Etsy Seller Interview with Jess of ConstantBaubling

How ConstantBaubling got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

Hello All! I’m Jess, the owner, maker, designer, photographer, accountant, and everything else you can imagine at Constant Baubling on Etsy! Etsy wasn’t very well-known when I first discovered it in 2009. I signed up for an account initially to buy some amazing things I found there. By 2010, I had gotten a lot more familiar with the site and thought it might be fun to open a little online shop. I narrowed down my options to things I love: decor and jewelry.
I had been dabbling with both handmade jewelry and handmade decor for many years as hobbies. When I finally worked up the nerve, I opened two shops: one for handmade jewelry and the other for handmade decor. For whatever reason, I started off with the jewelry shop, and I listed items and added new ones as I was able and had time. Sales trickled in here and there; I was slowly gaining momentum, which was fine by me as I had a "day job" and a family.
I was having so much fun with my jewelry for about 3 or 4 years that I never got around to adding anything to my home decor shop.Things were getting busy at Constant Baubling—enough so that I wasn’t sure I could handle it alongside my day job anymore. I agonized over the terrifying decision to quit my day job and devote myself entirely to Constant Baubling.I knew, too, that making this decision meant I was going to have to really step up my bling game in order to bring in the income I needed.The rest is history, really, and things just got bigger and better each year. No regrets! 
I spend countless hours, days, and weeks researching supply vendors and shopping online and in person for supplies and fun baubles. A lot of it can be pretty costly (financially and timewise) through trial and error, especially at first. You have to be prepared to do that. I’ve had LOTS of "duds," both in pieces I have created and in supplies I have purchased that didn’t work out, and that’s ok. all part of the business.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

I’ve noticed that oftentimes, my favorite creations are not necessarily best sellers, for whatever reason. Sometimes my favorites have never even sold once, and some seem to appeal to many! Check out just a few of my personal favorites:
I think these are beautiful—the natural patina and the gold contrast, plus they’re so unique!

These are long, sexy, and perfect! And matte black is such a cool look for jewelry. I can make these any length you want.

I think I’ve had a thing for chunky jewelry, like, forever. I love it, even though I tend to personally wear minimalist-style pieces more often. The contrasting gold and silver in this design is perfect. And oh! The front clasp—I can’t get enough of the front clasps.

Aren’t these great? They’re really simple but so unique and light—both physically and aesthetically! 

Everything tickles me about these: the chunky 80s style of them, the colorful blotches on cork, the fun tassels...

This is just one example of a bunch of different necklaces in my "Eclipse" line. They have been insanely popular. I enjoy experimenting with different glass and stone orbs cradled inside the gold pendant to see what customers respond to. I love minimalist gold necklaces.

This bracelet is to die for in person. I don’t think the photos do it justice. These high-end Swarovski crystal elements come in so many stunning and beautiful hues. They’re so fun to mix and match and play with when designing.

This chunky adjustable cuff is really underrated, lol. I love the gold metal accents with the cork—unexpected. The cork itself even has little metallic flecks of gold. Super unique. I also love the silver version of this.

SO I quickly became obsessed with large chunky glass beads and making them into simple boho bracelets on sueded cord with a simple knot.These look amazing stacked with similar beaded bracelets (which I have lots of) as well as other styles of bracelets, too.

Rose gold was a trend I was glad to see make a comeback. still really popular, and I love this little dainty version of the celebrity-inspired pieces.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

It took probably 3 or 4 weeks before I got my first sale, and it was slow going! I would sometimes go a month between sales back then. But overall, it was picking up some speed, and I knew I would persevere—every sale was a huge rush, and I was hooked.
I love making new designs and keeping up with what’s trending, as well as sticking to my original ideas of "minimalist" style jewelry. I love to try new things and am obsessed with adding items to my shop. The bigger, the better. I’m always trying to update and improve—time and experience are great teaching tools. When something isn't selling, I revamp it: new photos, new keywords, a new title, and sometimes I disassemble it and scrap the idea entirely. 

Managing ConstantBaubling

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

It’s just me here! I do literally everything. That's fine with me because I'm a type-A perfectionist who wants things done MY way. from obviously designing and making the jewelry to photography, bookkeeping, sourcing supplies, shipping, and customer service. I make my own banners, business cards, and whatnot for my shop using the free version of Canva. It’s just enough for me. I use my little iPhone to take pictures, and 99.9% of my editing is done on it via Google Photos’ editing. I am currently using the built-in information that Etsy supplies shops with to gain insight and information.

The future of ConstantBaubling 

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

I would love to keep getting bigger and better and still love what I do. The face of Etsy has changed over the years, and I don’t know if it will always remain a good fit for me. I’d like to sell at more brick-and-mortar shops. I’d also like to find the time to do more in-person shows, craft fairs, pop-ups, home jewelry parties, etc.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

One thing I like to warn new sellers about is that Etsy is not a get-rich-quick thing. Expect things to start painfully slow. You have to be able and willing to put in the hard work. Persevere, persevere, persevere. Make your shop as professional as possible with logos, great photos, and well-written descriptions that leave little to the imagination. Always update and improve your photos, descriptions, and anything else you can. Constantly add new items, but not at the expense of sloppy, hurried listing. Fill out everything—your bio, your introduction, your policies, etc. Use your real first name and profile photo, and tell people about YOU and why you do what you do! Being detail-oriented, organized, and on the ball are huge. And lastly, I strongly recommend using, at the very least, Instagram and Facebook for social media.