Is Etsy a viable platform for selling my art?

Any revenue source for creatives that’s legal is worth pursuing if it’s working for you. However, it can never be at the expense of something you own 100%. You need your own website that you own, customers that you own, and an email list that you own. On top of that foundation, you can pursue whatever works—art galleries, in-person fairs and shows, marketplace sites like Etsy. The problem with Etsy is that it still requires significant marketing work, but Etsy doesn’t tell you who’s buying your stuff, so you can’t market to them in the future. Over many years, only 3-4-5 people have been encountered doing anything decent on Etsy (more than $10,000/month). Don’t build on Etsy without having your home base sorted first. Your home base is yours for life; various platforms will come and go, but you must have your foundation established and nailed down.

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Asked by an artist exploring Etsy · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-10