Etsy beginner. Basic info please.

pearl123

I want to start selling on etsy within the next two weeks. Can I start listings and then de-active it, until I've got my stock and other factors like packing are ready. I'm just thinking that photos/descriptions will take time. Does activating/deactiving photos have any negative consquences?
I'm aware one needs to think how one does SEO's. I have in the past sold on ebay. 
Any advice would be welcome. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

You can create drafts to finish later, Etsy requires some info (price, title, etc) before you can save the draft but I believe you can save the drafts then add the photos and description later.

Etsy is like Amazon in that you have a catch 22 of your listings don't have sales so won't get exposure and won't get sales due to the lack of exposure. 

Unless they changed it in the last 18 months, Etsy advertising is really poor, they ask you to set a daily budget and charge you some random amount if someone happens to click on your listing via the ad. 

Compared to Amazon where you can bid per click, set keywords (and negative keywords) it's very basic.

If you have high margins or something that will fly of the shelf Etsy ads can be useful to give you a running start but expect some time before your listings gain momentum. 

pearl123

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head 
The catergory I'm joining is already rather crowded, so thank you for reminding me that I need to be very realistic.