Wednesday, February 26, 2014

"It makes me ill to see or think about a 100 year old object “breaking” or becoming a dumpster item – it’s as if a piece of history has been raped or taken before its time. I totally admire Etsy’s recyclers...." Katy from Sueellensflair.etsy.com.

A fellow Texan and Etsy shop owner shares her views on Etsy and sustainability - 5th in the "Classy Sustainability" series.

1970s Vintage Huey Waltzer for Darcy;  $45.00 + shipping.  Listing below and Katy's interview follows.  

Q.  What prompted you to become an Etsy seller?


A.  I joined Etsy as a buyer, to feed my hunger “to create,” I purchased mainly sewing items, trims, ribbons and embellishments. And Etsy has the best! My Etsy selling became a way to pay for my Etsy buying. LOL! I did not become really serious about selling until about a year ago, and then I was hooked.


Q.  You've been on Etsy for just over 2 years. How would you describe your success so far? 

A.  I am happy with my success, but not satisfied. The Etsy learning curve is huge and oftentimes boring; for example, SEO. In an attempt to improve my Etsy shop, I am forever learning and collaborating with team members. No, I’m not satisfied. I am highly competitive, and I plan on winning this game some day!
Sueellensflair.etsy.com has 275 listings, 333 sales, 1689 admirers and over 100 rave reviews.  The listing for these finials is below the photo and Katy's interview continues after. 



https://www.etsy.com/listing/168350881/pair-vintage-finials-large-wood-mahogany?ref=related-7

Q.  You have a great eclectic mix of vintage items in your shop. How do you decide what to sell? 

A.  The majority of items in my shop are items that I adore..that “I” like. But, to become more successful, to draw a crowd into one’s shop, one must embrace the “trending” articles of that specific time, that specific day in the global universe.  BUT, you gotta discover the trends quickly and POUNCE because what’s en vogue today, what’s happening today, could just as swiftly become passé tomorrow. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/153233544/cat-eye-sunglasses-turquoise-cool-ray?ref=related-2

Q.  How do you connect selling vintage with sustainability or going green?


A.  Since I’m all about vintage, I got it bad for the green thing – it makes me ill to see or think about a 100 year old object “breaking” or becoming a dumpster item – it’s as if a piece of history has been raped or taken before its time. I totally admire Etsy’s recyclers - the Etsians that devote their time to giving a vintage item a new purpose. I love to peruse the creative shops that create and reuse. I can and do spend hours looking through the shops of women who sew, who take a vintage supply and give it a new life.

Q.  What advice would you give someone who wants to start an Etsy shop?


A.  Research, research, and research. Educate yourself first, but always chase your dream, your passion – On Etsy, your passion will be recognized: it will be appreciated and hopefully turn into to sells for you.

These vintage dishes are $26 + shipping.  Listing link is below.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/177130149/vintage-dishes-retro-1950s-set-cups?ref=related-8

P.S. I have had my eye on those cat eye sunglasses for a while.  I expect to be the proud owner of them tonight.  

4 comments:

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    1. Love the classy sustainable series - such a worthy subject for all of us to explore and bring to the forefront - AND having fun and looking at beautiful items in the process!

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  2. Finally reading all these wonderful interviews ~ great series, Julie ~ and what fun to see Katy's responses, after meeting her on Epsteam ~ terrific piece!

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