Etsy Seller Interview with Max of SelfbondageShop

How SelfbondageShop 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 always had a passion for bondage, and while it is good to have a partner to share it with, a lot of people lack such a partner, so they need safe and secure tools to practice it on their own. Therefore, I invented locks for solo play and started selling them on eBay in 2015. I was always disappointed, both from a seller’s and a customer’s point of view. It was so out of date and disrespectful to self-made products.I looked for alternatives and found Etsy in 2017. I started my shop a year later, and it took another year to do some sales. Now Etsy is huge, and it is amazing how many new ideas can grow in such a vibrant ecosystem. I managed to give up my full-time job and do it full-time. I haven’t regretted it once.

By the way, my products are manufactured in Berlin in a small workshop almost in the center of the city. I am sourcing components made to my specifications, mostly from Germany, and I am also 3D printing some of my parts myself. I invented, developed, and designed the products myself. As a mechanical engineer, I was able to do the development and 3D design of the products myself, which helped a lot in the beginning because I didn’t need to spend money on them.

Favorite items

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

Some years ago, I messed around with aluminum pipes and soldered them together, which is very hard to do, and I only had a dark cellar to do it in. It didn’t look pretty, but still, people bought it and encouraged me to improve it. Now it is milled from a massive aluminum block, sandblasted, and anodized for maximum durability. It's the kind of image the fruit, like Cupertino's computer and smartphone manufacturers, has made. This is the premium lock I am very proud of:

My favorite items nowadays are elaborate kinky devices I invented and created, and people appreciate them. It still gives me goosebumps that people are paying money for products that didn’t exist a while ago and are only existing because I wanted them myself and created them. You can’t find the products anywhere else in the world.

I am very proud of the customization option. Before, it was really hard to find affordable cuffs and collars you could customize to the maximum.

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 months, but I wasn’t sure about the Etsy store back in 2018. No one knew the market wasn't sure about the Etsy store back in 2018. No one knew the market. It is now a huge deal, and it would undoubtedly take less time. I created a second store, and it had a better start. It took only a week until the first sale. I only promote my own content on Instagram and YouTube. Etsy also has a good algorithm based on the tags. I use this as best I can to attract customers.

Managing SelfbondageShop

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?

I have a small team with some part-time workers. We are all looking into the store, depending on who is at work. We are trying to ship every day, and it is hard to do when you are on your own because I am constantly developing new products and improving manufacturing.

The future of SelfbondageShop

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

I intend to cover a wide range of BDSM tools, not just bondage and solo play. I have lots of ideas in mind, and customers are constantly bringing in new ideas as well. I would like to double my sales by the end of this year.

Advice for new sellers

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

You definitely need to give the best customer service. Firstly, you are rewarded by Etsy with a star rating, and secondly, you need a base of loyal customers. If people are upset and discover that you are trying hard to satisfy them, most people end up being thankful and happy. The next thing is, to be honest in your listing and the pictures. Expectations play a huge role, and if one sample is perfect but the series is not, then people will get upset, and I understand them.