So I started an Etsy shop...
Hello world! It’s me Alex! With the vastness of the blog world it seems only natural my first post would be about the vastness of Etsy. I started my shop about three months ago and what can I say.. IT’S SLOW! That being said I am still so surprised that with the endless amount of product and shops I’ve still managed to be seen by 274 people, and make sales to 5 of them! Small wins, but wins non-the-less :)
This all started with shopping! I cruise around Etsy everyday, looking for new and exciting items for my home, closet, or jewelry chest. As a designer I love finding vintage nik naks for my home, accessories with a story and whimsy you just can’t find at the box stores! As my Etsy cart kept growing I began to ask myself… “Where do these shops find all these amazing treasures?” Surely they couldn’t all just have Grandma’s with basements FULL of vintage trinkets… Could they? The more I mulled it over the more I wanted to try my own hand at vintage hunting. So I did what any good millennial does - I hit the thrift shop! *Insert Macklemore music here* I couldn’t believe my eyes, literally shelves of prim product just like the items tallying up in my Etsy cart. I know I know - "Alex why would you give away your secrets?” - because I know that not everyone can spot the diamonds in the rough! So with two bags full and only $25 spent, I started my shop.
Fast forward three months now and I’ve only made one other trip to re-stock product. Though it’s slow it really is more of a hobby for me, and if your looking to dabble in a manageable small business I would totally recommend starting an Etsy shop! Not only have I started adding custom art pieces to my listing, this winter I tried my hand at a few DYI ornaments and I’m totally going to be adding that to my shop next Holliday season. The beauty of Etsy really is that with little to no marketing input from me, Etsy was able to take my hobby and direct it to a real audience. Though i’m not raking in the $$, it’s the perfect little outlet for my creative ventures with enough sales to give me a purpose to keep doing what I love!