困った時に If you Need Help

さて来週からEtsyの会員登録の仕方、出品の仕方等の具体的な話を一段階ずつしていきたいと思っていますが、その前に、これでいいのかと疑問がわいてきたり　すぐに対応しなくてはならない問題が起こっててしまった時　どうしたらいいか説明しておいたほうがいいかなと思います。
Starting next week, I want to start writing step-by-step instructions on the Etsy basics, such as registering and listing an item. But before that, I think I should mention where you could find answers if you ever have question or problems on Etsy.

Etsyは人気の高いサイトですので　たいていの場合すでに他の誰かが似たような経験をしたり、似たような疑問を抱いたりしています。どこを探せばいいのかさえ知っていれば、わざわざ毎回スタッフにメールを送らなくても簡単に答えは見つかります。
Since Etsy is such a popular site already, someone else has most likely already encountered the same problems that you’re having or asked the same questions you are asking. If you know where to look, you can easily find answers on your own, instead of emailing the staff every single time.


Etsyに関する質問だったらまずはFAQを検索してみましょう。特にお店を開くことに関する質問はこちらです:　http://www.etsy.com/help/topics/#Open_a_Shop　FAQで回答を見つけられなかったりEtsy以外のことで疑問があったときは（例えばPaypalに関する疑問）私はForumsを検索します。
If you have questions about using Etsy, the FAQs should be the first place you search. If your questions are specific to selling on Etsy, you can look for your answers at: http://www.etsy.com/help/topics/#Open_a_Shop. If I can’t find the right answer there, or if I have questions about something other than Etsy (about a problem on Paypal, for example) I search in the Forums.


Forumsは要するにEtsyの提示板。Etsyのロゴの上のCommunityリンクからアクセスできます。Announcementにはスタッフ(EtsyではAdminと呼ばれています)しか書き込むことができませんが、他のSite Help、Business Topics、Ideas、Bugsにはユーザー誰でも書き込むことができます。検索しても答えが見つからないのであれば、自分から質問してみましょう。たいていはすぐに回答が戻ってきます。
Forums is Etsy’s discussion board. You can access it through the Community link, above the Etsy logo on each page. Only Etsy administrators (Admin for short) are allowed to post in the Announcement section, but all users can post in the Site Help, Business Topics, Ideas, and the Bugs sections. If you still can’t find your answer in the Forums, you should post a new topic yourself. In most cases, your fellow Etsians will write back almost immediately.

日本から海外へ品を送る時の質問や一定の技術に関する質問など、ちょっと普通のEtsyのユーザーの方々には答えられない疑問がある場合はForumsよりはTeamsのDiscussion に質問を投稿したほうが詳しい答えを得られます。Teamsとは同じ興味を持ったユーザーの方々が個人で始めたクラブみたいなものでForums と同じくCommunityのページからアクセスできます。今回写真を使わせていただいたFurugiStarさんも私もEtsy JapanというTeamのメンバーです。特に日本在住のユーザーに質問してみたいという方にはEtsy Japanをお勧めします。
If you have a very specific question that an average user may not be able to answer, regarding shipping from Japan or using a certain technique, for example, you might want to try posting your question in a Team discussion. Teams are clubs started by individual users around a common interest, and can be found in the Community page, just like the Forums. FurugiStar, whose items are shown alongside the post this week, and I are both members of the Etsy Japan team. If you have questions that are specific to selling from Japan, I recommend that you join Etsy Japan.

それでも答えが見つからないのならばやはりEtsyのスタッフにHelpページを通して質問してください。実は最近、スタッフの方とチャットができるようになったのですが今のところ日本時間の夜の１１時から朝の７時までしか使えません。メールのほうが時間がかかりますが、簡単かもしれません。
Even after that, if you still can’t find an answer to your question, then it’s time to contact the Etsy staff through the Help page. They’ve recently introduced a live chat tool in the Help page, but right now, it’s only available between 11pm to 7am Japan standard time. If you are located in Japan, it may be easier to email them, even if it takes a little longer to get the answer.

