Etsy Seller Interview with Sheo of VIKTravelAccessories

How VIKTravelAccessories 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, I am Sheo, the creator, and owner of VIK Travel Accessories on Etsy. Perhaps someone might be interested in why my store has this particular name. The thing is, I'm a fan of Scandinavian sagas, Vikings, and Nordic themes in general. As some historians claim, "VIK" was the name of a Viking sea campaign, and it's also an abbreviation of the word 'Viking'. So, I create various leather goods like covers, wallets, backpacks, belts, etc. Mostly in my store, there are passport covers and wallets because I can't find the time to expand my range and fill the store with a larger variety of products. But I can create almost anything (well, except for shoes and a saddle.)

I opened my store in 2019, but I started getting interested in leather goods much earlier. It all started when, one day, being unemployed, I was walking past a small tray of leather goods in one of the malls. I stopped to look at the products on offer, and they struck me—their look, the smell of the skin, the tactile sensations—they were wonderful... I wanted to buy a men's wallet, but when I found out the price, I realized that I couldn't afford it. Then I remembered that there was an old piece of leather in my parents' garage that was probably over 30 years old, and I decided to make a wallet for myself that was no worse than the ones sold in stores. So I got down to business. But since I knew nothing about leathercraft, I had to start with instructional videos on YouTube. And thanks to their careful guidance, I began the magic of creating a new thing. I had no tools at all. And if I could afford to buy a cheap office knife, I couldn't afford a leather punch. And those who work with leather know that without a punch, you can't make anything. But since I had no money, I took a small nail, marked the holes with a ruler, and started punching. It turned out horribly crooked. (I realized that a nail was a bad substitute for a punch.) To punch the other side, I came up with the idea of using an old fork. I trimmed it, sharpened it, and aligned the tines as much as possible. That's how I made the other side. It turned out better, but was far from perfect. But it didn't matter; I was ecstatic with the result. Those who create things with their own hands will understand me. So, I made a wallet for myself, which was my first item. After a few months, a friend invited me to his birthday party, and since I didn't have any money for a gift, I decided to make him a unique, one-of-a-kind men's wallet. My friend is also a fan of Scandinavian themes and Vikings, so I decided to stylize the image of Fenrir the wolf on his wallet. This time, I was extremely careful, and I had more experience and knowledge (thanks to YouTube). It turned out really well.

After some time, I found a job at a medical equipment manufacturing company. Starting there, I realized how boring it was and that I didn't want to do it; it wasn't for me. I understood that I wanted to work with leather, which was what attracted me. I continued to watch all the videos available on YouTube. Thoughts about leather craft never left me, and during any free moment at work, I dreamed of creating something from leather. For some reason, I thought the most about backpacks. I don't know why. Every lunch break, I had the opportunity to walk along a small alley among the trees, and I would stroll and contemplate ideas for creating backpacks, wallets, and covers. It was the most wonderful time of the entire workday. I started a notebook where I wrote down all my thoughts about it: what to create, how, sizes, and sketches. And then, at some point, I had the idea to make a passport cover with an image of Fenrir the wolf. Especially since I already had experience creating such a drawing. I hadn't seen anything like it for sale, and I wanted a cover with a wolf on it.

So, I made a passport cover with a picture of a wolf on it, and almost immediately I had the idea to take photos of it and put it up on Etsy. And that's exactly what I did. It was in May 2019. Literally, a few days later, I had to go on a business trip to another city. And imagine this: I leave home early in the morning, drive out of town, and then I get a notification of a successful sale of one cover, and literally half an hour later, I get a notification of a successful sale of four more covers! To say that I was shocked is an understatement. At that moment, I realized what I wanted to do. The whole way, I was thinking about what to do and how to manage everything because, due to my inexperience, I set the shipping time to 1-2 days. Don't do that; always leave yourself some time to spare. In the evening, while sitting in a snack bar with my boss and waiting for the bus, I was showing him something on my phone, and then a pop-up notification from my girlfriend came up, asking, "So, have you figured out how not to go to work tomorrow?" It was an epic fail. Late in the evening, after returning home, I spent half the night fulfilling orders, and in the morning I called my boss, lied that I was sick (I don't think he believed me), and said that I wouldn't be coming in. A couple of weeks later, I was fired from that company, but I was only happy about it. The money I managed to earn there was enough for good-quality leather and entry-level tools. That's how my journey on Etsy started.

I make my products entirely by hand from high-quality leather, which I always choose myself. I don't use a sewing machine, but instead sew everything by hand. I used one of the rooms in my apartment as my workshop. However, on February 24th, 2022, Russia (yes, written with a lowercase 'r') attacked my country, and I had to leave my hometown of Kharkiv. I will never forget my feelings when, at 4 a.m., I woke up to the sounds of Russian rockets trying to destroy my city... To say it was a shock is an understatement. This shock lasted for several months, and I could not work... Etsy automatically put all shops from Ukraine on vacation, which was a big help because I was in shock and couldn't think about such things. Etsy also canceled the need to pay the monthly bill and provided free funds for advertising, for which I am immensely grateful. It was really nice to receive such support in that situation. However, I couldn't force myself to think about work, let alone work for three months. Only in May did I relaunch the shop and start working gradually. Now I live with my parents in a village, and one of the rooms in the house is my workshop. Both before the war and now, I run the shop entirely by myself. Sometimes my girlfriend, who is a designer, helps me with the design, but it's very rare.

