Etsy's Handmade Blog
How to Make a Great Treasury List
Story by Community, Vanessa, yaelfran
Published on November 19, 2007 in How-To 		Photo by

D'Arcy Norman on flickr


Update! There are now 333 Treasury lists up for grabs - until further notice! What are you waiting for? Start making some great Treasuries!

Ever wonder how we get those beautiful collections of items on the homepage of Etsy? If you're new to Etsy, you may not have yet visited the Treasury. But for those of us who have been around for a while, we've come to recognize these hand-picked lists from Etsians as the virtual display windows for Etsy, and also one of the focal points of the Etsy community.

There are no hard and fast rules for making Treasury Lists. However, since admin often pick Treasury Lists to "promote" to the homepage of Etsy, there are many questions about what we look for. There is simply no exact recipe for catching our eye, and getting on the homepage is not always the sole end-all goal of a Treasury List curator. People curate Treasury Lists for the fun of it or because it's a meaningful mode of expression and shows your flair as a shopper with good taste. It can also be a useful marketing tool: you can promote your Team's items, do a Buy and Replace, show off your friends' and family's work, create a gift registry for yourself, feature newbie sellers, bring an underrepresented art form to the fore, or foster good karma in the community, etc. (comment below with other things you can do!). To soak up curator skills by osmosis, peruse the winning entries to the Poster Challenge (for more info on this, read the Storque articles).

In fact, making a Treasury List is a curator's art form in and of itself, and it's incredibly important for Etsy. You can express your mood of the moment, you can celebrate some aspect of life, and you can also curate items that riff on a theme or playfully show your sense of humor. As an Etsian known for her Treasury Lists, KarmaRox stresses the importance of interesting titles, "Something like 'Laura Ingalls Smokes Pall Malls' will get alot of views because people are curious by nature. 'Pee In Your Pants' is another title that I use over and over because it generates views." She also suggests to curators on the hunt, "Search with more than one tag." yaelfran, a seller who makes wonderful lists, explains how she went about building out a list around a favorite Christmas themed item that was tan and white with a dash of yellow: "so Christmas, yellow, white, and tan would be your first keywords."


Another amazing curator, mothtoflame likened making a Treasury List to planning a window display. Not surprisingly, her beautiful lists are influenced by her work as "a Visual Merchandising manager and designer for 2 major department stores for many years."  She "think[s] of each treasury like I would a window at Nordstrom or Macy's. It begins with an idea for theme or direction, moves to the merchandise pulling (which is just a big shopping spree really!) and then ends with the execution and arrangement to best spotlight each piece and convey the theme. In the real world the title of the Treasury would be the signage or catalog title that draws your customers in to look, and hopefully shop. Selling the merchandise is the ultimate goal for me and it's so fun and rewarding when a piece that may have been listed for months sells because of my treasury."

Placement and balance of the motifs, shapes, and colors is important and you may want to spend some time moving the pieces around in the Poster Sketch tool.

Jared says of a good list, "Every item in the list is thoughtfully included, standing both on it's own merits, as well as being integral to the list as a whole." yaelfran spoke with me about creating the sense of a story or a concept that binds the pieces together: "A story has always been the most powerful way to sell something." Interestingly, yaelfran suggests thinking about your shop in this way as well — as telling a story. See below for an example of how of an item in her shop fits in with her other items, while it can also fit in with a differenr group of items in a Treasury Lists.

With really good lists, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Good lists conjure more than just the items, because they trigger the imagination, making free-associations. And this is the frame of mind you should get into when making lists. yaelfran muses, "when you buy something for a girl, do you just think about buying a doll, or even more than that? Maybe the biggest smile in the world, and the possibility of infinite fantasy games, imaginary friends? When you buy tickets for a trip, do you just think about bought tickets? Or rather the daydreams of relaxing time with family, long walks on the beach?"

There's no one right way to make a Treasury List!

That said, we can offer some ideas to keep in the back of your mind while making your lists. These tips also come in handy for sellers who aspire to be included within Treasuries.

  • Good photography is essential. Clear, well-lit and color-balanced photos with compelling compositions are more apt to garner clicks from shoppers.
  • A consistent color palette can serve to tie the pieces together.
  • Provide a range of price points (see Beth's article on Tiered Pricing).
  • Use alternates! When a Treasury List is promoted to the homepage, it includes the four hidden alternate items. On the homepage, items are removed when they sell and the alternate are moved up into view. 
  • Provide a varied collection of items. We rarely promote all-one-type-of-product Treasury Lists to the frontpage.  That said, if you're using the Treasury Lists to promote your Team's art form, or you're just plain interested in only earrings, go for it! Not all Treasury Lists are made with the homepage in mind, and this is a good thing.
  • Double check that everything is handmade or properly categorized as vintage or supplies.
  • Double check that sellers you're featuring have good feedback.
  • Themes and puns are a fun and creative way to organize a list.
  • Give a boost to interesting items from new sellers or items with low views from the back pages of the categories.
  • Make sure no artist is represented more then once on a given Treasury List. (We avoid featuring the same seller twice on a single homepage.)
  • If you are a seller, you should include no more than one item of your own. (If the list gets promoted to the homepage, your item might not be included since the Treasury is not intended for self-promotion.)

