Ode to Art Fire...

I'm bored (actually... technically, I'm avoiding housework), so I thought I'd write a tribute to Art Fire and why I love the new site so much...

** Oh Art Fire, you only charge me $7 a month and I can list and sell an unlimited amount. You are giving me access to a blog and the ability to attach 10 pictures to every listing... you are a great deal.

**Oh Art Fire, you allow me to see who (like Google or Yahoo) is referencing both my shop and my specific items. I can see how many people view my studio, not just individual items.

**Oh Art Fire, you not only published my article on craft fairs, here, but you also visit my blog and comment. You make me feel like a valued member of a community, rather than seller number 1,052.

**Oh Art Fire, your search function makes me swoon! While there are always room for improvements (such as a list in ABC order function), the simple fact that you have a search function by PRICE is amazing! I love it!

**Oh Art Fire, you make it so easy for me to sign up new customers. When I only listed on Etsy, all custom orders that we received from friends and previous customers never got listed -- why pay their listing and selling fee if they didn't find the customer???!!! By not charging us listing or selling fees, I can list an unlimited number of custom orders and get my friends, family and previous clients signed up. More buyers means more purchases all around!!!!! YAY!

**Oh, Art Fire, your selling process is fantastic! I love how I can add the tracking information right to the invoice and I love your "Recent Sales" box on the front page. It makes everything so organized and easy to manage! I love your karma system that allows you to mark your experience on a 1 - 10 scale instead of relying on "positive, negative, neutral" system that Ebay realized was inadequate on the selling end years ago. I love how I can add notes about the progress of an order !!!

I know that Art Fire is a new site, I know they're still working on kinks, and I know that the best is yet to come... I guess that's why I'm so excited! I already feel more at home, and happier, at Art Fire than I ever did at Etsy. At Etsy, I felt like an insignificant number and, truthfully, I was. I didn't spend the ridiculous amounts of money needed to update or add my products constantly, attempting in vain to stay at the top of the search, so I just wasn't important. At AF, I feel valued and that makes me feel good as an artist. I hope it succeeds -- in this type of economy, success isn't even assured for the most rooted of businesses -- because I truly like the people working for Art Fire. Can't say the same for Etsy.

Jen