apply & be accepted
Forums: didn’t see one…but can leave comments on items

Handmade Fuzion:
“Fuzing the Creative with the Consumer”
Juried website – handmade ONLY
Listing fee $0.15 per item and 3% commission when sold
auto relist
Paypal or Google checkout
can NOT place ANY links on site
forums: “network” Y

Hyena Cart:
“A collection of earth friendly shops”
(1079 stores as of 1/1/09)
Cost is monthly rather than per list
$10 set up fee, $5 per month (can let lapse & pick up again), for $2.50 more, can upload images directly to server
“Congo” – conglomerate of sellers stocking one store ($25 per month - $37.50 per month if add image uploading & hosting)
comprised of markets which are gathering places where 2 or more merchants work together to sell & create a community – some have themes
forums: yes

lov.li:
“a community of people who love art, crafts and handmade products”
zero listing fees, unlimited listings
uses Paypal
3.5% commission on sales (pay once reach $15)
can just post stuff you made, even if not for sale
has groups & blogs, no forum

Dawanda:
“products with love”
Europe based
Handmade and tailor made or customized items
Shop is free
5% commission
listing is free now, but will be introducing small fee in the future once site reaches certain size (to assure quality)
current listing time is unlimited
Paypal checkout
forums: Y

iCraft: (Canadian)
“where creative minds mingle”
upload up to 6 photos
Paypal, money orders, certified or personal checks
$25 CAD shop set up fee
1-5 items – free
starter: 5-15 items: $5 CAD/month
pro: 5-45 items $15 CAD/month
elite: 5-100 items $35 CAD/month
0% commission
community: Y

creative café.ning: salesroom:
charitable group that helps support people with disabilities
members have web pages to show off works
run by volunteers with mental health & other disabilities - UK
free membership – open to all
free basic listings, relisting & salesroom site
free for first 50 successful sales – 5% after the 1st 50 sales
extras, like gallery, have fees which are clearly displayed when listing
adverts available to purchase

Cult Vault:
“A creation a day keeps the doldrums at bay”
ning social network site
no actual marketplace that I could see, but photos from members available on calendar for purchase

Daisy Craft:
“Buy. Sell. Create.”
Handmade gathering place
Paypal checkout
List for free
3 month listings
Free store: free to create
5% fee on sales
Standard Store: $5.95/mo
5% fee on sales
customized store page (text not included) ($105 value)
2 ad banner changes during 1 year ($30 value)
3 ad buttons per year that link to store ($15 value)
recently listed items rotation on home page ($75 value)
2 marketing giveaways a year ($75 value)
Premium Store: $64.95/yr
5% fee on sales
customized store page ($150 value)
3 ad banner changes per year ($45 value)
5 ad buttons per year that link to store ($25 value)
feature seller rotation ($75 value)
recently listed items rotation on home page ($75 value)
4 marketing giveaways each year ($150 value)
can list links to other stores if min 10 items for sale, are an active seller, link back to Daisy on your other sites & keep posts and store info current
forum: Y

smashingdarling:
“leading the Indie Fashion Revolution” – not necessarily handmade
18% fee when selling – otherwise, no fees
unlimited stores, images, access to fourms, links to video – fashion shows – vieo interviews, RSS feeds, invites & subscribes
can use site like online catalog
listings do not expire
payments through ACH (Automated Clearinghouse) deposit & payments go into 2 week hold before being dispersed
other: gorgeous site – fabulous designs – high fashion, pics look very much out of a magazine & high artsy
Forum: N

ecrater: (since 2004)
“100% free marketplace”
NOT a handmade site
free website builder & free marketplace
Google checkout
items are posted to Google Product search
only fees are when seller places adverts for premium position
unlimited products
community: Y

Big Cartel: (Euro)
“Simple Store for DIY Rockstars”
not a community marketplace
NO fees taken on sales
month to month billing – no contracts
sign up is free
Gold: free: 5 products w/1 image each, no custom domain, inventory or discount codes
Platinum: $9.99/mo: 25 products w/3 images each
Diamond: $19.99/mo: 100 products w/5 images each
Paypal checkout
Forum: Y

mintd:
“unique independent goods – direct from the artist”
Paypal checkout
free store set up
fees for increased functionality – subscriptions for upgrades
sell fees: rates depend on subscription plan, the more you pay yearly, the less commission they take
Free account: sell up to 10 items
$20 per year – up to 25, $50/yr up to 50 & $100/yr up to 250
can not link other stores to this site
every purchase, comment & bookmark is used to score each store & item’s Interest Rank brings them to top of pile
Forums: Y
other: lookbooks: …people can take photos of purchased items & put into book that links to stylist – when more are bought through the lookbook – the creater gets a commission from the price

imagekind: (a cafepress company)
“One community for Buying, Selling & Creating Art”
gallery, print-on-demand & frame shop
print-on-demand: art such as photography, digital art & hi-res scans of paintings & prints
giclee – canvas – custom framing – greeting cards
Free: one gallery w/ up to 24 images
Pro: $7.99/mo: unlimited galleries, up to 50 images each
Platinum: $11.99/mo or $94.99/yr: unlimited galleries, unlimited images
You set the % markup on your prints & earn that markup when sold
If markup is 100% or more, there is a 5% fee when sold
Can earn 15% commission on mats, frames or glazing sold w/your products
You get paid monthly once reach $50 in earnings
Can link to your website to let buyers know originals are available (this site does not deal w/those sales)
Community: Y

Boundless gallery: (founded 2003)
“Real Art, Real Easy”
art gallery where people can explore, buy & sell art online
paintings, photos, glass, metal wood, ceramics, fiber, jewelry, prints
plans: all start w/free 7 day trial
Warhol: $60 for 12 months, 10% commission on sales
Picasso: $120 for 12 months, 5% commission on sales
Da Vinci: $240 for 12 months, 0% commission
Note: 3% processing fee on all sales for 3rd party credit card processing charges
Forums: N

Bonanzle: (new site)
“Find Everything but the Ordinary”
“…online marketplace … specialty is helping you buy and sell items that aren’t shiny, new and mass-produced.”
free to post items
fees based on Final Offer Value (FOV): less than $10, $0.50; less than $50, $1; less than $100, $3; less than $1000, $5; $1000 or more, $10
Google checkout, Paypal & money orders
can meet sellers directly through chat – site indicates when sellers are online
import directly from eBay

Checkouts:
Paypal:
They take x% of payment…
Personal account -v- Premier/Business account
Open an account: Free - Free
Send money: Free -v- Free
Withdraw Funds: (both) Free for bank accounts in the U.S
Add funds: Free -v- Free
Receive by Paypal: Free -v- 1.9-2.9% plus $0.30
Receive payments funded by Credit Card, Debit Card or Buyer Credit:
Personal: 4.9% + $0.30 (limit of 5 transactions per 12 month period)** for domestic or U.S. transactions, 2% + applicable Fees Fees for cross border payments
4.9% plus $0.30 for card payments received using PayPal on Skype
Prem/biz: 1.9-2.9% plus $0.30

Google checkout:
Free transaction processing when advertise with Google adWords
w/o AdWords, process as low as 2% and $0.20 per transaction