Leave your comments below and let us know your tricks of the Trasury-making trade!

Tags HOW-TO, marketing, Seller Handbook, selling, site features, treasuries, Treasury
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66 comments     Login to add your own!

Nov. 19, 2007 at 9:40 p.m. jcades

Thanks so much. I will keep all of this info in mind for my next Treasury. I just did Treasury yesterday. Wahoo!! It is addictive:-)

Nov. 19, 2007 at 9:45 p.m. shellieartist

fun fun...I know that yael, mothtoflame and Karma are all treasury experts!!! MY advice would be to have fun and sometime featuring a variety of art forms can help bring your list to the front page- good luck everyone and great read ya'll!

Nov. 19, 2007 at 9:54 p.m. myjewelrybydee

I've been practising my Treasury skills! Looking for the next one to go FP! ::wink::

Nov. 19, 2007 at 9:56 p.m. cthings

Thanks so much for this! It is great to hear what other artist are thinking when making a treasury! I'm reading Shellieartist before me and she has also done wonderful treasuries!

Nov. 19, 2007 at 10:02 p.m. localcolorist

Great and helpful article, thanks.

Yaelfran is my # 1 favorite artist of all I have seen on Etsy, in the 9 months I have traveled around Etsy. I love finding so much amazing art work in Etsyland from all over the world. What a gift to be responsible for...

Nov. 19, 2007 at 10:04 p.m. mothtoflame

Listen to shellieartist! She has fun, and the current front page spot!

Nov. 19, 2007 at 10:12 p.m. MyFairyBabies

Thanks for the read!

Nov. 19, 2007 at 10:13 p.m. KarmaRox

*titter!*

Nov. 19, 2007 at 10:14 p.m. binspiredboutique

Great advice! I love treasuries!

Nov. 19, 2007 at 10:28 p.m. CurlyGirlCrochet

Thank you for the information :)

Nov. 20, 2007 at 12:52 a.m. joolzbylisa

Lots of great information! Thanks!

Nov. 20, 2007 at 4:29 a.m. savor

Very cool! I've only just started making Treasury Wests, so this is good to know when building up a future "real" Treasury!

Nov. 20, 2007 at 7:18 a.m. tortillagirl

Great tips; I follow them myself and they really do work. When I make treasuries, I don't search for them. I just pick things that catch my eye and put them in, and then shuffle around to create visual continuity.

P.S. Listen to shellieartist. The first time one of my items made it to the front page was thanks to shellieartist!

Nov. 20, 2007 at 7:44 a.m. periwinklesuz

Thanks for the great info. I really appreciate it and can't wait for another treasury!

Nov. 20, 2007 at 8:02 a.m. littlegirlPearl

Really informative article. I have figured out who makes really interesting lists, and always click on those. You are all in my faves!

Nov. 20, 2007 at 8:04 a.m. awdesignsuk

As a new seller I have had fun learning how to do treasuries & using common sense design them using most of these rules already. Always interesting to read new ideas though or to have your own thoughts & ideas confirmed as right.

One thing I did do straight way, as also mentioned in this article, was to search at the bottom of the lists for items that have been listed a long time & not sold. I also searched for sellers that have had little or no sales. Great items can get missed.

Looking at all the wonderful Treasuries, I agree that they are an Art Form in themselves.

Nov. 20, 2007 at 9:32 a.m. prettycheap

Yes, awdesignuk, I like to pick things from the *back* of the store.

Nov. 20, 2007 at 10:46 a.m. creativemuse

THis is a Great Article! Well thought out and for Etsy admins not to have hard and fast frame for the Front page this article give a Great deal of information! Thank you!

Nov. 20, 2007 at 5:42 p.m. cleopatrajones

Very helpful article! I've come across some really good-looking lists that have been put together. I'm a former visual merchandiser and I decided to try my hand at the Treasury after reading this article. But, I've come to dicover that getting a spot in the Treasury is like trying to reach the top of Mt. Everest in two seconds flat. :) I have a bunch gf great displays I want to do - we'll see what happens in the days to come . . .

Nov. 21, 2007 at 1:09 a.m. craftsnmore

Great information. As a newbie I'm reading a lot before jumping in as this etsy.com concept is all new and exciting to me. It's great to know there are "teams" and I look forward to discovering more about that and how the Treasury works!

Nov. 21, 2007 at 5:55 p.m. SandFibers

Great how-to :D I love how the really great treasuries become mini works of art in their own right.

