Etsy Seller Interview with Sergey of VintageArtMuseum

How VintageArtMuseum 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?

From an early age, I was very fond of vintage art and history. Coming to my grandmother's village for a summer vacation, I could spend hours looking at her albums with old photographs, as well as paintings by artists of the 18th and 19th centuries. She had a small collection; I can't say they were originals; they were most likely high-quality reproductions. Some photos from my grandmother's album were so old and scratched that it was almost hard to understand what image they were, so I took pencils and markers and slowly sketched these cracks and scratches, trying to restore them. (In those days, there was no Photoshop program yet.) After graduating from school, I entered the Higher Command Institute and became an officer, serving in the Ukrainian army as part of my family's dynasty of military personnel. In my free time, I was fascinated by the study of Photoshop, and he impressed me with his capabilities. After many years, I finished my military service, was transferred to the reserve, and happily plunged into my hobby.

My friends brought old photographs of their relatives, and I restored them using Photoshop. At the same time, I studied the archives of art museums on the Internet; there are a lot of scans of paintings that have passed into the public domain and are available for download, but many of them, of course, were in a very deplorable state; time makes itself felt, and I gradually restored them, trying to recreate the whole idea of the artist. After that, I printed them out and hung them in a frame on the wall; some I prepared as gifts for my friends. One day, my wife’s friend noticed my work; she already had an Etsy store open at that time and suggested that I also open and sell digital copies. To be honest, I was surprised that someone could buy it. But still, I decided to try, and so I got the Vintage Art Museum shop.

Favorite items

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

I love all my prints that I put in the store, as each print has its own history, and for each of them I spend a lot of time on restoration. I do it very meticulously and with love. On some, I deliberately leave scratches and cracks on the canvas, thus giving it a historical identity, and on some, I completely restore it, thus giving people the choice of what they like best. But there is one print that has amazed me in terms of sales; to be honest, I didn’t even expect such a return. In one of the museums, I saw the work of the Japanese artist Matsumoto Shoji. It was only three frogs, but he amazingly conveyed their emotions. The scans were of very poor quality; I had to completely restore and, in some places, redraw these frogs, after which I put them up for sale in a set of three prints. Some time passed, and bam! Buyers appreciated these prints, and they began to be sold in an incredible amount, sometimes up to 100 per day. For me, it was a small victory and an inspiration to continue doing my work.

Also, visitors to our store with my wife love to buy a neutral set of architectural sketches, apparently because black and white prints can decorate almost any interior.

For botanist lovers, we offer a set in a minimalist style, watercolor-colored plants, and black-and-white sketches of flower bouquets.

In the interior of the kitchen, they acquire a fruit painting painted in oil or a watercolor apple branch.

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?

My first sale took place two weeks after the opening of the store, and even then it was my friends from the USA; they bought several landscape prints from me for their interior, and after that sales began to grow slowly. My wife started to maintain a page on Instagram and Pinterest. I won’t say that the traffic from these social networks is large, but this is just the beginning.

Managing VintageArtMuseum 

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?

Yes, the store is completely on me—the design and display of the listings, SEO optimization—but my daughter helps me select printouts since the audience of our store is mostly female, and I always consult with my daughter and wife. Social media is my wife. There are no problems with delivery at all since this is a digital product; everything is very simple, downloaded, and printed at home or in specialized printing studios; by the way, a list of recommended ones can be found in our store in the FAQ section.

The future of VintageArtMuseum  

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

There is only one goal for today, and this is an increase in sales since now this is practically the only source of income. There is a terrible war in my country, Ukraine, now, and many enterprises were forced to close. People lost their jobs, including my wife, so I strive to provide our customers with the best possible service.

Advice for new sellers

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

You should always try and believe in your success! Nothing is impossible; just do your job, do it with love, and people will appreciate you!

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: $600-800

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: $500

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 1.8-2.6