In the handmade marketplace, “penis” and “vagina” are not created equal.
That is, when it comes to keywords. Based on Etsy’s keyword ad prices, a vagina is worth $0.12 cents more.
On Etsy, only part of a successful sale relies on having a good product. With more than 10 million users, many sellers make use of Etsy’s internal search ads in order to make sure shoppers can find their goods. For example, a soap seller might buy the “soap” keyword ($0.31 per 1,000 impressions) in order to show up at the top of an Etsy search for “soap.”
And yes, Etsy provides prices for every keyword shoppers may care to search. That includes penis ($0.70 this June, up from $0.60 in March) and vagina ($0.82 cents). Even the slang term pussy is permitted, though it costs just as much as an arm or a leg ($1.15 each). Boob is also worth $1.15, but breast is slightly more expensive at $1.20.
The Etsy community may be predominantly women, but the pricing has nothing to do with that. According to Etsy:
“Etsy’s search technology sets keywords and prices based on Etsy Shop Owners’ use and historical search data. This data is evaluated periodically and keywords and their prices are reset. For some keywords, where seasonality and trends matter, there may be a variance in price over time.”
In other words, people look up “penis” more often in summertime, causing its price as a search term to rise.
Etsy rules permit sellers to offer all types of mature products, from sex toys to vulva portraits (links are obviously NSFW). While squeamish users may restrict mature content from searches, Etsy allows it by default. And vagina art does more than titillate sellers in the forums; its relatively high-keyword price shows that it’s a popular search and that there’s real money to be made.
Looks like there’s a lot more to Etsy than its homespun, granola reputation would portray.
“I guess you really can find anything on here!!!!” one seller wrote.
Photo via AlisOriginalArt