Selling vintage in uncertain times

With coronavirus, we have seen supply chain disruptions, stock market fluctuations, even companies temporarily stopping business. The news seems bad.

What is a vintage online seller to do? Will people still be buying in a week? Next month? Late this year? No one knows.

First, take stock

Take stock of where you are, your business. Small businesses like ours are better able to adjust to rapid market changes than larger enterprises.

What is your business plan? What kind of inventory do you have? How does this information fit in to where things are? Where are things heading?

Supply chain disruptions

Handmade sellers are experiencing issues with their supply chains. Are you a vintage supply seller? You may have more demand for your items. Vintage sellers may wish to consider what types of potential supplies they have available, as now may be a good time to sell them.

I have also heard that "survivalist" websites have been swamped. Do you have low-tech items that could come in handy in a survival situation (read: wood stove parts, cast iron spiders, camping chairs)? Now may be the time to list them.

If supply issues become dire, people will still need stuff. You know, pots and pans, towels, silverware. The market could improve for practical secondhand household items.

How about your supply chain?

I am seeing some long lead times (over 30 days) when purchasing packaging from my usual supplier.

My husband and I are looking at our buying habits, especially at auction. Do we want to sit in a cramped room with 50 other people for a few hours? How comfortable am I with pawing through all of the used stuff? (Right now, my plan is to don gloves for preview, offer advance bids and pick up later.)

After someone has coronavirus, for how long is their stuff contaminated? Will it come up at auction? (Clean items are rare in our buying world.)

Will there be more competition for thrift store items? How will the garage sale season be?

What IS selling?

That of course is a loaded question. Whole economic sectors have been hit worldwide. All we can do is guess. What will the 2020 wedding season be like? Will the trend for (possibly germ-infested) "experiences" change back to owning cool "stuff?" Will collecting become more popular?

People may have extra time on their hands. Books may sell well (especially those not available via Kindle). Soap sellers report an uptick. My last sale was cloth. (I figure that someone has plans to sew with their new found spare time.)

If things get really bad, my aim will be to offer practical things, like kitchen tools and gadgets. I will be sure to have some fun jewelry for sale as well, a way to pamper yourself with when things are tough.

What could you do if things completely shut down?

Besides listing new items (which can be held in draft if needed) what about improving existing listings? It may be a good time to retake photos, research new keywords and clean up listings.

What about learning a new skill or embarking on a new type of social media? Some may even decide to start their own selling website.

Sickness and quarantines

Will people have more time to shop? Or will they have no finances to do so? If large gatherings are cancelled, will the loss of antique shows affect your business? Will your brick and mortar remain open?

Will you be able to continue selling online in the case of a quarantine? Will the post office stay open? What if you or a loved one gets sick?

Take care of yourself!

Be sure to follow common-sense guidelines for your own health, as well as that of your loved ones. Keep in touch with relatives and friends. Practice kindness.

Is your business prepared in the case you cannot attend to it for some time? Who has your login information to shut down your online business if you are unable to?

Do you have a plan?

**Thanks for noting that I have no medical training and no intention to give medical advice.**

This post is solely aimed at outlining some thoughts for vintage online selling businesses planning in light of recent world events. 

Vintage buyers: are yours collectors, trend setters or thrifty?

If you are a vintage seller, you already have a defined target market. Etsy defines it for you by limiting "vintage" to items over 20 years old. Plus, not everyone wants to buy pre-owned merchandise.

So we just limited our target market by, say, 50%. Every vintage seller is a niche seller. That was easy!

Within vintage there are at least three types of buyers:

Know your target market

• collectors
• trendy shoppers
• thrifty shoppers

Who are your buyers?

• What motivates them to buy? 
• How does your shop appeal to those motivations?

Consider the buyers who come to Etsy and browse vintage shops... They want to buy something. Sometimes they will buy something they had no idea that they wanted until they saw it. 

What made them decide to buy? You need to crack the code.

Great product selection helps, but it is not the only factor.

Sellers need to identify why some items sell well. Harness that information and use it to sell more stuff.

Pinpoint your most effective listing style

Separate yourself from the products you sell... just consider the listings themselves. Not the "what" is being sold but "how" it sold. What is it about the listing's style and makeup that buyers are responding to?

