A question in the Etsy Forums and my response:

The question:
Here's the thing: I watch a lot of HGTV, and I've learned that when you stage a house for sale, you're supposed to take away all of the personal items so that potential buyers can picture themselves in your house. No family photos, nothing too "taste specific" and definitely nothing with any sort of ethnic slant.So, I was wondering, do you think that the same thing could apply to one's Etsy shop? Do people really want to know the person behind the craft? Is it more mass-appealing to model your bracelets on a wrist the color of the majority (by which, I mean white)? Is there the risk of alienating buyers by only using models who match your skin-tone?On the other hand, I happen to be a 'crafter of color' and I know that for me, when I can tell that the seller is also a 'crafter of color' I try and support them in one way or another. Perhaps that personalization could be helpful? We all like to pretend that ethnicity and race are not factors here, particularly in this open-minded community of artists, but reality is what it is. Just check out the difference in advertising during 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and 'Everybody Hates Chris'

My Response:
"I personally like to know the seller and support people who are most like me - vegetarian, elderly, pacifists :) but I have an open mind "