Etsyのお店を開く前に Before You Open Your Etsy Shop

さて皆様はEtsyでどんなお店を開きたいと思っていらっしゃいますか？　やはり自分の力や興味を生かした作品を出品したいですよね。でもキレイな物や可愛い物が作れるというだけで、他のことを何も考えずにお店を開いてもなかなかうまくいかないものです。個人で売るのも商売は商売。しっかり勉強してから開店したほうが後からジタバタせずにすみます。
What kind of store are you planning to open on Etsy? You, of course, want to sell items that take advantage of your skills and interests, right? But just because you can make things that are pretty and cute, doesn’t mean that you’ll soon have a successful store, if you open it without much thought. Even though you’ll be operating it by yourself, a business is a business. If you do your homework before you open your shop, you’ll be able to avoid the hassle later.


そこでまず競争相手がどんなものを売っているのか検索してみてください。似たものを売っている方はどのくらいいますか？　どんな値段で売っていますか？　送料はどのくらいですか？　競争相手が多ければ多いほど売るのは難しくなりますし、海外からだと送料も国内の方の倍以上かかったりします。おまけに他の国に比べると作品を作るための材料の値段がもともと少し高いので、作品の値段が高めになってしまうのもやむを得ないと思います。それでも自分の作品は売れる、と言う自信はありますか？
So, let’s begin by searching what your competitors are selling on Etsy. How many sellers are carrying items that are similar to yours? At what price? How much are they charging for shipping? More competition means your customers will have a harder time finding you. As an overseas seller, your shipping charge will be double that of a domestic seller. In addition to that, in Japan, the cost of materials is a little higher than many other countries to start with, so it’s probably inevitable that the price of your items will be a little higher too. Do you feel confident that your items will sell, even with those conditions?

作品の値段を決める前に計算しておかなくてはならない出費は材料や送料以外にもあります。海外に郵送するためしっかりとした梱包用品が必要です。また、Etsyには出品した時に20セント、それから品物が売れた時に値段の3.5％を手数料として払います。品物の支払いはほとんどの場合Paypalを通してされるのでそちらにも手数料を払うことをお忘れなく。今のところ国外の売り上げには30セント＋3.9％の手数料がかかります。50ドルの品を出品した時に20セント取られてもそう売り上げに大きな影響はないですが、2ドルの品を出品した時に同じ20セントを取られると痛いですよね。安いもののほうが売れやすいのは確かですが、あまりにも安いと商売にはなりません。
Before you decide on the price of your items, you’ll also have to calculate a few other costs besides materials and shipping. Because you’ll be shipping abroad, you’ll need some durable shipping supplies. Also, you’ll have to pay 20 cents to Etsy each time you list an item and 3.5% of the selling price when an item sells. Don’t forget, you’ll have to pay Paypal fees, too, since most customers will make the payment through them. At this time, international sales incur 30 cents plus 3.9% of the total money coming in. 20 cents might not seem like much if you list a $50 item, but it hurts a little if your item is $2, and they still take the same 20 cents. It is true that cheaper items sell better, but it doesn’t make much business sense to sell items that are too cheap.



よく似たものを売っている人がたくさんいる、と言うのもちょっと問題です。特にJewelryやArtのカテゴリーは競争が激しく、お客様に一品を見つけてもらうだけでも難しいんです。私もEtsyを始めたばかりの頃はそれを知らず、苦労しました。今は白いビーズを使った品をWeddingsのカテゴリーに出品したり、競争がちょっと少ないChainmailleのカテゴリーに出品できる品を多く作ったりとできるだけたくさんの方に見てもらえるようにしています。
Having too many other sellers selling very similar items can be a problem too. The Jewelry and the Art categories, especially, are brimming with competition, and it’s quite hard to have even one of your items be found by the right customer. I didn’t know this either when I first started Etsy, and have had to make some adjustments. Now, I list jewelry made with white beads in the Weddings category, and have increased the number of items that can be listed in the Chainmaille category, as the competition is a little less fierce there.


絵を描く方や写真家の方もオリジナルやプリントだけではなく絵付きのグッズなどを売ることでお客様の層を増やしていらっしゃいます。今回絵を使わせていただいた札幌のdosankodebbieさんもとても面白い「絵手紙」と一緒に絵葉書やマグネットなどを販売していらっしゃいます。自分で描いた絵や自分で撮った写真を使う場合に限って、他の業者の方に頼んで印刷してもらった品も手作りとして売ることを許されていますので他にも手提げ、ペンダント、シールなどを販売している方もいらっしゃいます。
Painters and photographers can reach customers from different demographics by offering not only originals and prints, but everyday goods with their art printed on them. Dosankodebbie from Sapporo, who graciously allowed me to use her images today, offers postcards and magnets along with her very interesting “Etegami” or illustrated mail. Items such as tote bags, pendants, and stickers with your images printed by a third party are also allowed in the handmade section if, and ONLY if, you are the creator of the image.

