Etsy Seller Interview with Stephen of JessiesButtonBox

How JessiesButtonBox 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?

My wife and I both run "Jessie's Button Box." We deal in all sorts of unusual, collectible, and antique buttons. Originally, "Jessie's Button Box" was my mom's brainchild. Jessie ran a small shop in Bath, dealing mostly in buttons, for over twenty years. When my mother passed away in 2015, we were left puzzling over what to do with her vast stock of buttons. Knowing how much time and effort Mom had put into sourcing all of her buttons, we were hesitant to see them all disappear off to an auction. Eventually, we took the plunge and created the Etsy shop. Things escalated very quickly after this; from a very small start of a meager 20 listings, we now have over 1,300...

My very clever wife suggested using Etsy as opposed to other online market places. She, quite rightly, pointed out that Etsy was far more aligned with the type of "arts and crafts" product that we had. We really haven't looked back since. Originally, I had only intended the business as a way of selling off my mom's old stock of buttons; after all, I already had a full-time job in the aerospace industry. After a few years of growing success, I realized I needed to start sourcing some fresh stock. Nowadays, I buy from auctions and other online marketplaces. More recently, I've hunted further afield, commissioning hand-made natural buttons from artisans in Thailand. On the odd occasion, people also contact me directly through the Etsy shop with buttons for sale, which is great.

Favorite items

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

We sell buttons ranging from £1.00 to many hundreds of pounds. But to be honest, my favorite buttons are usually the ones that I've just sourced. I'm not a collector of buttons personally, but I do get real pleasure from listing exciting and unusual buttons in the shop. I take real pride in my listings and always try to have a large variety of unusual buttons available. These relatively small vintage Czech glass cat buttons always sell well.

Leather buttons like these are in surprisingly high demand too.

And these exquisite finely painted little set of Art Nouveau enamels have just arrived in from Auction.

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?

Looking back, I think I made quite a few amateur mistakes. I do cringe at some of the poorly sized and slightly blurry photos I took. Also, the not-so-accurate or knowledgeable descriptions I wrote, as well as the completely speculative pricing I came up with back then. My wife posts updates about the shop on Instagram. She updates any new stock that comes in and creates themed Instagram posts of similar-style buttons. I also use the Etsy marketing campaigns to spread the word about the shop. Personally, I find keeping the stock updated to be a very important way of attracting existing customers back to your site. Obviously, try to be as contentious as possible when dealing with your customers. I regularly run discount campaigns and offer repeat customers discount codes for any future purchases. Keeping existing customers happy is absolutely vital for the long-term success of your business.

Managing JessiesButtonBox

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?

Something I do insist on is tracking and signing for deliveries. It's expensive, I agree, but I have had so many issues with non-tracked deliveries never showing up. I honestly think, for the peace of mind it provides, it's worth the extra cost. I also really try to keep to a maximum 3-day shipping turnaround. Occasionally, you get the odd request for shipping the same day, and I do try to accommodate these requests as best I can.

The future of JessiesButtonBox 

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

Future goals include making it a full-time job (currently, I juggle the Etsy shop with a full-time job, two children, and a demanding cat). It can be hectic, to say the least. I want to keep expanding the business, finding new sources of exciting stock, and increasing my listing numbers as high as possible.

Advice for new sellers

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

My advice to any new sellers is fairly simple. Always take a good variety of quality pictures for your listings. Be really accurate with your descriptions—sizes, dimensions, colors, and any negatives always need to be highlighted carefully. Good communication is key too; for me, the old adage "the customer is always right" really is true. Also, be flexible when possible; if a customer requests something out of the ordinary, do everything you can to accommodate them.Sometimes you may receive a cheeky offer; always consider it carefully and propose a counteroffer if it isn't acceptable. If for any reason a customer isn't happy, offer a resolution that you are both happy with. Feedback is vital for the success of your business. If you are honest, conscientious, and fair, this will reflect in your shop's ratings and breed confidence in any future customers.