What is a treasury, and how the #$%! do I get one?!?!?

Most of us know what a treasury is, but many, many of us just can't seem to figure out how the heck to get one. I was going to write a tutorial, step by step with pics to help you out, but I realized that someone has already done this, so why should I re-create the wheel?

The sweetestpea from Etsy has already written a very informative and up-to-date tutorial on the treasury. I convoed her and asked for permission to re-create it here for our CGGE members, and she was happy to oblige. Please thank her by visiting her shop at http://www.sweetestpea.etsy.com/

The following tutorial including images and text were written by the sweetestpea and reproduced her with her permission, with a few modifications I made in blue text.

What Is Etsy's Treasury? Latest Update: August 15, 2007

Have you ever wanted to pick the Etsy.com home page items? Do you have the desire to choose and feature only 12 items from the list of thousands currently available for sale on Etsy?Satisfy your inner curator - the Treasury has arrived! The Treasury is a member-curated gallery of short-lived lists of 12 hand-picked items each. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on a theme, or just whoever they like. The Treasury is not intended for self-promotion, but instead to acknowledge and share the many cool things for sale on Etsy. Admin often chooses an exceptional Treasury list to promote on the home page, and they have stated that if you feature your own item, the chance of your treasury being featured on the home page is slim.This guide was created to help users navigate the Treasury with ease, answer questions, and perhaps show you some new tricks you might not have discovered on your own.

How To Get A List

Step 1: Enter the Treasury. It will look just like the screenshot above.

Step 2: Look in the upper left portion of your screen. Find the number of lists that are currently in the Treasury.

IF THAT NUMBER IS LESS THAN 222:

Step 3: Scroll to the bottom of the page. You will see a box at the bottom where you may type in the title for your Treasury List. Continue on to the other sections in this tutorial that show you how to fill your list with items.

IF THAT NUMBER IS MORE THAN 222 (which is usually the case!): the Treasury will be full and will not allow you to create a new list. You must wait for enough lists to expire so the number falls below 222.

Step 1: Sort the lists by "expiration" (click on the "expiration" tab, and go to the last page, this makes it easier to see the text box appear when a new treasury opens up.

Step 2: Count backwards from the end to find out when the 222nd list will expire. Come back to the Treasury a few minutes before that list is set to expire and wait for it. For example, the treasury says it has 225 lists, 4 lists will need to expire before new treasuries are made available. From the last page of your sorted by expiration, count back 4 lists, and see how much time until the 4th list expires. Come back earlier than expected and expect to wait, as some people delete lists early etc. Sometimes, when the lists expire, there is a delay (due to being busy) and the list may show as "expired" but no magical box opens up, DON'T REFRESH, just hang out at the bottom of the screen and be ready to click into the box to secure your spot. Be patient.

Step 3: As soon as you see the box appear at the bottom of your screen, click inside so that you see your cursor blinking. You should have a list. Now, type in your title, and you're ready to continue on to the other sections of this tutorial that show you how to fill your list with items. Sometimes when it's extremely busy, you might think it didn't work, don't refresh, just wait, sometimes you get kicked out and have to wait til it's less busy to complete your list.

REMINDER: With only 222* lists, it's tough to get one. Be patient, try again, you're bound to get one eventually.* (there can be over 222 lists, but you can't create a new list until the treasury number falls BELOW 222)

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS?: Go to the FAQ at the bottom of this tutorial to get your questions answered.

Welcome to the Treasury!

This is the screen you see when the box is available for you to type in your title.You can see 16 lists at a time.

When you see a list you might like to check out, simply click on the title.

You can sort lists by:

- Hot: These lists are the top (popular) lists. Hotness is calculated by a special, secret formula. I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. :)

- Title: sorts titles alphabetically

-Curator: username of the person who created the list alphabetically

- Expiration: sort by how many days/hours a list has before it expires (sorting by time, essentially)

Note: The Treasury is limited to 222 active lists at a time. Each list has a random expiration date when created. A list can last anywhere from one to three days.

Create A List

When you enter a title for your list at the bottom of the first screen, you will be taken to a page like this.

There are:

- Places for your subtitle and location

- 12 empty slots to insert items

- 4 alternate slots for extra items (in case one of the items in your list sells)

- A place for comments

- A direct URL link to your list. You can copy this URL and send it to your friends

Important things to note:

- You get to have one active list at a time

- Lists expire anywhere from one to three days

- There is a maximum of 222* total active lists allowed at one time

- Your list can be edited as many times as you like

- All added items must be actively listed for sale, not already sold

- The Treasury is not intended for self-promotion.

- Please do not send conversations to everyone you've included in your Treasury. Etsy considers this to be spam.

Customize Your List

~ edit subtitle ~

Not only do you get a title for your list, but you get a subtitle as well.

You can do something like this:

Title: My top 12 list

Subtitle: things with numbers

Title: Color Me Bad

Subtitle: Red Items

~ edit location ~

The default for the location is "somewhere special," which is very sweet.

But, should you want to say "from the depths of hell" or "from my backyard" you can choose to edit this area.

You can also add a link to this text if you choose to do so. So, you can link to your favorite coffee shop, your Etsy shop, your blog, your web site, whatever you want, even the CGGE site! So cool.

~ alternates ~

You can choose to show/hide your alternate selections. You can choose up to 4 additional items for your list. If an item from your list sells, you can move an alternate in to take its place. This does not happen automatically, so keep an eye on your lists. The alternates are a handy way to help you visually curate your list. If you have 16 items visible, you may want to mix and match a bit, or see that two items go better next to each other, etc.

