Etsy Seller Interview with Crystal of TonyToastTreasures

How TonyToastTreasures 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?

Hi - My name is Crystal, and my Etsy shop is TonyToastTreasures, which sells all things vintage. I started selling in 2016, right when I decided to move to New Mexico from California. My boyfriend, now husband, wanted to declutter and get rid of his collectibles, and I thought an Etsy shop would be a fun side project. I named my shop after my adorable dog, TonyToast. He is the mascot and logo for my shop. His little face makes me so happy. Anyway, I made two sales, then I moved, and life went crazy with home renovations. I went into "vacation mode" and was dormant for 2.5 years. In late 2018, I reopened my shop and have kept it active ever since. I love that it keeps me busy and allows me to interact with people. It is no longer a side project; I consider it my WFH job. I live in a very small town (less than 900 people), and having an Etsy shop has been great for me and my mental health. I source my items from my husband's various collections and my own personal items from my childhood. I also LOVE heading into Albuquerque to shop at Estate Sales and Thrift shops. It’s my version of treasure-hunting.

Favorite items

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

Because I sell vintage, most of my items are one-of-a-kind. Unless I’m able to find multiples of one thing, each listing is unique, and once it’s sold, it’s gone. (Unless I find another one in the wild.) This makes it difficult to have favourites and items that sell well repeatedly. If I had to pick one item that sells fairly well, it would be vintage brass spittoons; they are very versatile, and people seem to like them. I love copper and brass, coloured glass, and vintage toys that remind me of my childhood.

But my favourite sale of all time had to be a vintage Brownie Girl Scout Camera. The customer messaged me after it was received and told me that she lost everything in a house fire, and this camera replaced a treasured camera that her grandfather had given her as a kid. She was so grateful to have it; her messages really made my day.

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 me a few days to sell my first item, which was vintage sheet music from the University of Wisconsin. My husband priced it, and looking back, I think he priced it very low, but that’s ok. Every single day I learn something new regarding Etsy, online shopping, and postage and shipping. I have a TonyToastTreasures Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook page that I use occasionally to promote my items. I should be better about social media, but it burns me out. I pay $1.00 a day for Etsy ads. I rarely use my personal social media to promote my Etsy shop. I don’t like bothering my friends and family to buy anything from me because I hate when they do that to me. I know I need to do more to attract people directly to my site, but for now, I think Etsy drives most of my traffic.

Managing TonyToastTreasures

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 am the only person who runs my shop. I do everything: sourcing, cleaning, research, listing details, photography, customer service, and everything regarding shipping. I use eRank to help me with listing details, and I also like the EtsyCheck site. I have a membership at Worthpoint to help me price my items. I use Aztec Discount Shipping Supplies in ABQ for my shipping boxes and supplies; they are much cheaper than Amazon or eBay, and I like supporting a local business. I have a Rollo printer for my shipping labels, and I primarily use PirateShip for my shipping labels. I have used GoShippo if I need a FedEx label, though. I live about 300 steps (according to my Fitbit) from my post office. Even though my shipping speeds state 1-3 days, I strive to ship everything as quickly as possible because I never know if there will be a shipping delay in transit, and I want my customers to be happy with their item and with how quickly it arrived to them.

The future of TonyToastTreasures 

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

My main goal for my shop is to continue to grow and to have several repeat customers (I love repeat customers). I’d really like to grow the number of listings that I have to over 1,000 (currently I’m hovering around 500). My busiest months are around Christmas time, and having more listings available seems to really boost my sales. Additional goals include:

Having a better inventory system in my home so I can find my items faster when something sells.

I'm going back and adding videos to all of my older listings. I think the new video feature is so important and helpful. The video really showcases an item, and it also proves that you are not an online scammer and actually have the item on hand.

I would like to add Alt Text to the main photo for each listing that I have.

*To be consistent about social media (but I know I will struggle with this one),

Advice for new sellers

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

People often ask me about selling on Etsy or online in general, and I tell them, Go FOR IT! Do your research and jump in so you can learn. Nothing will sell if you don’t get it listed.

Also, make sure you have a shipping scale; postage is so expensive, and if you do not weigh your items correctly, you end up losing money. I recommend this one.

Make sure you take clean and clear photos. Sometimes people do not read your item description, so your photos are extremely important.

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: It varies— some months are better than others. 

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: I’m not entirely sure, I buy a lot of items in bulk lots and then sell individually or I sell items that I’ve had for years and I don’t remember the original cost. In my early days I lost money because I didn’t weigh things correctly. 

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: In 2022 my conversion rate was 0.7% and so far this year it is also 0.7%. If I check my stats for my “all time sales” my conversion rate is listed at 0.9%