Consider the details of some listings that sold right away. Look at a few items that were barely in your shop before they sold.

Ask yourself some questions about the makeup of each listing.

Wording & listing setup

• Keywords. Check for keywords common to the titles or descriptions of your best-selling listings.
• What was the opening sentence in the first paragraph? 
• Description: how did you "talk" to your customers?
• Were listings more effective if  you gave some history of the item? 
• Were listings more effective if you suggested ways to use the item? 
• Where in the listing did measurements appear?



Collectors are unique buyers

• How did you manage the "attributes" fields on the listing creation page?

Photos

• How many photos did you use in your best selling listings? 
• What backgrounds did those photos have? 
• Were the images staged to show the item in use with props, or were the photos focused on the product alone?

Here is more information from Etsy about taking effective product photos.

Are you styling photos?

Target buyer

• Consider what you know about who bought the items (age, location).
• Was the item a gift?
• Look at their Etsy profile. Can you see preferences in their favorites?
• Was the buyer a collector, trendy or thrifty? Does the same listing style appeal to all three?

After gathering this data, analyze it. What made the listing effective?

Now, go make more listings like that.

Who is afraid of free shipping?

Do you have free shipping?

I do some reading on Etsy. I see a lot of US vintage sellers who are afraid of free shipping. Deathly afraid.

(Perhaps it is an issue with shipping in general, but that is a subject for a different post.)

Repeated studies indicate that buyers (in the USA at least) love free shipping. Although they know it raises the cost of an item, they still prefer it. It is not logical (free shipping is not really "free") but there you have it.

Put yourself in a shopper's position... People want to shop quickly. By being transparent and showing the full cost up front, sellers make the job of shopping easier. Yes, shoppers often find expensive shipping to be a turn-off. Free shipping looks golden in the eyes of shoppers.

Also, word on the street is that Etsy's algorithm could bump up your items if you have free shipping.

Is now the time to think about it?

Geographically challenged?

What is holding you back?

Bulky, heavy stuff: if all you sell in your shop are items over two pounds that pack up over .5 cu ft., then you can just stop reading this right now. This is the time when Etsy's Calculated Shipping shines. You are good to go.

(Living in the northeast corner of the USA, I understand the issue of zoned shipping. Most of the west and deep south are expensive shipping zones for  me.) Bulky items over .5 cu ft and two pounds are the exception. Leave them be, safely ensconced in Calculated Shipping.

Heavy, bulky items are the exception.

Almost everything else? I add some, most or even all of the shipping to the cost and call it good.

(A caveat: my YOY revenue in the first year showed "up 28%".  With the shipping bundled in there, revenue is inflated.)

Can a shop really do that? 

I am. I have converted everything (items under .5 cu ft and under two pounds, that is) over to free shipping. (Some sellers call this "shipping included.")

How: I set up a manual shipping profile called "FREE." When renewing I open the item, check attributes, listing text and tags. I look at how I have shipping set. Most of the time, I increase the price to accommodate the "free shipping" model. Then I click the new "free" shipping profile. Done.

Here is more information on how to quickly change listings to free shipping.

Will free shipping discourage multiple purchases?

Small packages are easier

It will not, if you give a corresponding discount off of multiple purchases. I have my shop set at 15% off for purchases of three or more items. That way my multiple buyers get their "free"
shipping back and feel like they are getting a bargain.

Another benefit of offering a percentage-off promotion is that my shop shows up on any search for items on sale.... (And of course searches with free shipping...) I get fewer requests for lower prices, too.

Here is a little bit of Q & A on the subject from Etsy CEO Josh Silverman.

Etsy wants us to "think of shipping as just another business expense you need to roll into your product prices." Free shipping is a different business model... you need to wrap your mind around it. You make more profit if someone local buys your item, and less the further away they live...
Who is afraid of free shipping now?

Happy Etsy selling!

Once your free shipping profile is set up, the rest is easy.

Setting up a new free shipping profile

Afterthought: I find that converting my listings to free shipping helps me view my pricing in a new light. Perhaps some items are too expensive to ship, and not worth carrying in my online shops. Will a time come when large, inexpensive items will be again sold locally rather than online?

