Etsy Seller Interview with Christopher of HungryGhostPress

How HungryGhostPress 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?

Hey there, we’re Hungry Ghost Press! We're all about working with creative folks while making fun and eco-conscious things. At the core of our business lies our mission: to foster creativity while embracing sustainable and eco-friendly practises. Through an array of artistic mediums like screen printing, eco-friendly ink sublimation, hand-sewn one-of-a-kind pieces, and upcycled vintage and deadstock clothing, alongside hand-carved block prints and sculpted jewellery, we explore, learn, and teach the profound interplay of art and tangible products in the commercial world. With the support of talented artists, we continuously unveil innovative creations throughout the year.

Our passion-driven endeavour extends beyond just creating rad products; we offer in-house design services, specialise in unique projects, and provide creative consultations for businesses of all sizes, as well as bands, record labels, independent artists, and clothing brands. Whether it's designing logos, curating limited edition jackets, or helping plan merchandise releases, we take pride in creating distinctive and stylish pieces tailored to fit their vision. 

We felt like joining Etsy, the awesome e-community of makers and buyers who dig supporting independent artists and small businesses. Selling on Etsy just felt like the perfect fit for us; it's like this artistic hub where ideas come to life, and we couldn't resist joining in.

Favorite items

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

Our favourite items in the shop are hands-down the ones from our Made By collections and vintage odds and ends. We love our recent tapestry collection and the rad vintage goods we've been having a blast hunting down. The Made By pieces give us a chance to team up with super talented artists, and with the vintage and deadstock items, we get to share these amazing vintage designs and finds, celebrate their unique and often odd creations, and think back to who may have made them.

And you know what's cool? People are totally digging them too! They are some of our best sellers, and we think it's because of their awesome designs and the fact that folks can't help but love to share them with friends.

Vintage

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?

Honestly, I think our first few sales came in pretty quickly. We had a couple patches, zines, and shirts up, and people seemed to really like them! Currently, we advertise on Etsy as well as make sure to support it and let folks know we have multiple channels online that they can shop and check out, some with some secret items that others don’t have.

Managing HungryGhostPress

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?

Luckily, I’ve been able to develop and work with an awesome team of artists and makers who help run and support Hungry Ghost Press online as well as in our physical storefront. We make, package, and ship a large majority, if not nearly all, of our items in-house. We love the process of having things here and having them go directly from our hands to the customer.

We have etsy orders come in, and through our shipping manager, ShippingEasy, we collect batched items, bag and pack them in our eco-friendly shipping bags and boxes, and pack them for our usual USPS and UPS pick-up at our shop.

The future of HungryGhostPress

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

I’m constantly reviewing our shop, making updates to the verbiage, and making sure that it looks and performs well. I’d love to get some more consistent buyers and really get to elevate and take Hungry Ghost Press to the next level.

Advice for new sellers

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

Make and do what you love. The world’s a big place, and there’s a community out there for you.