Etsy Seller Interview with Antra of MadeByAntra

How MadeByAntra 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 am Antra Krastia, and I have expressed my passion in my Etsy store called MadeByAntra. I found my sewing passion when I was five years old. At that time, my dolls needed new dresses, and the only option was to make them myself. Of course, the first ones were not perfect, but they were perfect for me. Since then, I have sewn different pieces of clothing for myself and for my family. As time went by, I gradually became better and built up the confidence to start my own shop. Etsy looked like the perfect choice.

In 2016, with the support and help of my family, I created my Etsy store, where my first products were knitted winter hats. I already knew that I wanted to design hats, as it seemed like uncharted territory. As the yarn wasn't my favorite material to work with, I switched to different other materials: jersey, velvet, fleece, denim, etc. And from that vast array of materials, I can make many different accessories: beanies, berets, scarves, headbands, and many more. I put all my heart into every product I create. That is why each item is unique and carefully made to retain high quality. Of course, I tend to make some identical hats if I see that there is demand for them. But I quickly go back to making unique ones. The more I design new hats, the more ideas I have. Then I sort those ideas, decide which to bring to life, and most importantly, find time for that.

Favorite items

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

My favorite products are those with different colors because they are where I can fully express myself. I am less enthusiastic about designing single-colored items. To be more specific, I would like to point out these:
Beanies that can be worn in four different ways It is possible because they have different prints on the outside and inside, and the look changes when you wear the brim up or down. The ones that are made from cotton or viscose jersey are also customer favorites because they are soft, stretchy, and comfortable, and they keep the head cool in the summer and warm in the autumn and spring.

Velvet hats, whether they are turbans, berets, or beanies I really love working with velvet. I think that it is a very elegant material. These velvet hats are perfect for a special occasion.

I am happy with the beret design I have created. The design allows them to look perfect on the wearer's head. I love making them, and I see how customers are grabbing them out of my shop.

As quality is important to me, I always invest extra time to make sure that the final product is perfect. and I believe that customers recognize it.

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?

Two weeks! And that was really quick considering how my shop looked at that time. I will never forget the feeling I had. It was truly wonderful and somewhat unreal that a real person somewhere far away chose my creation. These days, to attract customers, I mainly try to understand how the search algorithm works on Etsy (it changes frequently). I know that the key thing to do is to work on my shop every single day without exceptions and publish 1-2 new listings.

I know that many sellers use different social media platforms to promote their shops, but for me, it is too time-consuming. The only thing I use is Pinterest since it takes just a little of my time to manage it. From time to time, I am investing in Etsy ads. Unfortunately, these ads often leave me unsatisfied. I see that in my shop, a simple discount campaign leads to more sales.

I am also always trying out what Etsy suggests. If Etsy says there is a free shipping option for the US market when purchasing for $35 or more, I will try it. I wouldn't say that there is one big thing to do in order to succeed. The customer's attraction comes from many different little actions. Even good reviews count!

Managing MadeByAntra

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?

All the items in the shop are made by me. I choose all the materials, even the spools of thread because product quality is very important to me. I also do my own designs since my passion is to create something unique. And I do all my packing and shipping myself. I am lucky that the local post office is really close to my house, which allows me to ship out a product even in two hours.

All this is possible without any extra apps or tools. It really isn't that hard, and I would encourage everybody to just start as they are and look for ways to improve efficiency along the way. For myself, I can say that the biggest impact on productivity was the investment in better sewing machines. I reasoned that it would be much better to spend time researching keywords than dealing with problems caused by poor-quality sewing machines.

The future of MadeByAntra

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

I would like to increase the number of items I sell in my shop. Right now I am mostly focusing on headwear, but in the future, I would love to add different accessories. Besides new items, I would also love to play more with various materials and find out new and unusual ways to combine them.

Advice for new sellers

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

For everybody who is opening their Etsy shop, I would advise you to work with keywords daily because they are in constant need of change. Follow the latest trends, updates, and what people are searching for. I feel like you cannot get ahead with your shop if you are not spending a couple of hours working every day. Consistency is the key to your first of many sales.