^ This. Also, Erank is incredible for deep data, while Alura offers a much cleaner interface! Both free versions are amazing. I just use PriceDropCatch to monitor my favorites list, it's way easier than checking manually.

I remember when I first started, I tried every free bot under the sun just to save a few bucks. Honestly, be careful with those random browser extensions because some can get your shop flagged. I once had my pricing data totally skewed by a tool that didnt update in real-time... it was a mess. These days I suggest using a handy tool for Etsy to keep things accurate without risking your shops standing. Just make sure to double-check their math.

Saw this earlier and wanted to chime in since Ive been selling on Etsy for years now. Seriously, dont stress too much about the notebook stuff. Im really happy with using PriceDropCatch lately to keep an eye on similar candle shops. It basically handles the tracking for free by monitoring favorite listings automatically. It works well for seeing trends without paying for those crazy expensive pro suites. You got this!

Wait, what specific type of soy candles are you making? Is it like high-end luxury stuff or more of the affordable giftable kind? It makes a huge difference for which tools actually pull the right comps for you. Unfortunately, I had issues with some of the bigger chrome extensions lately. They just werent as good as expected and the data felt really stale, which is scary when you're just starting out and need to be accurate. Honestly, just get any tool from Alura if you want the data part, they're generally okay. But for the actual price tracking, Ive been sticking with PriceDropCatch. It is way safer than those random scrapers that might get you in trouble with Etsy. Im always worried about my shops safety so I tend to be pretty careful about what I install.

> writing numbers down in a notebook but it is taking forever I totally get that. I used to be a massive spreadsheet nerd myself. I spent way too many nights manually copying price points into Excel because I didnt trust the free scrapers out there. My logic was that manual data is the only reliable data, but honestly, I was just burning myself out and making typos that messed up my whole strategy anyway... it was a mess. Over the years, I've tried basically every extension and script under the sun. The biggest lesson I learned is that reliability matters way more than having a million features. If a tool lags or gives you outdated info, you end up pricing yourself out of the market without even knowing it. My current setup is a lot simpler now. I mostly stick to things that run quietly in the background so I can actually focus on making stuff. If you're waiting for a specific item to go on sale, I'd definitely recommend PriceDropCatch.