Etsy Seller Interview with Sherry of SewVintagely

How SewVintagely 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’m Sherrie Cork, owner, and founder of Sew Vintagely. I sell specialty dressmaking supplies, including fabric, ribbon, lace, and buttons, to home sewists and small home businesses. My Etsy shop began with my love of vintage fashion and costume making. I’m a fourth-generation seamstress, and I’ve been sewing since I was a little girl. I learned early on the importance of quality materials. When I had a hard time finding quality fabric, trim, and buttons for historical and vintage-style garments, I decided to open my own shop so I could source the best quality materials and share them with other vintage sewing enthusiasts. I source my products from distributors who work with manufacturers in Europe and Asia. Most of the products in my shop are made from 100% natural fibers like fancy cotton fabrics from Switzerland, silk ribbon from Japan, and natural corozo buttons from Italy.

Favorite items

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

A few of my favorite products are the Shell Buttons, and Rick Rack Trim. I love these products because they are both timeless and nostalgic, as well as versatile. They are also some of my best sellers and represent the varied interests of my customers. The Shell Buttons are a favorite of knitting enthusiasts. The Rick Rack trim is 100% cotton and is a favorite for quilts, children’s garments, and everything in between. These products also stand out because the photos are good quality and represent the items accurately. Adding videos enables customers to get a closer look.

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 opened my Etsy shop very casually, without much of a plan, no social media, and with just a few products. It took a few weeks before I made my first sale. Sales slowly trickled in for a few months while I researched all things business and marketing. Now I post new products and sales, as well as my sewing projects, on Facebook and Instagram. I also formed an exclusive insider Facebook group, and I send a newsletter to email subscribers. I advertise the insiders group and the e-newsletter signup with "thank you" order inserts. I do have business accounts on Twitter, Pinterest, and Tik Tok as well. But who has time for all of that, right? I have to get orders out! The most important thing I do to attract customers is consistently provide the best customer service possible. I have many repeat customers and an excellent feedback score.

Managing SewVintagely

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?

Other than occasional help from one of my daughters and using my partner as a sounding board, I manage Sew Vintagely on my own. I am organized by nature, so I’ve developed routines and processes that keep things running smoothly. I prioritize my tasks and focus on one thing at a time.

I use Later to schedule social media content. This method works for me because I can spend one day taking photos or recording videos and then sit down and edit the content and schedule posts for the next day. With Later, I can post a week or more of content to multiple social media platforms at once and not have to worry about it for a while.

Canva is a great tool for creating social media posts. I set up templates in Canva with my brand colors and logo to keep my Instagram feed cohesive.

I use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator for editing photos and creating branded assets like business cards, order inserts, and stickers.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say one of my biggest challenges has been shipping and fulfillment: setting up accurate rates; finding economical (and sustainable) packaging; protecting the product; refining the process so that I don’t spend 8 hours a day packaging orders. I consider all of my processes and procedures dynamic, and I continuously review them for possible improvement. 

As my shop grew, I adjusted my processes to accommodate the increase in orders. I package orders each morning and schedule daily pickups with USPS. I print packing slips and pull the products one category at a time: fabric, ribbon, lace/trim, buttons. It’s more efficient this way because each category uses a slightly different process and packaging. When I create an assembly-line-style process, I’m more efficient.

The future of SewVintagely

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

I recently worked with a marketing agency to revamp my logo and brand identity, and I’m currently working on a significant shop update to reflect my new vision, which will reconnect my business to my passion for sharing my knowledge and experience with others who want to learn about sewing and textiles. As part of the update, I plan to create educational content on Youtube and launch a collection of vintage-style sewing patterns.

Advice for new sellers

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

Customer service and patience Providing the best customer service is hard, but it’s free marketing. Make sure your messages are kind and professional. Don’t give in to your emotions when customers piss you off. Also, consider implementing generous return policies. Patience will help you deal with difficult customers, but it’s also important because most of the time it takes a while to make your first sale, and even longer to make a profit.

Most experienced Etsy sellers will tell you that quality photos are important. And they’re right! Really. It took me a long time to learn how to take good pictures of my products. Patience is helpful here too. Just keep working at it. Watch tutorials, experiment with lighting and backdrops. Listen to customer feedback if they tell you the item doesn’t look the same as the picture.

Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: 9500

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 4.1%