Another afterthought: offering free shipping forces sellers to be on their game as to the cheapest shipping options. Make friends with Pirate Ship's cubic pricing. Learn the nuances of the USPS (or other postal service if you are not in the USA).

I wanted the graphic smaller, but...

What about international shipping?

Because it can be so expensive, small sellers have difficulty offering free shipping internationally. If item prices are raised to compensate for free shipping to domestic locations what can be done to sweeten the deal for international buyers?

That IS a good question. Perhaps you can lower your international shipping prices to a degree to coincide with the discount you are giving to your buyers who are receiving "free shipping." For example, if a particular item you added $4 to the price to cover shipping, why not take approximately $4 off shipping your international buyers?

I do not ship internationally except by request. I am not sure if there is a full answer of how to make some sort of equitable "free shipping" for international buyers. A case-by-case basis? Set up a bunch of individualized profiles and use the one that fits the size of your item? Please let me know if you come up with a workable solution.

Who is in the driver's seat?

What is up with Etsy's search?

Hold on tight!

Reports vary... some shops are doing all right and some are not: theories abound.

Things have changed with Etsy's search. That is a fact. As one seller put it,"relevancy is no longer relevant on Etsy."

This may sound radical, but it is time to reassess everything that what we think we know about how search works. Everything. The entire ball game has changed.

Why are sellers holding their breath?

Artificial Intelligence is now in the driver's seat of Etsy search. 

Etsy feels a bit like driverless car... No one, not even the programmers, know exactly where the search "vehicle" is headed with the new "recommendation technology." Sellers will have to be patient. "Machine learning" has to do its thing. It will be seeking connections between searches and purchases. Its goal is to figure out what searchers want to see, what motivates them to buy.

Analyzing data takes time

It takes time to examine millions of pieces of data. The algorithm will be looking for connections, called "context-specific results." This new technology will be seeking common factors between millions of buyer search queries and actual sales. It will be connecting the dots.

Add to that personalization of results. Everyone will see something different.

Etsy's search has become more complicated than any human can understand... "machine learning." That is why no one can even begin to predict search results at this point.

The thought is that search will change all the time for a year or two. Search results may at times be bad due to the learning curve. Of course, sales can suffer in the short term.

This "deep learning" technology is calculated to "deliver even more relevant search results and a shopping experience that can be even more tailored to individual buyers." Ultimately, things should improve.

Google's driverless car goes places... It is basically doing what it has been "trained" to do. Eventually Etsy's search will get there.

Can Etsy's machine learning figure out vintage?

Vintage is vulnerable at Etsy. It seems like the proverbial red-headed step-child. Etsy is stressing its "made by someone" mystique, which is not vintage.

Etsy is stressing handmade in this sale banner from late 2017

Being in on the ground floor of a revolutionary new search experience has its pros and cons. Etsy sellers are about to find out the good, the bad and the ugly.

What can be done now?

Until more information is provided, making major changes would just be a shot in the dark. Let common sense prevail.

For now, the rules appear to be the same as always... When listing, accurately describe your item. Use understandable and descriptive language. Carefully word your titles and tags. Fill out any slots for attributes. (Those are material, size and other search factors that are different for each type of item). Use great photos.

Etsy's instructions have not changed. Yet at least. (Please let me know if you see that they have.)

Hang on tight, though. It could be a rough ride when machine learning is driving search.

Want to know more? Here is some more in-depth information about recent changes in Etsy search.

Fun market research to improve your vintage online selling

Cozy up with your favorite device

Many of us realize that we need to do market research in order to improve our business. Yet, how exactly is it done?

There is an easy way. It is as simple as taking your favorite device and browsing the internet. Sound fun? It is! Why not give it a try?

(First, make a cup of your favorite beverage. Sit back and relax.)

Choose an item for sale

1. Choose an item that is currently in your shop, available for sale. Look over your product. Think about its overall use and who you think would be the person to purchase it. (No stress - this is just to get your mind warmed up.) Linger a bit, noting the color, size, texture, where it is to be used, how it might be displayed.

