Etsy Seller Interview with Nicolaas and Edith of ThreeDGeek

How ThreeDGeek 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?

It all started about 5 years ago.  My husband (a fellow tech nerd) wanted a 3D printer.  I asked, how will we make it pay for itself?  I had some previous experience on Etsy selling cricut die cuts with a friend, so we decided to design a few products and see what took off.  Cookie cutters were VERY popular!  So my husband, who is a computer science professor, took one summer break to make lots and lots of designs.  I handled cleaning up the prints with micro files and sandpaper, getting them photographed, listed on Etsy, and eventually packaged and shipped.  I also handle most of the communication for our shop.

Favorite items

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

Some of my favorites are our New Mexico Zia cookie cutters. The Zia is the cross shape on the New Mexico flag. We had a request for a round cutter with the Zia shape in the middle. It got some love on social media and became one of our best sellers! We now make the Zia symbol in all sorts of shapes, like Christmas trees, hot air balloons, hearts, etc. People love this cutter, which makes me love it! It seems like we have sold one to every person in New Mexico by now. We also have a wholesale agreement with a New Mexico store owner who sells all sorts of New Mexico-related merchandise.

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?

Our first sale happened just a few days after we listed.We have followed the ups and downs of Etsy advertising these past few years. For the most part, Etsy does a good job bringing people to our shop. I also know that having many listings helps your visibility. We have a small social media presence. I think we need to do more of that!

Managing ThreeDGeek 

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?

At this point, my husband is the designer. He personalizes cutters as orders come in, and he develops new cutters and new products during his summers and holidays from teaching at our local college. I handle the communication, listing, and general business things. We both run the machines as our schedules allow. We trade on and off with that job. We hired an accountant and became an official LLC last year. We have hired some college students to help with cleaning and shipping out the cookie cutters. We use Etsy shipping for our shipping labels.

The future of ThreeDGeek  

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

Last year, our goal was to get over 1,000 listings in our shop. We did a lot of that during the COVID lockdown. This year, we have been working on adding more new products, like different types of stamps, and we hope to add texture plates, stencils, and other products that will help our customers.

Advice for new sellers

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

Do your research! We spend a lot of time looking on Etsy and other platforms to see what people are doing with 3D printers. We also spend time brainstorming ideas for new shapes, new products, etc. We are growing and creating new things all the time!

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: $5000—$15000 per month, depending on the time of year. That is our gross. We still have to purchase filament and other supplies (machine parts, shipping supplies, etc.) and pay our employees out of that income.