How jewelryandthings2 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?
I initially started my shop when my mother moved into a retirement home. When sorting through her things, I found antique items that I had never really paid much attention to. I had already opened a shop with my original paintings, so the learning curve was easier. I sold the first piece about a week after I listed it, so I started listing all the other pieces. I noticed the more I listed new items, the more views and sales happened. I now go to thrift stores, eBay, and estate sales to look for unique things.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
Because I have a degree in art and paint myself, I really enjoy finding old prints and original paintings. I arrange them in groupings so they can be sold as a "wall gallery." Grouping items also saves on shipping costs, which have become so expensive.
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 about a week to get my first sale, and I promote as much as I can on Pinterest and Facebook.
Managing jewelryandthings2
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?
I manage my shop and spend about 5 hours a day listing new items and packing and shipping. I work 7 days a week when necessary.
I have a PowerShot camera and load them onto my computer, where I can tweak them and add them to my listings.
I buy my shipping labels through Etsy and deliver them to the post office, which is very close to me.
Boxes are expensive, so I have friends save me their old boxes. Make friends with your local post office, and they will save boxes for you too!
The future of jewelryandthings2
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
I think I need to get rid of old listings that have not sold and concentrate on new, unique items. Once I started selling, I noticed a pattern in the sales, which led me to find similar items. Because I offer free shipping I now try to buy lighter items, which unfortunately rules out many wonderful heavier finds.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
I think the most important advice is to list as often as you can and use all your tags.
Proofread everything, and make sure your description is accurate. If there is a flaw, be sure to list it, as the customer might want to return it or write a bad review.
Keep going, as it takes awhile for things to be seen. You can always revise listings if you find out more information about your item.
You will get good and bad reviews. Use it as a learning experience and don’t get discouraged. You can’t please everyone all the time!
Use the forums; everyone is there to help each other, and if you have a question, it gets answered pretty quickly.
Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.
Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: The profit margin is getting smaller and smaller as the variety and amounts of Etsy fees increase. It used to be around 40%, but now it is about 25%, especially with free shipping.
Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: Not really sure, but that is going down now too, as similar items are being displayed when mine are. Much like ebay now customers can see multiples of the same or similar items
jewelryandthings2
Jewelry and things2