2. Next, go online, using Google, Bing and even other search engines. Search for a similar product as a shopper would. (No, you are not looking for yours. However you may very well find it during this process.)

Your goal is to see all the places, the venues, that show up for similar products. Example: you are selling a vintage fish brooch. Search for "fish brooch." Observe the array of ads, shops, pictures and locations. Enjoy the process... browse. Click some sites that look interesting.

3. Next search images. What appears? Select the links and observe how similar products are being sold. Read the product descriptions. Look at the pictures. How are the items being used? How are the similar items staged in their photos?

Who is your target market?

4. Find blogs that feature similar items. Read the posts (and even comments).

5. Browse Pinterest. Find some magazines. Locate similar products that are pinned and featured. What is being said? How is it being said?

6. Sip some beverage. Mull over your observations.

**There, that was fun!**

From all this shopping (I mean research) you should be able to identify some patterns about buyers:

• approximate age
• gender
• occupation
• home or office styles
• trends (like colors, textures and patterns)
• related products of interest
• location (USA, Europe, etc.)
• income level
• families? individuals?
• even personality, attitudes, behavior

Now you can see who your customer is. 

What else do they love, use or collect? (What other items could you be selling to them?)

Note any clues for improving your listings. What terms are used that could help sell your items? What vocabulary style(s) do you see?

(Perhaps your research will even reveal a new selling venue to try.)

How is your pricing?

Think about the photos you have viewed that show a similar item in use. Can you show your product in the same setting?

Do you see room for improvement in your product (if you make it)? How about your photography? Staging? Item descriptions? Pricing? Title and tag keyword phrases?

Use the information you have gleaned. Select a listing that is not performing well in your shop. Make some changes based on your new observations. It could lead to sales!

This fun process can be repeated of course. The more different kinds of items you offer for sale, the more types of items you should check in this way.

Research one item. Meditate on your findings. Make some changes. Evaluate the results. Lather, rinse repeat for more items in your shop. Your sales should improve.

Go ahead, try it. You might like it.

Thanks for joining me in the online selling journey.

Need more information? Here are 30 ways to improve your Etsy sales. Here are some more ideas if your shop sales are tanking.

A tail of two coins - counterfeits

Two of these coins are counterfeit. Which ones?

The peace dollars' tails did not line up

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Oh wait...

We bought two peace dollars at auction last evening. Later my husband, the collector, noticed a couple of odd things... There were red flags that prompted us to do some research.

What was the primary alarm bell? After he put the coins in the album, he noticed that they did not match the others when he turned the page. In other words, the lineup of their tails was wrong.

This simple and obvious check of how the front and backs line up was not mentioned online at all in our research about USA peace dollars.

Here are some tests to determine if your silver coins are counterfeit. If you sell a lot online, you may already have everything you need to test silver coins.

How does its weight compare?

✅ The front and back (obverse and reverse) should line up exactly, clocked at exactly 6 and 12 o'clock. Easy, right?

✅ Do a "ring test." The sound was off. Could we be sure? There are "ring test" apps for this.

The fake coins are a little thicker

✅ We weighed them on a jewelry scale. One weighed too much -!
✅ Stack them up against other real peace dollars. In this case, the problem coins are slightly thicker than the rest. See the photo.
✅ Check with a regular magnet. We found no magnetism.
✅ Examine the lettering (looked OK for worn old coins).
✅ Inspect the finish under magnification for holes like Styrofoam. None found.
✅ Ice test. The temperature change was indeed slower with the counterfeit coins than real ones. We did this a few times to get the feel for it. (Put your finger on the bottom, ice on the top.)

Silver transmits cold & melts ice faster

(After that, we hunted around for a stronger magnet to try another test. I knew that we had strong little magnets that came inside Sonicare toothbrushes. My husband finally located one.)

✅ Slide a super strong little neodymium magnet down the coin. Silver has some magnetism. The little magnet's travel will be slow, almost sticky. Depending on what metal is in the coin, for fakes, it could slide down faster.

However, this stronger magnet STUCK to the counterfeits, not to the solid silver coins.

