Etsy Seller Interview with Tara of ReliquariaMedieval

How ReliquariaMedieval 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?

My store is a real passion project. It grew out of a hobby, reenacting medieval times within the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). I wanted to purchase a belt buckle for myself, and as I was researching what to buy, I came across a manufacturer looking for retailers. I decided to take a gamble and invested $200 into a small amount of inventory, which I took to a local event. My friends were very excited, as this kind of product had never been offered in our part of Canada.

Of course, what should happen next? Covid 19!  So I had a choice to make: give up altogether or try something different. That’s how I became an online retailer on Etsy. Each year, as sales increased, I took the profits and purchased more inventory, greatly expanding my product offerings. I now carry the original buckles and brooches, plus belts, journals, drinking horns, and cutlery. I’ve grown from one supplier to six, including a local artist whose one-of-a-kind items I’ll be featuring in the summer of 2023.

In my shop, I sell two kinds of items: historical replicas and medieval-inspired fantasy items. The replicas I sell are based on real items from museums or archeological sites. Several of my products are exclusive to my store. To create these unique pieces, I begin with research; my goal is always to create a replica as close to the original as possible. The majority of my research is done in English and French (although I did create a line of items based in Russia and the Ukraine). I consult books, archeological reports, and museums. The internet has been a wonderful tool, in particular the database created by the U.K.’s Portable Antiquities Scheme.

The items in my fantasy line are geared towards the Larping (live-action role-playing) community. These items have a "medieval feel" but are not necessarily based on a specific artifact. My goal with these products is to create items that modern people will enjoy while bringing as much history into the design as possible.

Favorite items

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

My first favorite product, the one that caught my eye from the very beginning, is A medieval buckle featuring gothic arches and a lion or wolf.

I love the detailed casting and heavy weight of this piece. Being solid brass, it can be polished to a brilliant shine. It is based on a real buckle carved out of ivory and held at the National Museum of Denmark. Some of the most popular items in the store are purse fittings from the Kievan Rus culture. These are small decorative brass mounts that decorate the outside of belt pouches called tarsoly.

They come in a variety of shapes, such as stars, scrolls, and owls. I loved discovering these tiny lion heads and seeing how my customers used them to decorate the edges of their pouches. They are so easy to use but can totally transform a person’s garb. The most popular items in my store are the various cutlery sets. I have several varieties that use materials like hand-forged iron, stainless steel, bone, and horn. My personal favorite is the set that has luminous black horn handles. I love how each one is slightly different, and many of them feature beautiful white stripes.

My final favorite is a brass mount in the shape of a hippocampus (a mythological creature with the head of a horse and the body of a fish). While researching one day, I came across a Frankish brooch being offered for auction. It was love at first sight. I decided immediately to get this item produced so I could share it with my customers. I also used it as inspiration for my logo. It is truly one of the prettiest pieces of Dark Ages jewelry I have ever seen!

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?

Building a business on Etsy takes time and determination. In my first year, I was thrilled to make 141 sales. It took a lot of work to set up my listings and learn what keywords are effective. Over time, I built a reputation for quality and good customer service, which has led to many repeat customers. Over the years, I have tried to understand my customers more. I focus on the types of places where they might shop. I try to post a listing on Facebook marketplace groups for reenactors once a week. I also advertise regularly on Facebook, as it seems to be a platform that many reenactment groups use. Last year, I was able to attend some in-person events and used my business cards to remind people to visit my shop afterward. I try to post on TikTok and Instagram as often as I can. I attempted to advertise with Google ads but found them to be expensive and ineffective.

Managing ReliquariaMedieval

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 shop has always been a second job; my full-time day job is as a school teacher. This means that I’ve adopted a progressive model of growth rather than an expectation of instant success. My strategy has always been to improve one piece at a time. Once I’ve discovered a strategy that works, I maintain it and develop a new area. There’s always something else that can be improved. As a one-person business, I do everything from creating listings to taking photos, doing research (my favorite part), marketing, and accounting. I have outsourced some photography, with mixed results. I have also invested in quality business cards and labels from Vista Print and photo editing software from Canva. I use a local shipping service called Chit Chats for domestic shipments and Canada Post for overseas shipments. I have used Allure to learn more about the overall market and how I can tweak my shop to compete better on Etsy.

The future of ReliquariaMedieval  

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

This summer will be my second season of in-person events, which I hope will build brand awareness and long-term customer relationships. In the future, I would like to continue to add exclusive designs based on rarely seen items in European museum collections. Ideally, I will one day take an overseas trip to England and France to meet with curators and view their collections. I would also like to expand my product line in two directions: medieval lanterns and medieval shoes. Long-term, I would like to run this business full time, either when I retire in 10 years or sooner if profits allow.

Advice for new sellers

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

Here are a few suggestions for newcomers:

1. Start with a small inventory and create quality listings. Gradually add new items.
2. Consider carefully all the costs involved in selling an item, including advertising. Make sure your profit is sustainable.
3. Spend time on message boards, Facebook pages, etc. that cater to your target audience.
4. Review your work frequently; update listings; check that items remain profitable; change up the pictures.
5. If you don't love what you're selling and are not interested in the product, it will be hard to maintain your motivation through the hours of hard work.

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: $4,000

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: 25%

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 1.5-1.8%