あくまでも他人が撮った写真やよく知られているキャラクターのまねをして描いた絵を使うなど著作権法に反するようなことはやらないでくださいね！　確かにEtsy内でもそういった品を残念ながら見ますが、明らかに規則違反です。お店を開く前に必ずEtsyのTerms of UseとDos and Don’tsをしっかり読み、質問があったらsupport@etsy.comに直接メールしてください。
Please respect the copyright law, and refrain from using photographs taken by someone else or copying a well known character! Unfortunately, we do see items like that on Etsy too, but they are clearly against the rules. Before you open your shop, be sure to read the Terms of Use and Dos and Don’ts thoroughly, and if you have any questions, contact the Etsy staff directly at support@etsy.com.

P.S. If you want to learn more about Japanese culture, I highly recommend that you visit dosankodebbie's blog! You can see many many more of her beautiful work, and even I've learned a few things about Japanese culture.

Etsyとは？ What is Etsy?

さて先週の記事でEtsyのことを日本語で書いてみたい、と言いましたが　まずEtsyとはどんなサイトなのか、どんな物を売れるのか知らないと話は進みません。
As I said last week, I want to write about Etsy in depth, but before we talk about anything else, you have to understand what Etsy is and what you can sell on Etsy.

Etsyは「手作り」専門のマーケットサイト。個人で物が売れるところはeBayまたはヤフオクに似ていますが、オークションサイトではないので売り手が自分で決めた価格で販売しています。Etsyが公開した「Weather Report」によると今年の２月だけでもサイト内合わせて1,850,525個の品物が売れたそうです。売り上げにするとなんと3440万ドル、1ドル＝85円で約29億円ちょっとになります。
Etsy is an online marketplace with a focus on handmade. It is like eBay and Yahoo Japan auctions in that an individual can list items to sell, but Etsy is not an auction site, so the price is fixed according to what the seller finds appropriate. According to their "Weather Report," a total of 1,850,525 items were sold in February of this year alone. They sold for about 34.4 million U.S. dollars total, or about 2.9 billion Yen when calculated at $1=￥85.

Etsyは「手作り」で知られていますが、実は売っているもの全てが手作りと言うわけでもないんです。では、どんな物を売ることができるのかカテゴリー別に見てみましょう。
Etsy is known for handmade, but not everything sold actually has to be handmade. So, let’s look at what you are allowed to sell on Etsy by category.

まずはこれがなければEtsyは語れないと思うカテゴリー「Handmade」。文字通り手作り、それも自分で作ったものでなければこのカテゴリーには出品してはいけません。いくら手作りでも　他人が作ったものを出品することは禁止されています。自分で作ったものであり、手で触ることができる（tangible）と言う条件を満たせば　ボタンのような小物から家具などの大きなものまで何でも売ることができます。福岡からEtsyを使っていらっしゃるfromshinoさんは古い帯や帯締めをつかって上の写真のような素敵なバッグを作っていらっしゃいます。こういう風に古着などをを新しい物にリファッションすることはEtsyではUpcycleと呼ばれ、人気があります。
Etsy is not Etsy without the Handmade category. Everything listed here, obviously, must be handmade and must be made by you. You cannot list something made by someone else even if it is a handmade item. If it is handmade by you, and if it’s tangible, you can sell anything from a tiny button to giant furniture. Fromshino, who uses Etsy from Fukuoka, makes beautiful bags out of vintage obi sashes and obi cords, as seen in the photo above. In the Etsy community, you'll often hear the term "upcycle" in relation to items that have been repurposed like this, and they are rather popular.

手で触ることができる、という中にはコンピュータ－のマウスで「触れる」デジタルファイルも入ります。静岡のBirdieBrownさんは可愛らしいイラストのデジタルスタンプを販売していらっしゃいます。他には自分でデザインした編みぐるみの作り方を説明したPDFのファイルやロゴやバナーのデザインサービス等を販売している方もいらっしゃいます。自分でプリントする紙人形なんかも見たことあります。デジタルファイルはたいていがお手ごろな値段ですし、メールで送受信できるので送料もかからず、海外のお客さんも違和感なく買えるようです。
Digital files that can be “touched” with a computer mouse are also considered tangible by Etsy. BirdieBrown from Shizuoka sells adorable digital stamps of her own illustration. Other popular digital files include istructional PDFs of your own amigurumi design and custom designed logo and banner services. I’ve even seen paper dolls that can be printed at home by the customer. Digital files are a great no-hassle option for overseas users as they are often affordable and require no shipping charges, since they can be emailed directly.

