Etsy Seller Interview with Wicky of WickysWeb

How WickysWeb 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?

Hey! My name is Matt Westray, but most of my friends call me Wicky. I started selling on Etsy in 2016. Well, I created the account then, but I don’t believe I made any sales until 2017. I am an artist based in Los Angeles, and back then I participated in many different art shows and conventions. Since art can be rather expensive, I decided to make some products based on my art that were more affordable. I noticed at a few shows that other artists were selling prints and pins and were getting a lot more crowd flow to their booths. After doing a little research, I realized that I needed to get into the pin game, and the rest is history.

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 favorite items in my shop are my REDRUM shoelace charms, my Pennywise playing card deck, and my entire Christmas catalog. My REDRUM shoelace charms are a favorite because they were the first item I created when I started to branch out from just creating pins. The Shining is a favorite movie of mine, and I just really enjoyed having something that represents that and also adds a little style to my sneakers. This is a very popular item, and I’ve actually sold out of them many times. 

My Pennywise playing cards are another favorite of mine and my clients; these have also sold out many times and are the highest-grossing product in my shop to date. The playing cards are another favorite because, once again, it was one of the next products I created, branching out into a whole other product line. I think these cards have been successful because they are very unique movie "replicas" of the original classic horror movie Pennywise. I designed these cards to look like the screen-used deck, but I added a few extra "hidden" details to make them my own.

The last of my favorites (I really do have many more favorites; they’re all special to me) is my Christmas catalog. I love Christmas and the holiday season, especially all the great classic Christmas movies that I watch over and over. My Christmas catalog is filled with pins, stickers, and earrings inspired by some of my favorite holiday films. I'll be adding greeting cards to that list this year. One of my favorites in the catalog is my Home Alone stud earrings, which are designed to look like the little red house in the movie's opening credits. My Christmas catalog always does really well, and I think that’s not only because it’s the biggest shopping time of the year but also because I provide really unique items that are nostalgic and bring joy during the season.

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 started the shop at the end of 2016, in September, I believe, and I can’t recall exactly (I didn’t take the best records back then), but I believe my first sales were in October. Since then, I have been using Instagram and Facebook mostly to attract sales, not to mention doing comic conventions when I have the time. Last year, I started using Etsy ads as well, and I noticed quite a boost in sales and visits. Etsy has been really helpful with getting clients to my shop, not to mention doing most of the "grunt" work so I can focus more on my designs and packing and shipping my orders.

Managing WickysWeb

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 a one-man show when it comes to Wicky’s World. Thankfully, Etsy provides a lot of the services that I need and would take so much time away from my design and shipping. I work with Etsy to get all my shipping labels and Intuit Quickbooks to track sales. I design all my products in my home office, where I also print all my labels and pack all of my orders. Then I pack them all up in my bag and drive them over to USPS to ship out. On occasion, I’ll get custom orders and will work one-on-one with the client to figure out the best shipping option for them.

The future of WickysWeb

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

The future is bright! This year I will be adding pendants for cat and dog collars as well as a few other TBA items. In the future, I plan to extend my earring catalog and also have them available to be upgraded to precious metals such as silver and gold. I also plan on adding more accessories, like bracelets, necklaces, and custom handbags.

Advice for new sellers

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

My advice to a new seller is to find a niche that you would personally buy products from. That way, you can design products that aren’t on the market for yourself while also making them available to the world. Do you know how they say if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life? Well, that’s true. There may be some tough, long days and speed bumps along the way, but it’s such a fun ride if you really love doing it. So, my advice is to simply enjoy what you're doing and to be kind; you may encounter some sour grapes along the way, but just be kind and everything will fall into place. Also, work hard. Your friends and family may give you a hard time for not going out on the weekends or missing a family gathering here and there, but hard work pays off, and they’ll eventually get over it.

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: Between $2-5K,

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: This is tough, depends on if I’m advertising that month but usually around 75%

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: This year so far it is 2.8% with an all time 3.6% average