Etsy Seller Interview with Chris of GeekyGoodiesShop

How GeekyGoodiesShop 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 am ridiculously passionate about board games, and I have been playing card games, board games, and tabletop games for as long as I can remember. I am also a graphic designer and have been helping small and medium-sized businesses and non-profit organisations communicate their message and grow for more than 25 years. Geeky Goodies is an extension of those two passions. I wanted a space where I wouldn’t be restrained by the needs and goals of my customers and could exercise my creativity in the board game world.

Starting out, I was determined to have my store match my personal philosophy: board games are for EVERYONE. I wanted designs that appealed to all types of gamers and inspired conversations about board games. Also, I am a big guy and was having trouble finding geeky shirts that I wanted to wear in my sizes. So, with that in mind, it was important that my shirts came in many different sizes (up to 5XL) and were available in a variety of styles (short sleeve, crew neck, long sleeves, in men’s and women’s styles, with apparel for children, babies, and families).

While I sell mostly t-shirts, I try to have a variety of products in my store, including board game coffee mugs, game room posters, clocks, shower curtains for a board game-themed bathroom, socks, iron-on patches, stickers, drink coasters, and more.

When I’m looking for new product ideas, I try to source products that you might want to give to that board game couple you know on their wedding day, as a birthday gift to the board game fanatic in your life, or something that you might bring over to another couple’s house as a house-warming gift on Game Night. Ideas for my designs come mostly from playing many modern board games and connecting with board gamers from all over the world online.

Favorite items

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

Some of my favourite items are:

This line of shirts is for the entire family. "The Base Game" or "The Deluxe Edition" for Mom and/or Dad, and "The Expansion", "The Reprint", "The Collector's Edition", "The Add-on", "The Mini-Expansion," and more for the kids and/or babies in the family. Playful and fun, there is something for every gamer in the family, and when all together, it makes a great family photo.

Whether you allow drinks on your game table or not, these Board Game Drink Coasters are a great addition to your Game Room.

Channelling your energy into the things you are passionate about has never been more fun with these board game-themed coffee mugs.

Unlike Vegas, your Game Room needs a clock. I love how these meeple-patterned clocks turned out. Available in every colour of the rainbow.

Sometimes when board games get together, it can sound a bit like they are speaking another language. Some of my more popular items are:

Modern board games have evolved a lot! Gone are the days when you had to roll the perfect number to win the game or wait forever for someone to finish their turn. Today's modern board games are created with all kinds of new, interesting, and exciting ways to keep players interested and challenged. The rules of the game are formed around the mechanisms of how the game works and what players are doing during the game. This design (also available on a t-shirt) is one of the most popular, as it features a very long list of many of the different mechanisms that modern board games use. Board gamers love to talk about board games and the mechanisms that make those games intriguing.

One of my first designs and consistently one of my most popular. People love meeples, and this design is a fun way to share your love of gaming with the world.

Colourful and fun, this poster will brighten up any play space. It makes a great gift idea for the board gamer in your life. Available in several different sizes.

For your little one, who will be rolling dice and placing workers before you know it! Great gift for the newest member of the tabletop gaming family.

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?

Because I had already started selling my products on my main website, it didn’t take very long to start selling on Etsy. I do most of my promotions online. I am very active on social media and in the board game community. I post and repost a lot of board game-related content. When I’m not working on a new product or design, I am usually online talking to someone about the games they are playing (I started the hashtag #WhatDidYouPlayMondays to encourage gamers to share what board games they have been playing during the previous week) or working with my co-host, Matt McKenzie, on our podcast, Escape Into Board Games , where we talk about the board games we are passionate about.

Managing GeekyGoodiesShop

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?

My wife, Sherri, helps me with all aspects of the business, but it is mostly me doing all the design and promotion. My primary tools for the store are social media apps; I’m on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Mastodon, Threads, and others, connecting with board gamers, listening to what games they are playing, what they say about them, and what other things they are passionate about. I use that information to guide my designs and my promotional materials.

I also use the Etsy Seller app to stay in contact with my customers and provide them with progress updates. Almost everything in our store is printed on demand. We work with trusted suppliers in the USA, Canada, and a few other parts of the world to get our designs out to our customers. Products that we carry in stock are shipped out by us, primarily using Canada Post.

The future of GeekyGoodiesShop 

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

It’s a constant battle between new designs, tidying up the current listings, and promotion. I will continue to focus on board gamers, but I am trying to include more designs and products that are slightly outside of the board game world and fit more into the geeky and fandom genres. I’d also like to work with more artists to come up with different designs (something we’ve done in the past but are doing far more selectively now).

Advice for new sellers

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

Find a niche product(s) that aren’t being served in the community and develop your community of potential customers online and in person.