etsy idea - is this creepy?

[lizawithazee]

Glitter!

Thought I'd put this out there now, because in the retail world the holidays are just around the corner.

So anyway, I started an Etsy shop two months ago and things are going great. It's women's vintage clothing from the 1950s-early 1980s.

When I ship my packages I include a handwritten thank you note, and I know lots of other sellers do this also.

Here's where I need your advice on "personal touches." I have kept a list of all my customers and their mailing addresses. Would it be weird to send a pretty handwritten note on company letterhead/cardstock (with vintage stamps!) in early November to thank them for their business over the past year, and to not hesitate to shop my store for any holiday needs they may have?

I would not say 'Hannukah' or 'Christmas' or make any reference to any specific holiday.

Is this crossing any boundary? I couldn't really find a guildline about that in Etsy's rules. All it says that is even close to this issue is to kindly not contact someone jsut because they "heart" something in your shop.

Would you be turned off if you received an unsolicited note such as this in the mail? I don't want to be a creep-o.
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the medium is the message

[Figwit]

I've recieved a few letters from etsy sellers and I always liked it, but if you do a holiday letter I would include a coupon code for being a repeat customer. I always like those, and I'm more likely to shop at the store if I have an incentive.

I don't know about etsy rules, though, because I know you're not supposed to send etsy convos like that. Did you have any "more personal" interactions with customers? Like a few convos back and forth instead of just the little note to seller? I would save the letters for those people, who are more likely to be interested in your shop.
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good, clean, fair.

small is possible.

[knittykat]

I agree with the coupon code. I would love receiving a letter like that!
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[lizawithazee]

Um yeah, a coupon code is brilliant. Thanks, Figwit!
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the medium is the message

[Snow Ghost Seven]

Yeah--I like it! The worst that will happen is that someone will be like, eh, junkmail. But I would be psyched about the coupon.
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[casiep]

I think it's a great idea...especially with the coupon code.
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[scaredsi11y]

I voted yes.

Regarding etsy's specific rules, I think the main reason they prohibit "advertising" is that it's annoying to receive generic PMs from sellers looking to increase their sales. Sending a handwritten note, IMO, puts this in a different, non-spammy category.
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"It came to betoken the nation's biking and adulation of automobiles!"

[Solstice]

Another point in favor of this - traditional retail does this kind of thing all the time! (Buy one thing and you're on the mailing list for years, you know?) So it's not as though contacting customers later is without precedent. And when it's with a coupon and a once-a-year thing, I wouldn't think of it as an annoyance like when big retailers do it, either.

[astrea]

Honestly, I would be weirded out if an etsy seller kept my mailing address and did that, but I guess I'm in the minority here. I'd be more okay with it if it were a convo or an email.
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[scaredsi11y]

The addresses do automatically stay "on file," so to speak. It's not like a seller would have to specifically go out of their way to save customer addresses in another location. I can understand where you're coming from, though.
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"It came to betoken the nation's biking and adulation of automobiles!"

[scarymonster]

[daysleeper]

My accountant and the local oil change place send greetings/ads during the holidays why can't you?

I think this is pretty common standard business practice, not creepy at all.

[mk.carroll]

I voted yes, and will add that if you don't want to be too invasive, you could make it an opt-in, e.g. "would you like to be notified of holiday specials via mail?"
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[Jzane]

I vote to send them. And I like mk.carroll's idea, but it's sort of too late for that if people have already bought things 2 months ago.

Maybe you could add that line- "Would you like to be notified of specials?" to your Etsy shop right now. Then, to the people you send cards to (because I still think you should) include a coupon code, and also include a note about "Please contact me/Convo me/return this card/etc. if you do not wish to receive future notices from this shop."

P.S. Vintage 60's clothes? SO going shopping right now.
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