Image: Pottery Etsy shipping setup
The Etsy pottery economy
Etsy is the dominant channel for small pottery businesses. ~80% of artisan potters generating $20k-$200k annual revenue do it primarily on Etsy. The platform fees (12-15% combined transaction and ad costs) hurt margins but the discovery traffic is invaluable for new makers.
Etsy pottery economics: $35 mug sells for ~$30 net after fees. Material + labor + firing cost: $9-13. Per-mug margin: $17-21. Selling 60 mugs per month = $1,200-1,400/month net. That's the baseline for a successful Etsy pottery side business.
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