Aprons Gone Wild

By the Thousands...Every girl needs an apron!

~I noticed something interesting recently. When I first opened my etsy apron shop back in June of 2008, there were over four thousand aprons listed for sale. I thought that amount was astounding and wondered how on earth I'd ever sell anything with so much competition. But, I did. Fast forward to this past October, when I listed a few new aprons and noticed the number had climbed to over eight thousand! Yet, I sold five aprons in October and three in November. How does that happen? What leads a buyer to purchase something of mine when there are thousands of other choices? I can't figure it out. Plus....the way etsy works, when you first list an item, it shows up on the first page of all the listings in that category, where it can be seen by anyone who is searching for that item...in my case, aprons. Back in 2008, a new listing would usually stay on the first page for perhaps three four hours at least. (Once a listing goes off the first page, it's less likely to catch someone's eye. Ultimately, when it gets pushed back to some God forsaken page, it's doubtful that it will be seen at all.) The last time I listed an apron it only stayed on the first page for about forty five minutes, which I assume is attributable to the doubling of the total amount of aprons listed. So how is it that folks still seem to find my aprons and buy them? I mean, I think my aprons are unique and special and well priced. But, if I'm being truthful, there are a lot of other etsy sellers who make gorgeous aprons as well. It's a puzzlement.
~Friends and family know me as someone who can go on and on and on about something. When I was doing exactly that the other day about this subject, a friend who is also an etsy seller made the observation that there must be a huge market for the product if I can sell anything at all while competing with over eight thousand others. I'd call that positive thinking. Come to think of it, she's probably right. There is a vast world full of shoppers out there. Even in a reportedly bad economy, every girl needs a thirty dollar apron, doesn't she?
~Check us out at www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com