Etsy Seller Interview with Elizabeth of vintagefusionjewelry

How vintagefusionjewelry 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?

My name is Elizabeth Clar, and my Etsy shop is vintagefusionjewelry. I love vintage jewelry, fashion, and creating, so I decided to start this shop as a way to show the world my creations. My first items for sale in 2009 were upcycled cocktail rings and earrings that I created from pieces of vintage jewelry. I ran this shop on the side as I worked my corporate job until 2020, when I quit my corporate job to become a full-time seller and artist. During the pandemic, I tested out vintage cocktail glasses, and they were flying off the shelves, so I added this category to my shop.

Favorite items

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

My favorite items listed are vintage housewares and glassware. This is partially because they tend to sell well and I love colorful eclectic homes. It makes me happy when a customer can add or gift one of my unique finds to their home. In addition, the sale of these items allows me to continue thrifting to find new inventory.

I am planning to focus more on listing my work and seeing how to leverage my reputation as an established shop to sell these one of a kind wearable art pieces. 

Instagram : @vintagefusionjewelry

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 my shop in 2009 and don’t remember the specific amount of time it took for my first sale. My first sales came from friends and family who wanted to support my business. It takes a very long time to build up customer confidence, and you also have to use the right keywords and list items that people are searching for consistently. I learned and adapted throughout the years and always did my best to provide excellent customer service in all instances.

Managing vintagefusionjewelry

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 one currently managing my shop. I used Marmalade when starting out to get a better idea of how to leverage popular keywords that help buyers find my shop. Now I do a review at the end of each month and look at sales, profit, advertising, etc. Etsy has a lot of great tools that can give you insight into how to continually improve.

For shipping I tested a few things early on when starting to sell glassware. I had more breakages than I wanted, so I adapted, and now I rarely have any glassware break in transit. This is another factor in creating buyer confidence. Buyers want to make sure that the chances are great that the breakables will arrive intact. Other items I have for sale are much easier to package in logoed boxes and bags.

The future of vintagefusionjewelry

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

I would like to take the shop to the next level and make more money. Once you build up your reputation, Etsy is excellent at ranking you high in search. They do have fees, and if you advertise (which I do), this also eats into profits. I hope to add more inventory and also focus on selling my one-of-a-kind creations by listing them with styled photos so people can understand how to wear them.

Advice for new sellers

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

Don’t give up and have patience. Show your passion and be willing to learn and change your strategy based on the market. Ask for help and keep up with trends and new features. I have found that Etsy is trying its best to help sellers improve and grow. Find a mentor or someone who can review your shop and give you pointers.