「Supplies」のカテゴリーでは手芸・工芸用品や布、シールや料理用品なども売れます。特に日本のかわいらしい小物は大人気でなんと「Kawaii」がごく普通にキーワードとして使われています。日本語の手芸の本でさえも写真が多く載っていれば見ながら作れる、と言って買われる方も多いようです。
In the Supplies category, you can sell things such as craft supplies, fabric, stickers, and even kitchenware. Cute knick-knacks from Japan are especially popular, so much so that “Kawaii” has become a well known tag word. Many even purchase craft books written in Japanese if there are lots of pictures to guide them.


EtsyにはHandmadeとSuppliesの他にもう一つ「Vintage」のカテゴリーがあります。こちらは20年以上前に作られたものなら、手作りや手芸関係でなくても売ることができます。着物や焼き物、骨董品のほか一昔前のサンリオのような懐かしの品もEtsyに見られます。そんなもの海外の人知ってるの？と思われるかもしれませんがサンリオやアニメ関係のものは古くても意外とよく知られています。このアトムのバッジを販売しているSandshoevintageさんもオーストラリア出身です。
Along with Handmade and Supplies, there is one more category for Vintage items. Here, you can list anything that is at least 20-years-old, even if it’s not handmade or related to crafting. In addition to kimonos, pottery, and antiques, I’ve seen nostalgic items such as older Sanrio on Etsy. You might wonder if anyone outside of Japan would know them, but Sanrio and Anime characters are surprisingly well known. The seller of the Tetsuwan Atom badge shown, Sandshoevintage, is actually from Australia.

随分長くなってしまいましたがそれでもほんの少しの例を挙げただけ。とにかくまずEtsyに行ってどんなものが売れているのか自分で見てみてください。Shop Localと言うツールがありますのでそれを使って日本人のお店を見つけることもできますしPounceと言うツールの中でJust Soldを選択すると実際最近何が売れたのか見ることもできます。
This post has gotten rather long, but I still was only able to give you just a few examples. I urge you to go to Etsy and see what kind of items are selling with your own eyes. You can search for other Japanese sellers using the tool called Shop Local, or choose the Just Sold option in the Pounce tool, and see exactly what was purchased on Etsy recently.

「手作り」で日本を復興しませんか？ Let’s Rebuild Japan with “Handmade”

東日本大震災が起こってから早くも３週間経ってしまいました。被災した方々の苦労、悲しみを思うと本当に胸が痛みます。日本、そして世界中の多くの方が同じ思いと察しますが、私も寄付以外にも自分にできることはないか、どうしたら日本の皆様の役に立てるかいろいろ考えてみました。
It’s already been 3 weeks since the massive quake and tsunami struck Eastern Japan. My heart breaks when I think of the challenges and the devastation the survivors are facing. I’m sure many people around the world did the same, but I’ve been trying to figure out if there’s anything I can do for Japan, in addition to making donations.

で、たどり着いたのが実は私もやっている手作り品のマーケットサイト、Etsy（エッツィー）なんです。今、日本では地震、津波のダメージと計画停電のため工場の機械が動かせず、生産量が少なくなっています。計画停電もいつまで続くのか分からない常態です。でも手作りだったら電気や機械がなくてもいろいろな物を作れますし、ミシンなどの機械が必要な方でも布を切ったり品物の写真を日光の明かりで取ったりと停電の間できることはたくさんあります。手縫いだってできますよね。
Well, in the end, my thoughts turned to what I know, and that was Etsy. Currently, Japan’s manufacturing rate is quite diminished due to the earthquake and tsunami damage as well as the rolling blackouts. And unfortunately, the blackouts will probably last well into the summer and beyond. But when you are making things by hand, you can create lots of things without electricity or machines. Even those crafters who need machines, like sewers, can still cut cloth or take photos of products during power outages. And of course, sewing by hand is an option too!