My shop's feature is that I offer free personalization. It can be your initials, name, handwritten text, picture, photo, or anything else you want. I also often use designs that clients send me, but even more often, I create designs based on client requests. Additionally, I would like to clarify that my products contain fan art. Fan art is protected by fair use. I do not sell these images. I only sell leather goods made entirely by my own hands. These images are not intended for sale but are merely an example of personalization and cannot be copied for resale or distribution.

Favorite items

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

I just have to show one of my most loved products—the passport holder that says "Russian Warship... Done!". It's not about sales; it's about emotions, about what every Ukrainian feels right now about what's happening in my country, and about the resilience of my people. This product is about where Russia should go, namely, where their flagship of the fleet has already been successfully sent, where it went, and where all of Russia will soon go!

Also one of my favorite products is the passport cover with a quote from James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty": "To see the world, things dangerous to come to, things behind walls, draw closer, find each other, and feel. That is the purpose of life." Perhaps it speaks to me on a personal level. I believe that many people feel the same way about this quote, which is why it sells well.

And in third place is the 'Valhalla Passport' cover, also one of my favorites, probably because, as I already mentioned, I am a fan of Vikings.

Actually, I have a lot of favorite products, but unfortunately, I can't list them all here.

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?

I opened the store on May 9, 2019, and the first sale was already on May 16 (which is a week later). The main way to attract customers is probably through Etsy Search and advertising on Etsy. I also have Instagram and Pinterest accounts.

Managing VIKTravelAccessories

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 do everything completely on my own: manage the store, do SEO, purchase leather, create products, pack them, send them, and communicate with clients. In this not-easy business, I'm helped by these tools:

1. Adobe Photoshop—I use it for any work with graphic files.
2. Corel Draw - I design layouts for future products and save existing ones.
3. Paint—I use it in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop; maybe I'm just used to this application, or maybe I'm just old-fashioned.
4. Google Drive: Before the war, I used an external hard drive to store all my work files, but then I realized how unreliable that method was. So I had to buy extended storage on Google Drive; now synchronization happens automatically and constantly, and I don't have to worry that all my files might disappear one day. And to be honest, I've always been too lazy to back up to a hard drive.
5. Google Photos allows you to store an unlimited number of photos, access them at any time, and back them up.
6. Telegram: I use it to exchange files between different computers and my phone.
7. Google Translate: Since English is not my native language and I'm still learning it, I use Google Translate to make as few mistakes as possible and/or check my work. (For me, English spelling is something terrible.)
8. Grammarly, for the same thing, for correct spelling,

As I also manage the shipment of orders, I had to buy a thermal printer for printing thermal labels, which greatly speeds up the procedure of sending orders. Also, something interesting is that due to a forced move to the countryside, I have to walk about 18 km a day on foot (yes, yes, people without cars exist, and I am one of them xD) to the nearest post office to send orders, in any weather, but this is not a problem for someone who loves mountain trekking.

The future of VIKTravelAccessories

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

I want to fill my store with a large variety of products, such as backpacks, bags, and belts. I want to add more diverse models of wallets with different covers, not just for passports. I also want to try creating PDF patterns for my products. I have also started working on creating my own website. I also dream of opening a small shop somewhere in the city center or in a shopping center. So, I have many plans, but unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to implement them at the moment. I hope such an opportunity will arise after the war, after the victory of my country, Ukraine.

Advice for new sellers

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

1. Don't be afraid to start! Don't put off until tomorrow what you can start today.
2. Get a notebook (on paper or on your phone) where you can write down any ideas, and make these notes wherever you are -- at work, on public transport, at a party. If you don't do this, a good idea can be lost forever.
3. You should have excellent photos. If you can't take them yourself, you can go to courses to learn or learn for free with the help of YouTube. It's also possible that one of your friends is interested in photography and can help you take them or teach you how to take photos. And the best option, albeit the most expensive one, is to hire a professional. Believe me, these expenses will pay off, because photos are what can make a buyer either pass by or buy your product.
4. Keywords: pay special attention to them. If you don't know where to start, start by searching on Etsy; yes, Etsy will help you at this first stage. By starting to enter a query in the search bar, you will get a list of the most popular search queries; use it.
5. Engage in what you have a passion for; don't copy anyone; create your own unique style. Over time, you will find a balance between what you like and what your customers like.
6. Be sure to back up all your important data to the cloud.
7. Be patient; water wears away stones.

I wish you all a peaceful sky above your heads! Hugs to all! Glory to Ukraine!

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

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 1%