New Etsy Discovery

I'm convinced that Etsy should put me and probably a thousand other people on their payroll. This site is friggin amazing. If you're a small business person like me, you can find practically everything you need there. Okay, enough Etsy ass-kissing, let me tell you about my new find: It's called Alchemy. Whenever I hear or see the word alchemy, by the way, I always think of the Remede skincare line by Bliss Spa. Anyway, Alchemy is this cool tool that allows you to request custom items that you perhaps can't find at an Etsy shop or any other shop. You simply submit a request, and Etsy members actually get to bid on your request. You state what you're looking for (Today I saw a request for an armpit shaped like the state of New Jersey????) and how much you're willing to pay for it then watch the bids roll in-or not. I am starting to generate a little buzz with my little company, The Decadent Flame, and I was looking for someone who could make me a logo for biz cards and hang tags for a paltry $25.00, and I honestly was not expecting much of a response. Well, whadda ya know? I got over 19 bids in a 10 minute span. My head was spinning. Some of the bids came in on target, others were actually under my maximum price. A few were over (declined those right away.) After mulling over all the bids, I did finally choose one. The hardest part was telling all the others that I was not going to accept their bids. I don't like rejection, and I know it's a part of doing business, but I don't like it nonetheless. There were two sellers who were very gracious in their "defeat," and I want to give them some love: CustomCrosses and Butterfly Chic. Their shops were very well put together, and they were in my price range, but there was one in particular that stood out. Honestly, I think the fact that I was getting a super bargain for practically nothing was part of the hook. This shop offers custom logos for $100 and I'm only paying $30 for mine. Yeah, yeah, I did end up paying more, but I can't resist a bargain. Who's the winner? I'm not telling just yet. I gotta keep you coming back somehow. Stay tuned.....