Etsy Seller Interview with Maggie of magsterarts

How magsterarts 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?

Hi! I'm Maggie, the owner of Magsterarts! The shop name is a combination of wanting an eccentric twist to my name and the illustrations I create. It all started with a doodle of my beloved beagle, Biscuit. I had just finished school and wanted to build an online portfolio, but I didn't have much inspiration to take from anyone other than him. Then, I began to incorporate sketches from what we can see throughout our daily lives, such as food, drinks, and household necessities. Over time, these sketches will eventually become the finished products that you can find in my Etsy shop today. My goal is to bring a little smile to anyone who receives my creations in the mail—colorful illustrations that are cute and quirky made into items that can be used, not just to be hung on the wall. My illustrations always start with a traditional pencil sketch on scratch paper (I can never keep a sketchbook around for the life of me!). I used to finalize my art using Photoshop, but nowadays I've switched to Procreate, including raw sketches. It has become  digital sketchbook!

Favorite items

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

My favorite item would be the Bubble Tea Keychain. It's not only my all-time bestseller, but it also represents where I'm from, which is Taiwan. Bubble tea is one of Taiwan's most popular beverages, and I love it as well. It's a must-buy for me whenever I'm out with family or friends, or just coming home from a long day at work! It's always so exciting to see customers sharing pictures of the keychain next to the bubble tea they are having!

I also love my Beagle Pin. While this may not be everyone's favorite because it's a design of a specific dog breed, this pin is for my Biscuit, who passed away in 2014. He was a beagle with a voracious appetite. Having to keep him from snagging food off the table was a real challenge because Biscuit will always find a way to get to the food!

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?

I got my first sale on Etsy about a week after launching my shop. Of course, product titles, tags, and promotions on social media platforms play a huge role. Every once in a while I must browse around for the latest trendy tags, and adjust my listings accordingly. Instagram is what I mostly use nowadays when it comes to showing my work.

Managing magsterarts

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 solely just me! Since most of my products are small and don't require a big box to ship, packing has been relatively easy. During busy seasons, I would prepare shipping envelopes ahead of time so that once the orders are in, all I need to do is to print and stick the customer's address, then it's off to the post office!

The future of magsterarts

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

In the future, I wish to have a standalone shop that is linked to my online portfolio so that customers can see the variety of styles I can do with my illustrations. I would like to find other selling platforms like Etsy and expand my audience reach. Most importantly, I will never stop creating new designs!

Advice for new sellers

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

Never stop researching new ideas for your shop, whether it's new products or designs, promotions, or more. It's a competitive market out there, and it will only get tougher with each passing year. But that doesn't mean you should give up! As long as you put in the effort and hard work, it will pay off, even though it may not be an overnight success!