Neodymium magnet sticks to left coin

Which ones were counterfeit here? The two on the right, the 1923S and the 1927.

Interesting. (And good news, the auctioneer trusts us and will refund us what we paid. He will return the coins to the consignor. I have a photo we took at auction to authenticate if necessary.)

I am glad we caught it early enough to return them. It is good to use a reputable auctioneer, too.

(There are two more tests that we did not attempt: chemical silver test, which damages the coin. Unnecessary, as these coins are likely coated with silver. The other test we did not perform was melting the coins down for obvious reasons.)

The tail (reverse) was off, slightly clockwise on the two coins on the right.

Check all coins from different angles, in good light. The two on the right turned out to be counterfeit.

Thanks for sharing this little bit of our vintage journey.  We learn something new every day selling vintage!

Sales tanking? Vintage online selling remix

Sales are tanking... what should you do?

Time for some soul searching. What is the issue?

Four questions to ask

Start with pinpointing where the issue lies:

1. Is there demand for my items?

2. How is my pricing?

3. Are my photos top-notch?

4. Have I optimized my listings for SEO and getting found on Etsy searches?

I continually see shops with weak tags and titles. Before deciding on words for your title and tags, always ask yourself if a shopper would type those words into the search bar? If not, avoid using them.

Take action on any of the four above issues that need work. Get everything is in shape. See if sales increase.

Consider an advertising campaign.

It could be that your items are simply not being seen. Many categories are saturated with listings. Etsy's promoted listings get your items in front of more potential buyers, more exposure.

There are no short cuts. Successful advertising campaigns depend on the above four points. Your items must be in good shape as to photos, in demand, pricing and SEO/Etsy relevancy.

Keep costs down by making maximum bids low. Give it a month or two and see if things improve.

What about changing what you sell?

Perhaps there is not very much demand for some of your items. Experiment with selling other items. Try specializing more. Or less. Research trends. Perhaps rebranding your or refreshing your product lines will improve your sales.

One vintage seller added a "DIY" section to her shop. That dovetails with her branding. Other shops might consider a party section. Both of these ideas may involve reselling of new items (allowed with craft and party items). The dollars could be smaller. But listing multiple quantities is less work. You are attracting a different target audience, broadening your selling reach.

Consider changing up your selling outlets

With vintage, there are several ways to move your items:

1. Rent a booth in an antiques mall. This is a good way to dip your toe into local in-person sales.

2. Sell at shows. This can be a lot of work. At the right show, profits can be high.

3. Sell on Craigslist or another local venue (especially larger items).

4. Open a brick-and-mortar shop. Be sure to do your research. You will have to collect sales tax on any sales within your state, even online.

5. Open a Pattern shop. It now allows you to offer items less than 20 years old. Your items on Pattern can differ from what you sell on Etsy. There is a $15 monthly fee as well as final value fees. You are still subject to many of Etsy's terms and conditions. If you lose your selling privileges with Etsy, it will include your Pattern shop.

6. Create your own website. Most involve a monthly charge but no listing charges and no final value fee. Showcase your brand and creativity. There will be payment processor fees, however. There is no traffic, so you must drive traffic to your own site. Many sellers like making their own rules.

7. Sell on another online venue. Many Etsy vintage sellers sell on eBay already. Some items sell well there, particularly collector items. Perhaps yours will. Other websites include Amazon, Artyah, Artfire, Bonanza, Ruby Lane, eBid, eCrater and more. There is even a start-up in the works.
------------------------
Meditate on it. Ask a trusted friend. Carefully consider your options.

Does your business need a remix? How will you change it up? How will you ensure it is working?

Etsy Sells Vintage - social media initiative

Social Media Image - Etsy Sells Vintage

You are already aware that Etsy sells vintage items. However, many potential buyers are not.

There is a movement afoot to advertise that vintage is thriving on Etsy (as well as handmade and crafting/DIY).

The hashtag is #etsysellsvintage. Feel free to use the image here.

Post it on whatever social media you use: Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Google+. Even on the Etsy Forum threads. Share this on your Etsy teams. Blogs, too.

Some have even changed their social media avatars.

It would be so nice for Etsy to advertise that vintage thrives along with handmade and crafts... but if they do not, at least WE can. 

