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| “It’s not easy being green” Treasury by HandKnitsByMellissa |
In case you’re not familiar with Etsy treasuries, I should probably explain that these are little groupings of shop items, which are collected (or “curated”) by Etsy members. They are lots of fun, and usually quite beautiful. Some people create these collections based on color or theme, others use them as a sort of virtual storytelling. These treasuries fascinate and amuse me in the way that they function as sort of a lens into the collector’s imagination.
When I first learned that my work was being featured in Etsy treasuries, I would take a screen shot and post it here on my blog, along with a link to the curator’s shop. I also liked to include links to some of the other featured artists. It just seemed like a good way to say thanks, and to give a little bit back.
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| “Cinnamon & Spice” by Amanda23 |
In the past it was sort of a coup to land a treasury, because Etsy could only showcase a limited number of them. So in order for a treasury to be posted, the curator would have to have excellent timing and incredible patience in order to snag that perfect window of opportunity to get their treasury on the site. This changed several months back, when Etsy opened up their “Treasury East” feature (don’t ask me why they call it that — perhaps a more experienced seller can shed some insight). Treasury East allows for unlimited treasuries, so there is no more waiting and pouncing on the perfect opportunity.
The obvious upshot of this is that it’s a lot easier to get a treasury. A more seasoned seller explained that this has a down side in that treasuries are no longer as exclusive. She feels that in the past, her treasuries used to generate a lot more views and sales for the featured artists, but with so many treasuries out there now they just do not get as many views. I can see (and even agree with) the logic in this, but it does not kill my joy for treasuries …
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| “If you love me…” by me |
They still fascinate me, and I still feel honored (and grateful) when my work is included. I’m not sure if they generate more sales, but at very least it lets me know that people do appreciate my work, which I find motivating and encouraging. However, I seem to get featured a lot more now which makes it harder to keep up. Plus, if I posted them all on my blog it would be nothing but treasuries, which would be rather dull. Another seller, Orglamix showed me a simple solution — she features treasury screenshots in an album on her Facebook fan page, along with links back to the curator’s shop. Since late October, I have shamelessly copied this idea on my own fan page.
I kind of petered out on this in mid-November, simply because my world got very very busy. I was finally able to catch up this morning, and I’ve added 45 new treasuries (some of which are showcased in this post) in my Facebook album. These are the treasuries which have featured my work – along with a few that I have curated myself – since I slacked off. A few of these treasuries now have blank spots where items have sold, simply because I waited so long to get the screenshot. Hopefully, I’ll do a better job of staying on top of these in the coming year — silly as it is, I really do appreciate the inclusions and I take pleasure in this small gesture of gratitude.
Many thanks,
~Andrea