Nov. 27, 2007 at 1:24 a.m. elainedesigns

i am a newbie and am glad to learn about all that etsy has to offer. Everyone is so supportive. Great insights. Thanks!

Nov. 28, 2007 at 12:45 a.m. cMaille

While it's nearly impossible not to think a tiny bit about the front page, I think the most rewarding treasuries are those that are made up of items that really, truly speak to you on a deeper level. Then you'll want to perfect the composition and effect, and to represent the artists as best you can. Be a true curator, for the joy of it, and not just to get on the front page.

Happy treasury making.

Nov. 29, 2007 at 10:41 a.m. agualila

All this ideas are very useful for me, thank you all!!!

Dec. 3, 2007 at 1:10 p.m. PauletteInsall

Wonderful! Lots of fantastic info!!! :)

Dec. 4, 2007 at 4:36 p.m. BerryPatchDesigns

cMaille, that's exactly right :) Same with the items one creates.

The article is very good, but I usally could never get Treasuries or even look at them, due to the port issues.
That issue seems to have cleared, so I hope to be able to create them in the future.

This next comment will sound horribly negative, but please consider it as a wistful plaint, rather than a COMplaint...

I, for one, was pretty sure those Promotion questions about gifts for "x" (Boyfriend, Sister, etc) were Treasury related, but had no idea about the Gift Guide.

While the initial Promotion lists were great ideas to START the GGs, maybe a "request for inclusion" blank or "suggested item" blank would be nice, too. New items ARE created all the time :)

Pretty please: Would there be ANY chance of modifying the existing GGs to add those items or users who were not included initially, rather than leaving what appears (appears, mind you!) to be the same lists, endlessly promoting the same sellers and items? Pretty please? With sugar on top??

Many of us promote Etsy constantly, offline and online, to prospective buyers AND sellers. Many of us believe Etsy provides a REAL CHANCE for people to get started in their own business, marketing their items born out of their dreams and sweat.

The sadly funny thing about the GGs is that I HAD been responding to any and all Promotion threads where I had suitable items. After I STOPPED (to make new items and work 2nd job to support my dream), then the GGs come up and (appear to) stay with the same artisans and items?? /sighs, smiling

Dec. 6, 2007 at 5:49 p.m. Ekioart

I love, love, love the Treasuries. To snag one makes me giddy and I so enjoy putting them together.

While I make them I think of how I'd showcase the pieces in a gallery. The color schemes and lines. They really are such a great place to promote all the creative minds on this site.

Oh and though I don't try to make them for that reason....my fingers are always crossed that the list might end up on the front page ^-~

Dec. 14, 2007 at 5:17 p.m. tortillagirl

333 treasuries?!? [Faints to the floor from excitement.]

Dec. 14, 2007 at 6:14 p.m. Junienone

What a helpful article! Thaks so much! :)

Dec. 14, 2007 at 7:12 p.m. SnappyBibs

Thanks so much!! I have not been on the site long and have had so much fun snagging treasuries.

Dec. 15, 2007 at 9:06 a.m. studio550

Nice article. I love making treasures. I usually develop my treasuries around a concept, subject, or color. I wish treasures could have a longer life spam. It takes a lot of time to make one and we could get more out of them - for marketing purposes. I feel treasures are great marketing tools ( stumbleupon, style sites etc...). and sellers would link them to their own blogs, websites, etc... Treasury links die too fast :(

Feb. 7, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. shiningmoon

Thanks for the article! I haven't been including the alternates in my treasuries because I didn't understand the purpose. I thought that I would disappoint the sellers by not featuring them up front. You know, that "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" feeling. I am very addicted to treasuries, by the way. Do you have a TAA (Treasury Addicts Anonymous) group on Etsy?

April 26, 2008 at 1:17 p.m. beadznthingz

Wonderful information. Thanks so much!

May 10, 2008 at 2:40 a.m. urbanbird

i have set more alarms for 2:53 and 4:11AM - - - i get there and STILL dont get a treasury. refresh, refresh, refresh - - - - from 334 lists to 512 in a matter of seconds, but then i look and the lists are 5+ minutes old.. i dont get it.

June 22, 2008 at 6:04 p.m. nansglam

Since I am new, I didn't even know what a treasury was...but now...reading the article and all the comments, I am beginning to understand where they come from, etc. I thought Etsy support or admin created the treasury lists....Boy I have so much to learn. I am going to dabble in creating my first. Stay tuned.....

July 21, 2008 at 7:52 a.m. tracylacytrinkets

This is great, I am embarking on my very first Treasury, I have been so inspired by others, this article has been a great help, already applying some of the tips!