Give Etsy vintage a bump. Please join other vintage sellers in this social media campaign to get the word out!

How can a tablet help my vintage Etsy business?

Is a tablet the best choice for your vintage selling business?

Perhaps you are holding back from getting a device. Too difficult to learn. Too expensive.

Do you own a smart phone already? Have you tried using that for your business? How does its size work? Once you wear bifocals, you may prefer a tablet. There are mini tablets that are a little smaller which may be another option.

When my husband and I decided to buy a tablet, we were not sure how much use we would really get out of it. Hence, we bought a basic model without cellular service.

After we found out we really liked it and can use it, we purchased another one, a basic one with cellular service. Finally now we own one with maximum storage, thin size and portability along with cellular service.

My experience 

As far as recommendations, I only have experience with the Apple iPad. It is very intuitive. I have a full-sized one so I can see it with my over-50 eyes.

Because I take a lot of photos, we eventually purchased an iPad with the most memory available and an upgraded iSight camera. A "mini" is also available, which some prefer.

Shop Update photo using a rustic Filters app

Models with cellular service are more expensive up front. Additionally, you will have to pay for monthly data. We already had a cell phone with a local carrier and we bundled the cellular service with that.

If you don't purchase cellular data, you will only be able to use your device at home (if you have WiFi) and in other locations with WiFi. There are many places with free WiFi like fast-food restaurants, malls and libraries.

Our most extreme need for WiFi was a vacation we took in a remote location on the Canadian border. There was no US data. In order to view my emails, we had to cross the border and go to a little town office in Quebec. That is an unusual situation.

We purchased our iPads through the local carrier so that they would work with the local carrier. A savvy millennial would no doubt be able to do it cheaper.

We have 2 GB of cellular data per month, which works for us. With 1 GB, I had to continually check our data use in "settings." With 2 I am good as long as I don't do any streaming or uploading photos.

If you live in an area with a lot of carriers, you will have more choices. I live in a rural area. We need reliable data service in that area, so we used the best local carrier. I am sure that there are better deals out there.

15 ways to use a tablet in your vintage Etsy business

How do I use my device? How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

My Coach Sutton purse for auctions

1. At auction to look up prices 
2. At auction to photograph items. 
3. While bidding at auction, refer to the pictures. (In my case so I know which tray lot I am bidding on.)
4. I delete the photos that I don't use. The auction photos I save and record the price I paid for the item right on it for tax records.
5. Taking listing photos. 
6. Editing listing photos.
7. Enhancing photos. (Example: an app called Filters which makes items look textured and/or vintage colored)
8. Storing photos either on my tablet or in cloud storage.
9. Shop dashboard. The new Etsy Shop Manager for the Sell on Etsy app is even better than the new interface for the PC. Our views and favorites are better showcased in my opinion.
10. Composing listings. The app has been glitchy, so I often just use the regular web browser.
11. Shop updates. (I even have used my auction photos.)
12. Inventory management. I use Numbers on the iPad.

    

    Tablet used for inventory management

13. While packing orders, I play movies with my device.
14. Social media. I don't do much besides blogging. Even off line, I composed blog postings using Notes. (Blogger doesn't work well with a tablet.)
15. Financial management. There are free and low-cost spreadsheet programs available. 

Apps for our tablets

Spreadsheet - Numbers
Camera - comes with the device (called Photos), also Yamera
Photo Editing - Photos, plus Photo Editor
Photo Enhancing (Filters and Vintage Coloring) - Photos, plus Filters
Adding Text and/or Graphics to Photos -  Photos, Canva, Photo Editor
Social Media - I'm not an expert
ITTT - If This Then That - free app to create chains of simple conditional statements that accomplish things.
DropBox - store, sync and share files
Cloud Storage - iCloud, OneDrive

Sell On Etsy app. Has been unreliable. Mostly use the website via Safari. Hopefully it has been improved with the new site improvement rollouts of February, 2017.

