I can't believe May is almost here! Is it just me, or has this year gone by very quickly!? Hopefully the tips below - taken from Etsy's Blog here - will help you tag great shop items and create and tag great Treasuries for this upcoming month. And, of course, remember to tag your team Treasuries "selectperfect" and "etsy team" and remember that each team Treasury must include at least 6 teammates.
As you will see, there are some fun things coming in May and I hope this Blog entry helps you look forward and prepare for them.
Happy Creating!
- Rachelle
An important tip from Etsy (especially for Treasury makers!) - "We're looking to introduce a wider variety of unisex, men-centric, music, and vintage niches into the more regular rotation. Make sure to tag lists appropriately for the best return."Our central merchandising will focus on Mother's Day, graduations, and Father's Day this month. While emphasis will be placed upon the seasonality of the Northern Hemisphere, it's important to remember the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for autumn. Maintaining seasonally appropriate options year-round is good practice for boosting international and overall sales.
- Mother's Day
- Graduation and Teacher Gifts: Personalization, handmade cards (think monetary gifts), and keepsakes are always sought after. The typical college year comes to a close in early to mid-May, while high schools tend to close in mid to late June.
- Father's Day: Business and office accessories, gadgets and tech gear, the cases to carry them in, outdoor equipment, sports gear, men's fashion, keepsakes, and luxury gifts. Keep in mind the home chef, the auto enthusiast, the handyman, the trendsetter, the classic, and those dads who seem to have it all.
- Intro to Summer: Consider how you can market toward seasonal activities like summer travel, outdoor activities, open air fetes and soirees, summer fashion, and lighter, brighter colors.
- Fashion: Options for summer emphasize showing some skin, open toes, lightweight materials, and sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen, makeup, balms, hats and coverups. Summer dresses, shoes and accessories, and options for hair are key.
- Gardening and Artisanal Food: Thoughtful cultivation of food is becoming less a trend and more of a sustainable movement. Think in terms of what you can offer toward organic methods, growing, non-processed options, recipes, and education around sustainable food options. Expect farmer's markets, raising animals, community gardens, and co-ops continue to grow in popularity.
- Weddings, Proms, and Celebrations: Embrace your inner teenager and think about glam prom options with a touch of sparkle and edge: dresses, shoes, jewelry, bags, hair accessories, corsages, and make-up. Smack in the middle of the busiest time for wedding season, think about how your line can offer or evoke outdoor options for both the ceremony and after-party.
- Outdoor Travel: Be it a day trip or an extended vacation, outdoor destinations and activities come into focus. Think in terms of the beach, countryside, forest and mountains. Outdoor activities to think about include camping, biking, hiking, fun at the beach, fishing, and water sports.
- The World in Sports: The Kentucky Derby (May 6th and 7th) ushers in horse racing and equestrian themes, while the French Open (May 17th - June 5th) brings up tennis matches and French themes.
- Emerald is May's birthstone; May's astrological signs are Taurus and Gemini (April 21 - May 20: Taurus, May 21 - June 21: Gemini).
- Sports: Horse racing and equestrian themes, Tennis and France, biking.
- Cinco de Mayo: Celebrations and honor of Mexican culture: beverages, food, festive decor, bright colors, and music.
- Throwback to the Speakeasy: Barware, beverages, nightlife, live music, and secret passwords.
- Cannes Film Festival: South of France, film, international travel, glitz and glam, celebrity, awards.
- Gadget Accessories: With the recent iPhone and iPad availability on Verizon, coupled with the release of iPad 2, accessories for smartphones and tablets are on the rise.
- The Local Artisanal Shop: The butcher, baker, ice cream shop, patisserie.
- Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.
- The Indoor Garden: Glass domes, terrariums, air plants, window herbs, succulent plants, garden markers, and planters.
- Vintage Designer: Fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories.
- Fashion: American prep, nautical, and equestrian references. Tribal, geometric, and color-blocking. Peekaboo cuts, sheer panels, and lace. Wooden platform heels, reversible swimwear, and vintage sunglasses.
- Food trends: Year of the homemade pie, whoopie pie, and macaron.
- Writable surfaces: Chalkboard, whiteboard, fingerprints.
- Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiacs, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.
- Vintage: Globes, maps, crates, baskets, barware, industrial appliances, farmhouse, typewriters, cameras, brass and cast iron animals.
- Geometry: Geometric shapes, patterns, triangles, chevrons, facets, and arrows.
- Constellations, zodiacs, fortune telling.
- Up-cycled lights and lamps, specifically with exposed bulbs.
- Removable fabric and vinyl decals, small run designs.
- Feather hair extensions and accessories.
- Home brewing, beer, and bar accessories.
- Vintage carnival, circus, sideshow, animals, and bright colors.
- The beard and its many variations have transcended the mustache in popularity!
- Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, feathers, arrows, diamonds paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones.
- Natural history and woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.
For those of you who enjoy making Treasuries, we'll be looking to highlight lists that interpret these themes in a creative and cohesive way throughout the site. Please tag your Treasuries accordingly.
- May is known as National Barbecue, Photograph, and Bike Month.
- May 1: May Day
- May 1: Fete du Travail, Labor Day
- May 3: Constitution Day (Japan)
- May 3: National Teachers Day
- May 5 : Cinco de Mayo
- May 7: Kentucky Derby
- May 8: VE Day
- May 8: Mother's Day
- May 15: Saint Isidros's Day (Spain)
- May 11-22: Cannes Film Festival
- May 18: International Museum Day
- May 21: National Bike to Work Day
- May 22 - June 5: French Open
- May 23: Victoria Day (Canada)
- May 30: Memorial Day
