Starting a Business on Etsy - Rio Grande Jewelry Interviews Barbara

Posted on September 09, 2013 by Barbara Polinsky | 1 Comment

A few weeks ago I  had the privilege of being interviewed by Amy Cliser, the director of social media for Rio Grande Jewelry which happens to be one of my favorite places to buy tools and equipment.  Our conversation resulted in this article in the Rio Blog.  Amy wanted my take on starting a jewelry business on Etsy, something I set out to do five or six years ago. In case you're unfamiliar with Etsy, it's an e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items, as well as art and craft supplies. These items cover a wide range, including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, food, bath and beauty products, quilts, knick-knacks, and toys.  They see themselves as "anthropologists of commerce", connecting buyers and sellers of unique items.  As a maker, Etsy has been a wonderful and complex gift, linking me with amazing like minded customers and allowed me to get the business off the ground quickly without having to build an e-commerce web site. I've since developed by own site and online presence and also continue to be very involved with the Etsy community. Thank you Rio, for the recognition!  I would love to hear about your experiences with buying and selling on Etsy.  Please leave a comment.   Here's a reprint of the article:

 Barbara Polinsky with her beautiful rings masterfully cast from twigs I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Etsy jeweler and business woman, Barbara Polinsky, who has built a successful jewelry business over the past five years. We spotlighted Barbara's cast-from-nature jewelry here on The Studio back in April, but in today's conversation she will share some of her best advice about how to find success on Etsy.com. Selling as Barbara Michelle Jacobs on Etsy, she has been featured on Brides.com Summer Jewelry Finds 2010, Etsy Weddings, Lucky Magazine, Refinery 29,  Huffington Post Weddings—where her work was the Handmade Object of the Week in October 2011, Glamour.com, and more.

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Posted in BMJNYC News, Etsy, Press, Rio Grande Jewelry, starting a business, studio