Good 3rd party sites to sell art through?

SmidgeArt 2020-01-21 20:04:42 UTC #1

So I've been seeing some of my art friends use RedBubble and was wondering what are some good sites to sell art and merch through like RedBubble?
Or if anyone has experiences with RedBubble if they're a reliable source for good merch and income

VibrantFox 2020-01-22 06:42:10 UTC #2

If you're looking for print on demand sites similar to Redbubble, the ones I most commonly hear about are these here:

https://www.teepublic.com/

I haven't used these myself so I can't vouch for product quality or site experience but if you search through the forums for threads related to merch/merchandise you may turn up a few that go a bit more in depth about some of the sites I've listed above as well as some others.

Hope you're able to get the info you need

rajillustration 2020-01-22 07:23:34 UTC #3

They're fine. They're not a great source of primary income because you only make a fraction of the sale (and on Redbubble you can decide how big you want your cut to be, but having a more expensive print may discourage buyers so I only raise my prices on certain things), but since you don't have to do any packaging at all or need to talk to customers ever, it's a nice little passive income, and it's nice to have so many options for prints from stickers to tote bags.

joannekwan 2020-01-22 08:09:33 UTC #4

I use Society 6 and they have good quality. I know of people who use Zazzle as well but I don't have any experience with them. I keep my account on there to produce things I can't practically make myself for cheap, like shirts, rugs, clocks, large canvas prints, etc.

But like with all of these types of sites where they print your design on their own supplied product and they fulfill the order for you, the margins will be low and you likely won't see much money unless you're selling a LOT.

I've found more success in opening my own storefront through Gumroad and Storenvy. These sites are like Etsy, where you have to make/find independent producers to create your items, keep your own inventory on hand, and pack/ship out the orders yourself. Sure it's more work, but you get higher margins. If you want to sell small things like charms, pins, and stickers, this will be your best bet.

A note on the sites listed in the post above:
Big Cartel works the same as Storenvy and Etsy, but I believe they have a maximum amount of items you can list unless you pay monthly. (Gumroad, Storenvy, and Etsy are unlimited as far as I know).
InPrnt requires an application or an invitation from an established artist on the site before you can make a storefront with them. They are curated by the staff/community.
I'm pretty sure some of those T-shirt sites have an application process as well, but I don't have any experience with them so I can't say for sure.