My initial input is…if you want to do it, do it! There will always be a clientele for your product. Etsy was created based on the idea of people buying homemade items. But don’t let the opinions of others drive your dream. Let your creative flag fly!
To answer your questions:
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Do you think the drawing/photography theme doesn’t really matter as there’s always someone who might buy it (a la every Jack has his Jill)?
There will always be someone out there who will buy it. If you want to create something more mainstream then check out the shops of your competitors. See what they sell the most of based on their sales. But create your designs from the heart, too. A mainstream design done solely because it’s popular is less likely to sell than an original design created with love. -
What payment methods do you prefer?
I prefer PayPal mainly. But if not PayPal, then credit card with Discover accepted. My only card is a Discover card and despite their wide usage there are still locations that don’t accept it and in turn don’t get my business. -
How much would you pay (max.)? Or how much do you usually pay for postcards? Does it depend on the motive/theme?
I have paid max $7 for a handmade card, but I won’t do that again. It was a specialty card that was more a print than a postcard. Generally, I buy box sets which can range from $0.12 to $0.20 per card. If I’m buying individual cards, around $0.40 to $0.80 per card. I don’t buy many cards as of late because I have a stockpile of 800, but how many I buy would depend on price, bulk options, and shipping costs. I personally buy cards I would like rather than stocking based on interests of other members. I know there are others with the same interests and me and I’d rather keep things on hand that I would like to receive, too. -
What about shipping? Any thoughts on that?
Truthfully, the less, the better. I’d prefer to pay a higher cost for the card than a shipping cost. My thought is to roll the shipping cost into the cost of the card. If you have to charge shipping, offer deals on combined shipping. I will immediately cancel an order if I have to pay shipping on each item when I know they can be sent together for much less.
