I'm approaching my 500th order (woo hoo!) in my Etsy shop, Exceedingly Well Read.   I've made my share of mistakes running my business, but I've learned a few things along the way as well.  I thought I'd share a short list of my best tips for selling vintage on Etsy.  

1. Maintain an inventory that sells.  Pay attention to what sells, not necessarily what you like best.   Do your research and figure out what the market wants.
2.  Sell what you know and find your vintage niche.   If you never read, don't sell books.  If you've always loved and collected pottery, sell that.   You don't have to only sell within your niche, but you'll be most successful there.  
3. Don’t get on Etsy’s bad side, even for a second.  That second can equal weeks of closed shop.   Make sure you read all policies before you set up shop and then review them from time to time. 
4.  Marketing is all about getting your name out there and getting people to your shop.  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the gazillion other social networking sites are great venues for this.  Make a social networking plan and stick to it.  
5.  Use Google Trends to make sure your item keywords are relevant. To me they are "children's books", but to the internet community, they're more often called "kid's books".  So now to me they are "kid's books" too.  
6.  Make treasuries of other people’s work, but don’t spend hours and hours on them. Treasuries are nice to make and nice to look at.  They’re nice for making friends on Etsy.  However, when it comes down to it, they take a lot of time and don’t usually lead to sales.  I look at them like a source of good karma:  If I don’t ever make treasuries, how can I expect to have my items treasured? 
7. Run Search Ads.  I spend very little a week for a lot of exposure.  I noticed a big jump in sales when I started running search ads.  
8.  Etsy on Sale is a great site for handling all your Etsy sales needs.  And sales are great for sales!
9.  Pay attention to packaging. Customers like to receive a package that’s been wrapped with care.  Make it like Christmas for them and you’ll be rewarded in feedback. 
10.  Be prepared for success.  Although you may not make a lot of sales right away, have shipping supplies, and any other supplies you need in excess so that you’re not caught with your pants down. 
11.  Make an effort to reach out to customers on a personal level.  Etsy is really all about the personal touch.  I love hearing about why a customer chose a certain product and they often have stories to tell.   And the personal touch is what keeps those customers coming back to Etsy.  
12. Make sure you give customers reasonable expectations when it comes to estimated shipping times.  This will spare you lots of time, will save you from having to refund to clear a case, and will keep your approval rating high.
13. Accept credit cards.  It's easy to set up and will definitely increase your sales.   

And that's my two cents on making a buck on Etsy.

Warmest regards,

Laura

All I want for Mother's Day...

is a photo with Carl.  One in which he is dressed up, with a clean face.  One in which we're genuinely happy, not just faking it between bribing him to cooperate.  And guess what??  I got it!

My Etsy Book Spring Cleaning Sale

With book scouting season sneaking up quickly, I've put my entire Etsy shop, Exceedingly Well Read, on sale.  Everything is 25% off.  

I'm trying my darndest to reduce shipping costs after Canada Post's recent changes.  At first, I thought the changes were in my favor - tracking numbers for small packages to the States?  Yea!  But now all the costs have gone up.  We no longer can ship to the US using surface mail, which isn't a problem unless you're shipping something bigger than a peanut.  I took a package to the post office the other day, with my quoted shipping cost at $15.  Because of Canada Post's new measures, it cost me $25 to send via air mail.  

Now, it's not as if air mail is too much quicker than surface mail.  It's all so unpredictable.  And so frustrating.  I'm thinking about starting my own Pony Express.  I wouldn't even have to write the copy for the ad to hire men, as my requirements would be the same as they were when Buffalo Bill roamed the prairies.  

Japanese Children's Book: "Super Book"

After doing some exhaustive internet research, I still can't find any information about this adorable Japanese board book.  Any ideas?

Found this young family at the flea market...

And I'm absolutely in love.   Flea markets can be intimidating to me because there is so much to look at, so many things I'd like to have.  It's only when something truly speaks to me though that I buy something for my own house.  I knew that I couldn't live without these gorgeous deer.  True love for only $5.  Not a bad deal.

Excited about Valentine's Day, er, night?

Well, don't get too comfortable.  Geri Silver on Alternet generously shared some anti-romanticism in an article called,  Happy Valentine's Day:  Pope Benedict XVI's Most Unromantic Quotes about Love, Sex, and Marriage.  Thanks Geri!