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Rayela Art, as a business, has at its core retail sales.
This includes selling product that is either bought from wholesalers to re-sell
or that is made by yours truly. I have sold through many different venues:
brick and mortar shops, art fairs, trade shows, and various online marketplaces.
Visit Online Shops or
Brick and Mortar for more of my thoughts about those
topics. Currently, I have three online stores and a booth in an antique
mall in downtown Paducah.
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My main online shop is on Etsy. My product
focus is ethnic textiles, remnants, interesting fabric, and other supplies for
the fiber artist. Textile stamps from Afghanistan have been my best
selling item ever since I started carrying them. I would really like to
carry more fair trade items, but Etsy does not allow new crafts that are not
made by the seller. Ironic, as it touts the handmade revolution in every
other way. Most of what I sell there either fits into the vintage or
supplies category. |
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I have been selling on eBay for years, but over time, have lost my
enthusiasm for being there. It is expensive and junky. Yet, it
still has the best audience, search engine, and seller tools than any
other site, so I stay there. Whatever I am not allowed to sell on
Etsy, goes into my eBay shop. I recently did a major inventory
check, moved things around, and closed my eBay store temporarily,
but will reopen there at some point. |
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1000 Markets arrived on the scene in early 2009. Here is how
they describe themselves:
1000 MarketsTM
Our passion is supporting small, artisan businesses
as they deliver small-scale authenticity to appreciative customers. The
end result, a work in progress, we call The Artisan Experience™ on 1000
Markets, and it’s our vision for the boutique, art-filled, authentic
shopping experience you’ve dreamed of.
The Artisan ExperienceTM
We are tirelessly pursuing new ways to elevate the
online shopping experience for buyers and sellers, from beginning to
end: from the initial joy of exploration, to the satisfaction of finding
the perfect item, to the thrill of buying something special directly
from its maker.
Shops are juried in and currently no imports are allowed. I have
moved most of the things I have made to my shop on 1000 Markets. The
site is beautifully designed and will hopefully continue to grow and
gather a dedicated following. |
Finally, if you happen to be in Paducah, Kentucky, you will
find that Rayela Art also has a shop in a physical place, here on this good
earth: Antique Galleria at 212 Broadway in Downtown Paducah.
Ralli quilts, suzanis, kilims, Indian bedspreads, and many other textiles and
gifts from around the world will delight your eyes.
After 20 years of selling ethnic textiles and crafts plus the things I make,
I still love doing it. Of course, there are many tedious tasks involved in
maintaining these stores, but the rewards are many. I enjoy the small
importers I work with, the many cultures represented, the educational
opportunities, and the craftsmanship of the product. I may also note here
that if you have specific product requests that are not represented in my shops,
I can try to source them through my connections. This product niche is a
small one and over time, those of us who stick with our passions for textiles
and traditional crafts, end up getting to know each other. Make Rayela Art
your source for these beautiful traditions! |
