Is etsy of interest for sourcing hamster supplies?

[VOESSY]

Hello everyone.

I've had some thoughts about how small pet owners feel about buying accessories from Etsy (and similar other sites).

Would you see yourself going on there to find specially built one-of-a-kind, affordable items for your lovelies, or is it just easier/safer/comfortable/cheaper to stick to petshops/amazon/other?

Thanks for reading.

[cloudy]

Hello Voessy. I love Etsy for hamster things. I have bought most of my items from there.

[VOESSY]

Originally Posted by cloudy

Hello Voessy. I love Etsy for hamster things. I have bought most of my items from there.

Great!

Was there ever a time you wanted to find something that wasn't really there?
Probably a hard question, but I'm looking to see if the market is saturated or if there are things people still look for.

[cloudy]

Originally Posted by VOESSY

Great!

Was there ever a time you wanted to find something that wasn't really there?
Probably a hard question, but I'm looking to see if the market is saturated or if there are things people still look for.

I have some odd requests maybe but I will share them. I would love to find a good quality hamster seed mix without sesame seeds. ( I am allergic). I have found it difficult to find solid bridges. (not the bendy kind) I would also like to have found hides with big enough entrance holes for Syrian hamsters. They are harder to find.

[VOESSY]

Originally Posted by cloudy

I have some odd requests maybe but I will share them. I would love to find a good quality hamster seed mix without sesame seeds. ( I am allergic). I have found it difficult to find solid bridges. (not the bendy kind) I would also like to have found hides with big enough entrance holes for Syrian hamsters. They are harder to find.

Sorry about the allergy thing, that must be a hassle.

Solid bridges and bigger holes in hides are definitely two solid examples. I struggled to find nice looking hides in syrian size aswell.

I am toying with the idea of possibly creating and selling things people seem to be missing, so thank you for sharing.

[cloudy]

Originally Posted by VOESSY

Sorry about the allergy thing, that must be a hassle.

Solid bridges and bigger holes in hides are definitely two solid examples. I struggled to find nice looking hides in syrian size aswell.

I am toying with the idea of possibly creating and selling things people seem to be missing, so thank you for sharing.

Thank you. It sure is a hassle.

I think there is a market for bridges and Syrian sized hides. It seems many people have to buy guinea pig hides and they can be a bit too big.

[Pebbles82]

Originally Posted by VOESSY

Sorry about the allergy thing, that must be a hassle.

Solid bridges and bigger holes in hides are definitely two solid examples. I struggled to find nice looking hides in syrian size aswell.

I am toying with the idea of possibly creating and selling things people seem to be missing, so thank you for sharing.

There is definitely a market for suitable hamster hides and bridges (and ladders that attach safely).

The only real suitable hamster hides, in my view, are from Rodipet or Getzoo and postage is expensive (and the houses are expensive). And those aren't all quite perfect either - rooms too small or compartments in the wrong place. They are pretty good though (especially the rodipet ones).

It's basically a box with holes isn't it? With the comparments in the right place.

Just about everything else is either too small or made with nails or has unsafe entrance sizes or windows.

The Ferplast Guinea pig and Rabbit houses are a good "nesting box" but as Cloudy says, the doors are very large.

I found a few "copycat" labyrinth houses on Amazon that looked ok, but on closer inspection the dimensions were only enough for dwarf hamsters (and some of the wood looked a bit rough and splintery).

Happy Hamsters links a couple of Etsy sellers for houses - one labyrinth house looked quite good there, but some of the inner entrance doors were in the wrong place. Rodipet has it right there (with the Syrian labyrinth house) - the nesting area needs to be round a corner so it's dark and the toilet tray area needs to be easily accessible for it, with the top hole well away from those area.

They are expensive and I usually end up cutting a compartment out. They would also be better with doors rather than holes - when our hamsters are older I end up cutting out the bottom part of the hole to make a door - so they can still get in and out of the house (when they can't pick their feet up or have a lump or something).

So if you're thinking of starting a cottage industry - please do! I'd buy one!

[Pebbles82]

I've seen some lovely things on there but they do seem to have a week or more delivery time - not like next day delivery or anything! Whenever I buy anything I seem to need it in a hurry!

[VOESSY]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

I've seen some lovely things on there but they do seem to have a week or more delivery time - not like next day delivery or anything! Whenever I buy anything I seem to need it in a hurry!

I see what you mean with the delivery times. I don't know for sure, but I think it may depend on where the buyer and seller reside and how you solve shipping. Could be wrong though!

[Stanza]

I don’t really use Etsy, maybe I should take a look . I’ve sourced most of my shelves etc via Amazon or other UK based pet stores.