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| a portion of each peacock sale goes to charity |
I’m thinking of adding a new section to my Etsy shop, called “Good Karma” or something along those lines. This section would feature products whose sales help to support different charities, as well as highly discounted items (such as older works that are a little shopworn, or items that just don’t fit well with my current style) and maybe even a few “Pay it Forward” listings for destash supplies. My intentions are good, but I find myself second guessing a few points and I’d appreciate a little input. Please feel free to skip to the “abridged version” below 😉
My hope is that the charity listings will highlight some of the causes that I believe in, which could raise awareness (and of course, money) for those issues. It also might give buyers a sense of who I am and what inspires me. For example, for every one of my peacock products that I sell (barrettes, pins, necklaces and cuffs) a portion is donated to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in memory of my friend who inspired that series. I also donate to several environmental groups, the Xerces society, a local Domestic Abuse shelter, Native American charities and disaster relief efforts for events like Hurricane Sandy. Still, I question if this is information that customers want to know, or will sharing this in the context of my business come off poorly?
As far as the discounted items, it’s a way to clear out my studio and offer some really sweet deals at the same time. I have quite a few earrings, barrettes and buckskin pouches left over from when I was doing more southwest inspired work; they’re quality pieces, but they’re rather incongruent with what I’m doing now. Items like these might be nice stocking stuffers, or inexpensive options for group gifting. Similarly, I have a few pieces that are a bit shopworn from being handled too much at show. They’re clean, well crafted pieces… but they do have imperfections so I don’t feel right about selling them at full price. This subsection would offer some serious bargains, but could it make my shop look discordant or sloppy?
The abridged version –
Pro’s: A section like this might enable me to better connect with buyers, highlight causes that I love, offer great bargains AND clear out my studio.
Cons: The charity stuff might seem preachy or just be TMI, and the scratch and dent stuff could make the shop look sloppy, haphazard or just cluttered.
What do you think?