How ArktosCollectibles 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?

Hello, there! My name is Sophia Andreas, and I am an Etsy seller from Greece. My shop is called Arktos Collectibles, and I run it with my husband, Andreas. We make ceramics primarily, but we also love making clocks and various wall hangings, key rings, charms, a lot of jewelry, and worry beads too. In our shop, we also sell a lot of vintage from Greece and abroad. Our wooden Greek folk art paintings are much loved by our customers.

I started my Etsy shop in 2012, when the economic crisis had gotten hold of Greece and selling art had become quite difficult. I had seen a lot of Etsy shops on social media and had been mesmerized by Etsy. I loved it; it produced the opportunity I was looking for. To broaden my selling horizons and get a wider selling base. It was also so beautiful, so friendly to use, and full of wonderful artists and sellers!

We started our Etsy shop, Arktos Collectibles, with our own pottery and artwork and also with our vintage finds. It was very exciting! I still love selling on Etsy, although it has changed tremendously since then. In our shop, we make a lot of wheel-thrown as well as hand-built ceramics. We also create wooden clocks with vintage miniatures, a lot of charms and key rings, colorful jewelry, etc. We also sell a lot of supplies.

Favorite items

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

The things I mostly love selling are our pottery, things made by my husband, Andreas, and myself. These are the only objects we lovingly hold in our hands—the things we have agonized to see safely out of our kiln, the warmth of each pot, and its journey away from us to a customer abroad. Our pots are not our best-selling items, but it's the process we love to work in, making ceramics. We do not always have a lot of pottery listed because we also have a local business to run. Here are some of our handmade ceramics:

Rustic cottage miniatures, set of three, high fire stoneware clay, ceramic house miniatures, hand built, ceramic cottages, rustic decor
Large coffee mug, stoneware clay, beige white mug, unique white flakes glaze, coffee or tea cup
Boho ceramic cross, purple gold ceramic cross, earthenware clay handbuilt, unique cross, rustic cross wall hanging, Greek pottery cross
Ceramic cake plates, scalloped edge ivory plates, terracotta clay, white glazed plates, set of two, dishwasher and microwave safe

I also love all our jewelry; it’s hippie style and colorful, but I guess our customers get impressed more by our artwork, wall pieces, miniatures, etc. Here are some of our jewelry pieces:

Green bib necklace, bib crochet necklace in minty green and white faux pearls, long green white boho necklace, crochet statement necklace
Red flowers necklace, red and pink felt flowers on red felt ribbon with fabric beads and beaded kitties and doggy, boho red necklace
Black doggie necklace, white and black necklace, accent jewelry necklace with doggie pendant, faux pearls and black chain, unique necklace
Dangle beaded earrings, colourful beaded earrings in fabric and wood, mint, red, lime and yellow dangle earrings with sterling hooks

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?

Our first sale was about a month after we opened our Etsy shop. It was so exciting—thrilled, I would say—to hear the cha-ching! Sound and get the email from Etsy with the bubbling champagne glasses illustration!

We never stopped ever since; it took a lot of work, and it still does, to remain an active Etsy seller. Etsy changes continuously, and a seller has to keep up with the changes. We keep a wide inventory of items; we try to have about 1000 items listed. We strive to take vivid, clear photos and make items attractive in our listings. We cater to all our customers’ needs as much as possible. We send them handwritten notes, we pack their orders very securely with recycled materials, and we mostly ship express so they can receive their orders as soon as possible. We offer discounts for repeat buyers. We try to stay relevant in the Etsy marketplace, up-to-date, and competitive. We do make and sell so many unique things!

Managing ArktosCollectibles 

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?

Our shop on Etsy is a collaboration between me and my husband Andreas, as well as some other Greek artisans we work with. Other than making items for the shop, I also take care of the listing process, photos, Photoshop, and customer service. Andreas does the harder work—larger ceramic items, woodwork for our clocks, etc. He also takes care of shipping, invoices, accountant chores, etc.

The future of ArktosCollectibles

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

We would love our shop to be more successful, and we will definitely stay on Etsy, although we are nearing our physical retirement age. Etsy is a lot more work now than it used to be; it is a very challenging marketplace. We would love a steady flow of business in the future and to have the work we have put into this shop acknowledged by customers.

Advice for new sellers

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

I would advise new sellers to stay updated with Etsy trends, selling styles, and products. Keep up with Etsy by all accounts. They also offer amazing products, top customer service, and never grumble about putting in the extra hours on their Etsy e-shops.

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: Not enough

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: It used to be one-third of the selling price, but Etsy expenses and fees have gone up so much in the last few years. Etsy is now very expensive for sellers.

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: We sell in euros, but the rate changes all the time—not considerably, but it does.

Alura Team
Alura Team

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