Etsy Seller Interview with Irina of RereshechkaDesign

How RereshechkaDesign 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 have been creative since childhood. I was a creative child; I graduated from art school. I knitted, embroidered, painted, and made dolls and toys. I can't imagine my life without it. And I have always been close to nature. I could see and notice beauty in small things. This is my main source of inspiration. What I try to convey in my products In 2011, I first tried working with polymer clay. Because this material gave me the opportunity to realize any of my fantasies, At first, I just showed my work to friends on social networks, but over time, people began to ask how to buy it. For a long time, I sold only in my country, but my work became known on the net, and people from different countries became interested in shopping. Therefore, I thought about the international marketplace. And of course, Etsy was immediately recommended to me as the largest and most famous. And I took a chance.

Favorite items

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

As an artist, I have no favorites among my products. I love them each in their own way. Each one contains some idea, a dream, or a fairy tale of mine. I thought of each one from start to finish. If we talk about the most popular, then these are my garnet pomegranates (jewelry with pomegranate fruit and grains from the garnet stone). I think several factors are mixed in their popularity: the dissimilarity and uniqueness of the design, the interest in the stones of the month, the popularity of the legend of Persephone and Hades, and simply the beauty of the pomegranate fruit. One from such a design:

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?

It took less than a month from the opening of my Etsy store to the first sale. But, to be honest, in the first years I didn’t do much with this store, and it was almost dead. I had very poor English and did not understand how it all worked. Over time, I studied a lot of materials about SEO, keywords, and other things; I posted links to the store in different social networks; and then it started to work. Don't be like me; don't open a store without learning all the basics.

Managing RereshechkaDesign

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?

Yes, I'm the only one running my store. I don't use any special tools. As I said, I used to use free advertising on social networks and post publications in the appropriate groups. And plus, Etsy ads Now it works without my efforts. I only make orders. My son helps me with mail and packing.

The future of RereshechkaDesign

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

I hope to expand my possibilities for the realization of my ideas. I dream of my own bright workshop and like-minded helpers. In this way, I make up my own to embody more of my fairy tales and fantasies. And I believe it will.

Advice for new sellers

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

Learn all the basic rules and principles of work. Believe in yourself and your products. And be able to present them. On the Internet thanks to the photo. No good photos, no sales. And show your work everywhere—in all social networks. The more people see it, the more likely it is to sell. And one more thing: watch fewer master classes and try to come up with something unique of your own, unique and don't listen to anyone who doesn't believe in you!