Catching Up

Hey everyone, just checking in to see how the Refugees are doing this holiday season!  Post some comments and tell me all about it!

I'm doing alright, making a few sales in my new shop, definitely keeping busy.  How are you guys?

Hunger Worst Its Been in 15 Years..

Hunger in the USA is the worst it has been in 15 years. As we gear up for our Thanksgiving feast, please take a moment to see what you can do to feed a hungry person this winter.


Feeding America: Hunger-Relief Charity | FeedingAmerica.org

Are You Sick Of Putting Up With Etsy's Disrespect And Incompetence?

I just found this great site that offers people recourse when they feel they have been wronged by a company.  I think everyone who has a legitimate bone to pick with Etsy and its policies, should SERIOUSLY contribute.  Don't just be pissed.  Take action!  It will make you feel lighter!

  TELL YOUR STORY on Groubal.

Share The Joy! (And The Savings!)

Time To Start Your Holiday Promos, Folks!!

I do Hope that by now the Original Refugees reading this have set up a new shop somewhere.  Are you running any promotions?  Artfire lets us use coupon codes!!  WOW!!  So, here are some coupons for you, and I hope you will share your new locations and special discounts in the comments section so we can all share the joy!

Enter the coupon code CORALGATE10 and receive 20% off your order of $40 or more!  Good now through January 1st, 2011!!  Come check out my awesome NON-ETSY STUDIO and stock up on your Holiday gift-giving needs!!

Don't forget to post promos for your new non-etsy shops in the comments section.  Let's show the big E what integrity, customer service, and real success looks like by supporting each other this holiday season!!

McDonald's, Pepsi, KFC Tapped To Help Write UK Obesity, Alcohol Policy

Why does this remind me so much of Coralgate?!

 McDonald's, Pepsi, KFC Tapped To Help Write UK Obesity, Alcohol Policy 

I read an article in an advertising trade paper yesterday about faux-greening, it was really interesting and an indication of the times, I think.  I felt that Temple St. Clair was a perfect example.  According to the article more and more people are starting to figure out that just because companies like Exxon Mobile, certain paper manufacturers, etc, claim to be green, doesn't make it so, and to put on that pretense makes them look pretty bloody silly.  It's something we should all hopefully take a lesson from as we little guys move forward with our business goals.

Great Opportunity To Promote Your New Shop!

Dear Refugees,

Many jewelry sellers left Etsy recently over Coralgate and other Etsy blunders and have begun to work on their new shops elsewhere.  It can be difficult to make such a move so close to the holidays, but I have some great news for you! Sagescupboard recently ran a feature of my jewelry on her amazing blog Inspirational Beading and she is seeking more refugees to feature!!  I can tell you that I have received incoming URL traffic to my Artfire Studio as a result of the feature on IB.  Sagescupboard says:

“I really admire all of the sellers who are taking a chance and moving on to lesser known, more respectable venues, and those who have been booted and battered by the Etsy machine, but haven’t given up on the true spirit of handmade. 

There are a lot of sellers out there who are taking this time of change as an opportunity to carve out a new niche in independent markets, and I want to help give them a leg up!  So, right now I’m offering interview spots on my blog exclusively to sellers who are leaving Etsy behind for greener pastures.

Inspirational Beading focuses on all types of bead and jewelry art, so I’m looking for sellers that offer:

Any style of handmade or altered jewelry
Handmade beads
Beaded art, clothing or accessories

There are a variety of interview segments to choose from, and I’ll work with interested sellers to find the topic that best suits their wares.  Each interview includes SEO tagged images and backlinks to shops, blogs, Facebook fan pages, and other sites we like to use to market our products.”


I highly recommend you take her up on this generous offer of support!  Contact her for more details by sending an email to sagescupboard (at gmail dot com) with your NEW shop link.  I'd like to personally extend my thanks to Inspirational Beading for the show of support and generosity!

More Fun With Badges

Sometimes this feels a little like "The First Wives Club" of e-commerce. Declare Etsy your Ex with this new badge.

Remember, Etsy was built on word of mouth... so any conversation piece you can use to strike up a chat about how Etsy REALLY treats its sellers... should be utilized!  <3

Nominate Your Favorite Online Marketplace

From AuctionBytes: One of the most popular features we've run on AuctionBytes during the past 11 years has been our "Sellers Choice Awards." The Sellers Choice Awards allow sellers to rate their favorite online marketplaces in five important areas - Profitability, Customer Service, Communication, Ease of Use, and whether or not you would recommend the venue to other sellers.
_____________________

Ok, guys, time to let your voices be heard. I know who will NOT be receiving my vote this year! To Nominate: CLICK HERE.

Old News

When WWII broke out, my Great Grandfather, a WWI veteran, suffered tremendous psychological and emotional pain. He had fought "The War To End All Wars" and had witnessed the horrors, the cost, the trauma of it all. Now another war was at hand, and it made all he and his generation sacrificed seem futile and meaningless. On top of this, it began to trigger what we now refer to as "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder". As a result, his doctor advised him not to read the newspaper, and advised his family that he should be kept away from the news about the war in general. My Great Grandfather let the war rage on, and instead focused on his own healing.

That is what I propose we, as refugees, begin to do. I know it is tempting to read the forums on Etsy, even after some of us have packed up and left. The issues we cared about are still being discussed, our friends are still interacting there, admin is still ignoring customer questions and concerns. If you have chosen to leave, or, like me, had your account taken out back and shot like Old Yeller, it is probably time to step away from the drama at the heart of the fray, and begin your own healing process. No amount of reading, or even weighing in with an opinion, will make a lick of difference, and will only leave you open to a bunch of sniping from defensive cupcakes. This only serves to further damage your spirit.

Going back in and reading or posting is only picking at an old wound. By now, most of us have realized that Etsy is the way it is, and responded by either grudgingly accepting it and trying to cope, or by closing up shop and finding a more satisfactory service elsewhere, so reading and posting in those forums wont do much to change our circumstances. However, there are still plenty of sellers who are unaware that Etsy is not the happy kingdom it pretends to be. When they run into Etsy's dark side, we will be here to help in terms of comfort, support, and practical advice, and for that, we need to be in good shape.

It can be hard to tear one's self away after months, or in some cases years, of daily participation in Etsy's seller community. We all have to go through a grieving process when we lose the illusions we once had about the site where we invested so much time, energy, and money. That is why, even after I closed my shop, I continued to read and post in the forums. Now that I am prohibited from commenting there, I don't really see the point in going back anymore. Another reason for me to stay out of the forums? Having to read obnoxious, passive-aggressive comments about my now closed account that I can't even respond to. It just doesn't do me any good.

Are you having trouble breaking away from the forums? How do you feel about it? The comment section is open for business!

Another Etsy Movie

For your viewing pleasure...