Heartsy...

Have you all heard of Heartsy?
It's new to me, so I thought maybe it is new to all of you also -- so I thought I would share!

OK, I know you all have heard of Etsy and love it as much as I do. Vintage and handmade goods? One-of-a-kind items? Supporting small businesses and up-starts? Custom-made pieces? Umm, yes please!
Heck, I ordered so many items off of Etsy for my wedding. People commented on so many of them, and I was more than happy to share my secret!

OK, I know you all have heard of Groupon and love it as much as I do. (Echoey in here, no?) There are also several other Groupon-like sites. (Living Social, KGB Deals, WTD Deals, Eversave, Trubates -- I'm sure there are more.) All of these sites offer vouchers on goods/services at a discount.

So, Heartsy? Put those ideas together!
Each day, Heartsy features one Etsy seller. You buy a voucher to that seller's store that is worth more than you pay for it. The voucher is good for anything at that seller's store. For example, today's Heartsy deal is you spend $19 to receive $50 worth of credit at Tonetti Jewelry.

Now, I am not an Etsy seller. But I read an article that debates whether deals like these are beneficial to sellers, who may feel as though they are giving away their items or losing potential profit. This article does some hypothetical number-crunching, and the gist of the article is that while, yes, sellers may potentially lose some money in the short-term by participating in the deal, it is also possible for sellers to gain many new customers who will return to buy products at full-price -- thus making long-term gain outweigh the short-term loss. So basically, a seller needs to know their costs, their customers, and their product. They need to be honest about the quality and uniqueness of what they are creating and selling, and they need to ensure that first-time customers will become repeat customers. If you can hook a seller using a deal, the profit over the long term will be worth it.

But again, as I said, I am not an Etsy seller. I am an Etsy customer. And as is the case with any customer, I want amazing products, and I want to find the best deal I can get to purchase them. That said, I love Etsy, and I don't want to rip off any sellers.

I suppose, in the end, I believe it is the responsibility of the seller to determine if participating in a Heartsy deal is beneficial to them. And if I happen to see a Heartsy deal that piques my interest, I will buy it -- and if I love my purchase, I will gladly become a repeat customer and recommend the shop to my friends.


What are your thoughts on Heartsy? Would you purchase a Heartsy deal?