Aug. 7, 2008 at 7:53 p.m. Ragsanddoodles

this is very helpful, its just another reason i love etsy

Sept. 13, 2008 at 9:52 p.m. ImJewelee

YES this is ALL true and my very first treasury I ever made on Etsy made it to the Front Page!!! Yay, my title was ....Black is Back.... and I did have one item of mine in there and had various sellers with all different items!! All of the items were black with a touch of color here and there. I love ETSY I have met a lot of people and found many new friends. THANK YOU!!

Oct. 12, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. BethToddCreatz

Wonderful article! Thanks so much for all the help!
I love Etsy!!!

Oct. 21, 2008 at 6:02 p.m. Ravenhill

I am really happy to have read this article. It has explained a few things I was wondering about. Funny, now that I have started to make treasuries I am hoping one of the ones I curate will hit the front page way more getting my own items featured! Etsy is so wonderful in that each and every aspect of it allows one to grow and develop skills as an artist and individual! Curating also helps you to re-examine your own photos in a new light.

Oct. 23, 2008 at 10:19 a.m. EliseMargolis

Thanks for all the great information.

Nov. 2, 2008 at 8:57 p.m. RSSDesignsWearables

In Treasuries, I have discovered some really beautiful and neat things on etsy. I think that is one thing to think of when making a treasury - that people are going to be discovering something looking at treasuries. Having been a visual artist for so long and with a new computer and internet connection, I am looking forward to putting some together myself. This article and everyone's comments are vey helpful!!

Nov. 10, 2008 at 3:10 a.m. MonasMane

this article is so helpful, I don't know what I would do without the storque. I love you Etsy Admn!

Nov. 13, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. sandraduke

thanks, It really helps !, I'm running to do my treasury list...

Nov. 18, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. EarthlyCreations

I've been on Etsy for 11 months and always thought Treasuries were a waste of time. In the last month I've curated five of them and am already addicted. I LOVE making them and consider them my "artistic outlet". I enjoyed reading the article, thanks.

Dec. 3, 2008 at 3:18 a.m. brownbunnybyiris

Thanks for precious tips! Addicted I am!

Dec. 4, 2008 at 6:10 a.m. giftsforkids

I hope to accomplish my first Treasury within the next 24 hours! I've already used the Poster Sketch tool to arrange all of my featured items. There are great tips in this article and I definately realize the importance of good photography! I am going to check the feedback for each of the items listed before I finalize my Poster Sketch! Thank you for all of the great ideas!!

Dec. 20, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. jolijoli

Great advice! Thanks :)

Dec. 23, 2008 at 7:27 p.m. CatLudwigStudio

I'd rather be on Etsy then in the crazy malls at Christmas. This is great fun!

Dec. 26, 2008 at 3:36 p.m. vintagedchic

I just tried implementing ideas in my new treasury- thanks..very helpful

Jan. 12, 2009 at 6:58 p.m. myteacups

wonderful info and advice! thanks so much!

Jan. 15, 2009 at 11 p.m. That70sShoppe

Great advice.

Jan. 16, 2009 at 2:38 a.m. WarmCountryMeadows

Thank you for the great ideas. Hopefully my treasuries will make FP someday.

Jan. 19, 2009 at 12:40 p.m. HHknits

very helpful, thanks

Feb. 9, 2009 at 12:18 p.m. AwakenJournaling

Very informative, thanks so much!

Feb. 9, 2009 at 2:51 p.m. luxandlove

fantastic! I have been wondering how this works - great tips
Lux x

Feb. 10, 2009 at 12:37 p.m. emptynestegg

Can I copy and Paste the addresses at the bottom of the sketch pad?

Feb. 26, 2009 at 2:08 p.m. anayansi

great

March 6, 2009 at 3:31 a.m. RolledOats

thanks, am thinking about my first treasury.. very inspired!

March 7, 2009 at 9:40 p.m. craftedbylindy

Excellent article. Thanks so much!

March 21, 2009 at 2:41 a.m. BloomCreations

Thanks so much! I'm new seller and there are excelent tips in this article.

April 8, 2009 at 10:46 a.m. chyrls

These are wonderful tips :) Thank you!

May 12, 2009 at 3:03 p.m. gufobardo

I'm making my 3th treasury and I think it's so fun so fun!

Sept. 2, 2009 at 5:18 p.m. MadeForYouJustByMe

I hope to make one someday. I've been on here for over a year and have yet to make one and have really only tried once to grab one. Any tips?

Sept. 30, 2009 at 5:52 p.m. TonisBiz

I'm going to have to read it a couple of times to absorb enough to try and put one together. Kind of mind boggling right now. I'm kind of new and there is so much to learn.

Sometimes I run right into something I know and can intelligently comment on, but this time, it's just over my head.

I'll be back!
Toni

Oct. 15, 2009 at 6:11 p.m. ripegoods

These are great tips. I made my first treasury today and wonder if I should notify those artists that I featured?

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