Make Your Own Catalog – Ideas From Sellers

For handmade sellers, a catalog may be a unique way to bring sellers online to purchase handmade items.

“Handmade sellers can boost sales by creating a catalog of the items they sell and their shop website can be listed in the catalog,” said Jennifer from Etsy’s Cora Marie Boutique. “You can lay them out at craft shows, put them in promo bags and hand them out at craft fairs, send them with your customers orders, and hand them out to family and friends.”

But, how can creating a catalog result in online sales?  Jennifer speaks from experience.

“Some people don’t own a computer or know how to shop online. If you give out catalogs they can order your handmade items by mail. People who have a copy of your catalog can show it to their family and friends and so on. Catalogs will open up a new opportunity of making sales just like your online shop and craft shows,” she tells HandmadeMarketing.org.

Jennifer suggests handmade sellers on a budget make their own catalog.  “Making it yourself is the cheapest way to go,” she advises.  “The only expenses are paper and ink for the printer/copier.”

“I make my own catalog using my home computer,” she shared with HandmadeMarketing.org.  “Just go to Word Perfect and select book format. Add pictures of your items and a description about the item and the price.“

Jennifer also suggests sellers create an order form for the potential buyers.  This is done by adding columns and rows in a grid.  “Add a section for your shipping charges, customer name and address, your name and address, and form of payments you except,” she adds.

“You can even print out one catalog and get copies made of the catalog using a home coping machine,” Jennifer told HandmadeMarketing.org.

Jennifer started selling on Etsy.com because of a suggestion from a friend.  “A friend told me about Etsy and I gave it a try,” she told us.  “I love it.  I like the Etsy forums where you can chat with other artist and crafters from all over the world and make new friends.  I also love the Etsy Storque where I can find info about selling, making over my shop, promoting my items, and so much more.  It is a wealth of information,” she says.

Concerned about the environment or want to save some cash?  Etsy’s Primitive Earth Soap Company came up with a great idea to utilize catalogs while cutting printing costs.  By creating a catalo online and posting it on the company website (see the “Wholesale Catalog” link), the handmade shop was able to effectively and professionally advertise, without the high cost of printing.

Creating a catalog doesn’t have to be limited to designers either.  MyEtsyBook offers an option for sellers to use a template to create a catalog.  Although some sellers dislike the templates available at the site, others can easily create a catalog, without any design knowledge.

Want to test the waters to see if a catalog is of any benefit to your handmade crafts?  One Etsy seller commented in the Etsy.com forums that she created a smaller version of a catalog. “I have a pamplet that has several of my items on it, I print it on pink paper with black ink, and then fold it in three parts,” she wrote.  “I have an electronic one – full color, with product pics for wholesale accounts. It also has our terms for wholesale purchase. It’s easy to update, and a lot greener than a printed version,” another Etsy seller added.

Have you created a catalog for your Etsy, ArtFire, or 1000 Markets shop?  Has it been an effective way to advertise both online and offline?  Do you have any tips or ideas for how to create a catalog at home?

We want to hear your ideas!  Share your tips for selling handmade online with other sellers.  The goal of HandmadeMarketing.org is to create a resource for sellers to help the entire handmade movement – and we need your help!  When we publish ideas from sellers, we post an article to give your shop press.

Our hope is those who contribute receive a boost in shop visits and sellers looking for new ideas benefit from the knowledge of those with proven success!