Alternates are only visible to the curator, and are shown at 50% opacity to indicate their inactivity. You can drag an item from "active" to "alternate" and vice versa, by placing your cursor in the white space next to the shop name, clicking and dragging it where you want it.

Add Items To Your List

First, you must click the "edit" button in your blank item box. This "choose a listing" menu will show up asking you for a listing ID.

The listing ID is found in the URL of your browser window. To add an item to your treasury list, it is best to open up a new window in which to do your browsing. When you find an item you like, select the URL from your browser, copy it, then paste it into the listing ID field in your treasury window below. The number will automatically be selected from the URL you paste in.

Here's what it looks like when you hit the OK button after your URL has been pasted in. Now, you can start selecting more items for your list.

Here is a completed list. You are allowed 12 slots + 4 alternates (like the Etsy home page). Now you can decide what is hot!!!

Notes:The Etsy Home Page rotates a few times daily and is selected from a Treasury List. The Admins choose their favorite lists to feature on the front page.

TIP: To reorganize your list, simply click and drag items around to different spots. Mix and match to make the best looking list possible. You can also use the poster sketch tool to create and save your list ahead of time so it's ready to copy and paste your urls or you can just save items in your favorites to use in your treasury lists.

Special Features & Treats

~ comments ~

People can leave comments on your treasury lists. Hear what others have to say about your choices and comment right back! A great way to say why you like your favorites.

Note: Comments are limited to a maximum of 44, but you have the option of deleting comments to make room for new ones.

~ reorganize ~

You can grab the cards to drag and move them around, helping you organize your list. Just place your cursor in the white space next to the shop name, click and drag the box where you want it.

FYI - the little number in the upper right of each card indicates the # of times people have clicked the item.

~ stars ~

Blue stars: This indicates that you are the curator of the list

Gold stars: This indicates that one of your items is included in a list (visible to the public)

Silver stars: This indicates that one of your items is an alternate in a list (visible only to the curator)

FAQ/Troubleshooting

Why doesn't the Treasury work?

- If you are getting a black screen, simply click the black screen to start the loading process.

- Try downloading the latest version of Flash

- If the Treasury is running slow, it may be that your computer isn't powerful enough... sorry.

Why don't I see a place to create a list of my own?

- Look at the bottom of the page. If there is a notice saying the Treasury is full right now, you need to come back later, when the number of lists drops below 222. See the posts above for tips on getting a list of your own.

Why are there stars next to some lists?

- A blue star shows you which list is yours

- A gold star means that one of your items is in a list (visible to the public)

- A silver star means that one of your items is an alternate in a list (visible only to the curator)

Why are there only 222 lists allowed? Why am I only allowed to make 1 list?

- These safety measures are in place to ensure that the Treasury does not crash. Embrace the decay. Wait for a list to expire, then pounce! 1 list limits are to make sure that more people get the chance to play.

Why does it say the Treasury has 237 lists? I thought there was a limit of 222?

- Sometimes people create lists at almost exactly the same time. The Treasury allows for a *little* wiggle room, but not much. Everyone is waiting for a list all at once. Everyone that sees the box and types in their title at the same time WILL get a list.

How can I get into more Treasuries?

- Take fantastic photos. This is always a good rule in general for selling online, but curators want to make their lists as beautiful as possible. Help yourself out by taking clear photos.

- Use your tags appropriately. Often, curators are looking to create themed lists. Be sure to use your listing tags for themes and colors especially.

- Create unique and interesting products that stand out from the crowd.

- Join an Etsy Team. Help to get the word out about Etsy and meet up with other Etsy members who share interests or live in your area. Often, teams will come together to create Treasury lists of their members. Don't join a team JUST to be in Treasuries, though. ;)

Can I prepare my list ahead of time to make it easier once I get a list?

- Currently, the only way to do this is to browse items on Etsy ahead of time and copy/paste the listing ID # or the URL into a text document on your personal computer. Save that document, and when you've got a list, paste those numbers into the cards.

- Be sure to have many alternates if you are doing this. Many items sell quickly on Etsy, and one of your chosen items may not be available when you go to make your list.

-You can also use the poster sketch tool to create and save your list ahead of time so it's ready to copy and paste your urls or you can just save items in your favorites to use in your treasury lists.

Why can't I send conversations to everyone I included in my Treasury list?

- The Treasury is not intended for self promotion. Etsy considers conversations about including someone in your Treasury list as spam. Please respect this.

- Etsy has created another way for users to find out if they are in Treasuries, without sending out mass conversations. Users can quickly scan the titles of lists to look out for a gold star. This indicates that one of their items is in a list.

NEW RESOURCE:

Check the Etsy Wiki and also do forum searches for additional information on the treasury!

Screenshot Archive

FrucciDesign has created a flickr photo set to archive Treasuries! Did you see something you liked last week but can't remember what it was? Was your item in a treasury but you missed it? Go to this photo set to see Treasuries from the past.

NOTE: Treasuries move so fast that the archive has been difficult to maintain. Please continue to post screnshots, but do not rely on this archive to have every single list.

Etsy's Secret Treasury was created by Jared Tarbell.This Guide was created by Jen Bennett Gubicza (sweetestpea) with help from Jared Tarbell. Modifications as seen in blue text were contributed by creationsinglass.