Trends can be fun, but also very frustrating for artists. Some handmade sellers jump all over a trend, turning out item after item to fit its theme. They do great for awhile, but as with all trends, it will eventually fade and the creator will have a bunch of leftover, outdated merchandise on his or her hands. An Etsy shop themed entirely around bacon or vampires might do really well for awhile, but as Etsy and it’s customers move on to the “next big thing,” those shops will be left in the dark unless they can keep up the dynamic. The more responsible and sustaining method of utilizing trends is to take a more subtle approach.
Some trends are bound to repeat themselves every year. These trends are seasonal trends. They center around the weather, holidays, the school year, etc. There will always be a wedding season come June, a Halloween come October, and cold weather come November. It’s easy to predict these trends because they HAPPEN EVERY YEAR, and it only makes sense to stock up one’s shop with the appropriate items when the time comes. For example, a shop that normally sells scarves and hats that does really well in the winter months might want to consider some lightweight wraps to be used as swimsuit coverups in the summer, or short-sleeved shrugs for spring. It also make sense to let your Christmas-themed items expire in February and save renewing them until October/November.
Other trends that won’t necessarily “date” your items are color trends. Every year Pantone gets to decide what colors are “in” for the seasons/year, and pretty much everyone gets to follow suit whether they like it or not. Luckily, a color is a color, and there really isn’t anything negative about that. Maybe you HATE yellow. So don’t make yellow shyte. Pantone comes out with a pretty decent palette, so you aren’t limited to one or two options. This spring their colors are a mix of light pastel and neutrals. They are rich, warm colors while being subtle and background-fading. They make me thing of small flower gardens and ponds.
To follow seasonal and color trends on a handful of your items won’t date your shop in the way that it would if you completely rode on a single trend of popularity. It would, however, help you gain that increased exposure that having those items would give you. I personally don’t stress over missing out on a trend or two. If I completely skip summer because I’m too busy preparing for autumn, that’s okay. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Pick one and ignore the other. For example, right now I’m focusing on the wedding season, doubting I’ll get anything “graduation” related listed in time for June. Also, no matter what the season or trend, I am staying true to my style and my chosen medium. It’s one thing to abandon what you love for what is popular, and another to integrate what is popular into what you love.
