Etsy Seller Interview with Lor of MarginalDoodles

How MarginalDoodles 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’m Lor, and I run Marginal Doodles, a shop selling pride badges for all sorts of marginalized identities. This is actually my third go at Etsy selling; I started out as a teenager selling bags upcycled out of old jeans, tried my hand at doll clothes for a while, and eventually got a badge press for Christmas one year—the rest is history! I decided I wanted to sell more niche pride badges because I had an absolute nightmare trying to find any products to represent my identity as a grey-skinned nonbinary person. The nonbinary part was fine, but although there was a flag for the grey gender, nobody seemed to know about it, so I made my own grey gender flag badge for my backpack; it was one of the first ones I did, and I still have it.

I make all my badges entirely by hand—I measure and draw out each flag design, color them in with alcohol markers, and press them individually on my tiny little machine. They might not look as crisp as some of the mass-produced printed pride badges, but there’s the heart behind them, and I want to make sure everyone feels included (even the people whose identities have really tricky flags!).

Favorite items

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

My absolute favorite items to make are my discreet badges, particularly the skyscapes. They’re only 25mm (1") across, so some of the details are absolutely minuscule, but I love the way they turn out, and each individual one is a complete surprise. I have a whole gallery on my computer that won’t fit in the Etsy listing because every time I make a new one, I love it so much that I have to get a picture of it so I can see it again even when it’s gone to its new home.

My best sellers are the name and pronoun badges, and I love making those too because I know they help people express themselves and have something to refer to if there’s a pronoun mix-up.

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?

My first badge sale was actually a friend who bought a trans pride badge. This was pretty soon after I’d pressed the first initial batch during the lockdown in 2020, so it was nice to be able to send him something even though we couldn’t meet. I’ve now sent badges all over the world—to Canada, Australia, the US, and Japan—and I’ve even sent some to very brave people in places like Russia, where it’s particularly hard to just exist as an LGBTQIA+ person, much less to pin a badge on to advertise the fact.

I don’t do anything major to attract customers; I rely on the community to spread the word, and my massive collection of flag badges and the ideals of inclusiveness I hold very close to my heart speak for themselves. I used to try the whole social media dance, but I’m a caregiver for two disabled people, and I don’t have the energy or time to keep posting about my badges on top of actually making them!

I do schedule sales during awareness days and weeks, like Trans Day of Visibility on March 31st or Bisexual Awareness Week from September 16th–23rd, and of course, the shop absolutely explodes during Pride Month in June. It’s my busiest time, and it’s wonderful to know that so many people are ready and able to share their pride in who they are.

Managing MarginalDoodles

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?

This is definitely a one-person band, although during busy times I have been known to rope my spouse into envelope duty! I have a set routine for getting badges made, packed, and posted as quickly as possible while still making time for all the other things in my life. I’m autistic, so a routine really helps me make sure I’m getting everything that needs to be done. I work entirely off the desktop version of Etsy as I don’t have a smartphone or tablet, and I don’t use any apps; I just make an old-fashioned pen-and-paper list!

The future of MarginalDoodles

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

I’d like to expand out into other products. I’ve started offering small keyrings, and I’m looking at other compatible things like mirrors and magnets too, for people who maybe don’t do badges or already have too many on their backpacks or jackets. My dream would be to be able to make embroidered patches of any pride flag, but an embroidery sewing machine is a bit out of my budget at the moment. Maybe a few more Pride Months’ worths of sales will get me there!

Advice for new sellers

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

Find your people. You can’t be all things to all people, so find the ones who absolutely love what you do and make stuff for them. I’ve had a fair few messages from people who don’t ‘get it" or who think that some of the identities I make badges for our stupid jokes, but I get so many more messages from people who are grateful to find themselves or their friends, families, and loved ones included and represented. When you make any product, make it to the best of your ability with love and care, and don’t be discouraged if your numbers aren’t sky high at first or you get lots of people looking but not buying immediately. You’ll get there; you’ll find your niche and the people who can’t wait to get their hands on the things you make.