How FrenchCountryLiving 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 was an interior designer and collector of French textiles and objects. When we moved to France, I had loads of stuff that didn’t fit or work in our French home, so I decided to sell some of the excess on Etsy. It is very much a part-time thing to make space and share some lovely French things with others. It didn’t stay that way , within two years I realised, my Etsy shop could be very successful , so I decided to work it full time at the end of 2014.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
It’s impossible to name a favorite item; I only sell what I consider to be beautiful, be it a tapestry for 2,000 euros or an antique piece of lace for 20 euros. Beauty is for everyone, rich or poor, so I supply pieces in every price range. Most of my listings sell within 8 weeks of being listed; the problem is finding lovely things to sell.
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 made my first Etsy sale in week one (it was a 19th-century invoice book), I have hundreds of wonderful return customers, and I have a very active Instagram page.
Managing FrenchCountryLiving
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?
I run my shop alone, although my wonderful husband does the driving and schlepping. I only use the wonderful eRack (paid version) to help me run my store. The worst part of my job is the shipping. I have to affix nine separate pieces of paper to most non-EU parcels, and the paperwork for shipping takes 40 minutes even with the best label printer (Dymo) and a laser printer (Brother) and professional accounts with several shipping companies. I do all the packing and shipping myself, and due to the large differentials in size of my stock, I always have a room full of different-sized boxes.
The future of FrenchCountryLiving
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
My goal for the future , just to carry on as I have been, selling Vintage / Antique, is self limiting, as supply can’t usually be bought in multiples .I only sell genuine items, which means a lot of searching for good decorative items. As the "French" look has become more and more fashionable, many other people in France are opening Etsy shops, which makes it harder for me to find good pieces; luckily, several people keep stuff for me.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
My advice to those wanting to open an Etsy shop is: do not use your own name and think you will be found in searches; instead, look at what you are going to sell and have your shop name represent that. People will never look at, for instance, Nana's nice knits or Jennifer's landscapes. whereas a "vintage style knits" or "wall art originals" type of shop name says what you sell and what people would search for. Because you like it doesn't mean anyone else will. Research Etsy and look at what sells. Even vintage is subject to trends; there's no point in buying or making a whole load of stuff no one wants, so be honest with yourself. A successful Etsy shop is a lot of work; in the beginning, I spent up to 70 hours a week on my shop, so be prepared to work.
FrenchCountryLiving
French Country Living, treasures from France
