Etsy Seller Interview with Kathryn of SpadeStationery

How SpadeStationery 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 name is Kathryn, and I currently run Spade Stationery as my part-time small business. Spade Stationery is a line of greeting cards that humorously celebrates all of life's big events. When my husband, Jonathan, and I were in the throes of a seven-year wedding anniversary (all happening out of state), we were looking for funny or sarcastic cards to give to the newlyweds, but nothing we found truly expressed our thoughts and feelings. One day, over a few drinks while waiting out a long delay at the airport to travel to one of these aforementioned weddings, the concept of Spade Stationery was born. I have a background in interior and graphic design, so I started brainstorming how I wanted the cards to look and While Jonathan was working on the overall aesthetic of Spade Stationery, he started sharing ideas of what the greeting cards should say.

Favorite items

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

My top three favorite listings are:

Four little words that say so much! Believe it or not, this card was a huge hit during the pandemic. I guess a lot of people turned to online dating while they were cooped up inside, and found love through the dating apps. It makes me feel so honored when people choose this card to send to their significant other to celebrate their anniversaries.

One of our customers actually worked with me on this card. She had an idea for a card that she couldn’t find anywhere else and loved our style, so we put our heads together and came up with what she wanted to say, but with the Spade Stationery spin on it.

I was a newlywed when Spade Stationery began, but now, two kids later, I wanted to introduce a more relatable card for my current stage in life. I am that stereotypical athleisure-wearing and wine-drinking stay-at-home mom (with my Etsy side hustle!), and I have no shame about it. I know a lot of other moms out there can relate and I wanted to create a card for them to send to their mom friends to celebrate them not only on Mother’s Day, but also every other day of the year. 

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?

Thanks to our wonderful friends, the first sale happened quite quickly, within the first few days of launching. We spread the word on our personal social media pages (mainly Facebook at the time), and our friends started purchasing our cards. That seemed to give the shop some traction, and the Etsy algorithm took over from there. Currently, Etsy brings in most of my traffic, thanks to the many hours spent researching proper keywords and all things Etsy SEO.

Managing SpadeStationery

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?

Although my husband and I started the shop together, I, Kathryn, manage it. We consult each other about new card ideas, but I do the daily orders, design and print new cards, and manage the back-end admin. I use a print shop in California to professionally print the cards in bulk, then individually package and ship them from our home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The future of SpadeStationery 

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

To be honest, 2022 has been a tough year for our shop due to the current state of the US economy (read: inflation). Our conversion rate remains high, but the overall volume of sales has gone down due to people trying to cut back on unnecessary spending. My goal is to get back to 2021 sales figures, and then continually increase them while adding in a few new designs each year to stay relevant.

Advice for new sellers

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

Do your research and make sure your shop has a clear focus. Solidify your branding and overall aesthetic of your shop; use quality photography; and use tools like Alura to research your keywords. Success doesn’t happen overnight on Etsy, but if you put the effort in over time and pay attention to Etsy updates, it will come (even through all the algorithm changes!)

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

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 5%