Do's and Don't about selling on Etsy

I have read different things in blogs and on Etsy Forums about what to do and what not to do as an Etsy seller. Some things I agree with and some things I don't. Here are my opinions on some of these things:

What I read: Don't convo other buyers to tell them you love their shop, items, or a specific item.
My opinion: Why the heck not? I would love to have a fellow Etsy seller convo me to say they love something about my shop! Wouldn't you?

What I read: Don't write about other Etsy sellers on your blog.
My opinion: Etsy is a community of people selling handmade products, supplies, or vintage items. Shouldn't people in communities help each other out? Isn't that what Etsy Teams do? I love to browse Etsy shops and when I find one that I love, I want to write about it. That person put a lot of work into making their shop a "work of art" and I think she/he should be acknowledged for it.

What I read: Advertise, advertise, advertise.
My opinion: Yes, yes, yes. If you open an Etsy Shop and the only advertising you do, is to tell your friends and family about your shop, you are probably not going to sell many things. Buy business cards and distribute them, post on forums, join one or more Street Teams, set up a blog and write about your creations and Etsy, join social networking sites, etc. Advertising won't get done without you doing it!

What I read: Tell potential buyers about yourself in the Profile section of your Etsy Shop.
My opinion: I agree 100%. Buyers do look at sellers' profiles. They want to know something about who they might be buying from. Part of the charm of Etsy is that buyers and sellers can "get to know each other." Why wouldn't you, as a seller, fill out your profile section?


What I read: Don't use packing peanuts because they are annoying to receive.
My opinion: I had no opinion about this at all until I read the blog post about it, but packing peanuts are clingy and do get all over everywhere. I no longer use packing peanuts because I want my customers to be happy with their purchase, not annoyed because they have to deal with a bunch of pesky peanuts.

This last one doesn't really fit the title, but here goes anyway :-0
What I read: Your Etsy Shop is not broken in until you've reached 12 sales.
My opinion: I have no idea if this is true or not, but it stuck in my mind. And I may have worked a bit harder to get sales because of reading this. When I did reach 12 sales, I emailed my family and friends to tell them my shop was now broken in, I did a little dance around the living room, and smiled the rest of the day.

Thats all for now. Thanks for reading!