日本人は手先が器用な方が多いです。趣味でやっているだけ、と言いながらとても質の高い作品を作っている方がたくさんいらっしゃいます。日本だけにしか見られない工芸もたくさんあります。震災直後にも竹を割ってお箸やお湯飲みを作っていられる被災者の方々の姿を見ました。そんな日本人にEtsy はぴったりなのです。
There are many crafty people in Japan, and they tend to make high quality items, even those who claim to do it only as a hobby. There are also many traditional handmade crafts that are only found in Japan. Even mere days after the quake, some of the survivors at an evacuation center were splitting bamboo from the neighborhood to make chopsticks and cups. Etsy really is perfect for the Japanese because of their rich tradition in handmade crafts.

もちろんEtsyでお店を開いたからと言って必ずしもすぐに売り上げが見られる、というわけではありません。Etsyの使用者はほとんどが北アメリカ、またはヨーロッパに住んでいますので日本から個人輸出することになり、英語もある程度はできないといけません。ネットで物を売ること自体、抵抗がある方も多いと思います。でも大きく見える壁も少しづつよじ登ってみれば越えられるもの。私もこの数年で学んだことを生かして、やる気のある方を応援したいと思っています。
Of course, just because you open a store in Etsy doesn’t mean that you immediately start seeing sales. Since most Etsy users are in North America and Europe, the seller must be able to understand English to a certain point and have some knowledge about exporting. Even just the thought of selling online can seem intimidating at first. But even the highest wall can be scaled a little at a time, and I would like to utilize what I’ve learned in the past few years to help anyone who’s interested in joining the Etsy community.

ということでこれからしばらく、Etsyのことを日本語で書いてみたいと思います。
日本経済の復興にはつながらなくても日本の文化を復興させ、世界に残す一つの手段としてEtsyに出品することを検討していただきたい。そんな願いでこれを書いています。
So, in the next few weeks, I’d like to write some Japanese posts that explain Etsy in more depth. While profits from Etsy sales may be too small to make an impact on the economic recovery, I hope that more Japanese people will consider opening an Etsy shop as a way to facilitate cultural recovery of Japan and to keep traditional Japanese crafts from disappearing.

A Week in Japan

As I mentioned earlier, we recently went to Japan for a little over a week to see my family. We had a lot of fun, especially at Tokyo Disneyland! Here are just some of the 450+ pictures I took over the week...


If you ask my son what was the best part about going to Japan, he'll probably tell you, "I rode the Mickey Bus!" And I will have to agree with him. This was just a bus that took you from the hotel to the monorail station, which, in turn took you to Disneyland, but it was the coolest, cutest bus I've ever been on. Even the interior was filled with hidden Mickeys, including red seats with 2 yellow buttons as well as hand rings (I don't know the proper way to call them, but the rings that hang overhead) with Mickey ears!


Of course, once you go inside the park, there are subtle (and not so subtle) Mickey references EVERYWHERE! We had this chicken sandwich on glove-shaped buns for lunch one day. My son also enjoyed some Mickey shaped chicken nuggets, but when my brother got a bright green "Mike Wazowski" (from Monster's Inc.) dessert, my son exclaimed, "Ewww...Yuck!" I guess somethings just should NOT be made into food :)


While Disneyland was a lot of fun, it also wore my son out. He fell asleep one night without even eating dinner, and woke up the next morning at 5AM with his stomach growling. He found it quite entertaining to watch himself eat and kept making "eyes" at himself!


After Disneyland, we went to Odaiba, a man-made island in Tokyo Bay where you can find the coolest and the newest technologies. Our hotel, which was geared towards business travelers, had Umbrella Vending Machines at the entrances.


Our hotel was across the street from Tokyo Big Sight, a huge building that's made up of 4 upside down pyramids. I went for a walk early in the morning and got a good use of my camera.


You can get around Odaiba in an elevated train called "Yurikamome." Each station was decorated with its particular classic Japanese pattern. This station had a Sakura or cherry blossom pattern on the windows. Yurikamome offers you great views of the strange and unique architectures rising up all over the island.


After Odaiba, we got on a bullet train and went to my parents' home near Nagoya. Unfortunately, at this point, my son developed a fever and we pretty much stayed put until it was time to head home. Ah, the ups and downs of traveling with a child! You always have to be ready to adapt your plans to his own schedule. But when I look back at all the pictures and see the smiles on my parents' and my son's faces, I know it was all worth it!