Accessories for Work

1. Absolutely buy a case. I have dropped my iPads numerous times. I have broken three cases, but not the tablets.
2. Carrying one around. I use a vintage Coach bag. I have also used various other crossbody style bags.
3. Camera lenses. Inexpensive on eBay. Close-up and fish-eye.
4. Tripod adapter. Take another look at my setup for inventory management. My older iPad is attached to a tripod with an adapter that is available on eBay.

Internet service. If you use cloud storage such as iCloud or OneDrive, your photos will be uploaded and stored. That is a good thing. However, the process can take up a lot of bandwidth, slowing down your Internet WiFi service. We have just upgraded our Internet service at home from 3 to 25 mbps. That allows for streaming video on multiple devices.

We also pay for some extra cloud storage. Apple's is 99 cents per month.

So, have you been inspired at all to try out a tablet? I enjoy mine much more than I expected to: reading and working while we travel. Streaming movies while folding laundry. Video chatting with friends and family. Playing Spider Solitaire at bedtime...

Are you using a tablet to help run your Etsy business? Does it work well?

Here is an Etsy team for tablet users.

Six reasons for vintage sellers to specialize - and why not

Every vintage seller faces this dilemma: what kinds of items should I sell? Should I specialize, or be a selling generalist?

As one seller put it: "I am starting to believe that having multiples of items or items with similar tag words helps... (Like having several industrial metal file boxes listed in your shop). Or even specializing in something, or a type of vintage, like having all industrial items listed. That would be something to work toward. Right now my inventory is all over the place. I have mid-century and industrial among others. I would have to start just buying a certain type of vintage. Hard to do when so many different things catch your eye!"

I have been selling vintage online for over 10 years. Here is my take.

I've been a selling generalist.

Six reasons for vintage sellers to specialize

1. Buyers will love your niche "boutique" and return for more purchases. You are not as dependent on being found in search, either on Etsy or search engines.
2. You become an expert rather than having to research everything.
3. If you sell similar types of things, there are often advantages to having the same types of items to catalog, store and package.
4. Sell something you love and it will be obvious. Your enthusiasm will attract shoppers and encourage buying from your shop
5. You develop your own brand. When people think of your shop, they think of a specific item or style. They are inclined to shop with you when they want that kind of item. It is easier to identify your target audience and market to them. This is huge with search going to artificial intelligence.
6. (Added 1/16/20) Etsy said in a podcast a while back that using the same search terms in multiple listings can help you rank better over time. For example, if someone searches for "tooled leather purse" and finds (and buys!) your listing, the next time someone searches "tooled leather purse," any listings in your shop with those words will rank higher. 

Can we be too specialized?

At the same time, we must be balanced. There are risks to becoming too specialized. The market can change. We must be ready to accommodate shifts in market tastes. No one wants to be stuck with a lot of unsalable merchandise.

Having a large, diverse inventory helps a shop to be on-trend for something at any given time.

One big reason not to specialize

The more we specialize, the more we increase our cost to source our items to sell. We must cast our buying net wider than selling generalists. We have to develop more ways to obtain more specialized vintage wares to resell. If you live in a rural area, sourcing niche items to resell can become difficult.

If we do not specialize, we can just buy anything we see that is reasonably priced and resell it. For example, I often go to auctions and purchase whatever I think I can resell at a profit. I live in a rural area and that works for me.

Of course we can specialize some, which is what many sellers do.

So, what kind of buying and selling do you do? Are you a specialist or not?

30 ways to improve Etsy sales

Managing our Etsy shops is kind of like riding a bike. Staying balanced. Going forward. Never stop moving. Etsy's algorithm likes to see constant movement. 

30 ways to improve your shop's sales

1. Think like a customer. What do you like about other shops? How would you like to be treated? What search terms do you use to shop for items? What pictures do you click on when browsing?
2. Look professional. Fill your store with merchandise. Have an avatar (shop icon) and profile photo.. Complete your "About" page. Fill out your shop policies. Set a decade of manufacture.
3. Feature awesome "clickable" item photos. Use all ten slots to show additional angles.
4. Craft titles with the most important key words and phrases at the beginning. Keep them to 70 characters. Create matching tags for the most important keyword combinations. Keep key word lists for your product lines.
5. Avoid spammy titles, stuffed with keywords. Don't repeat the same word twice in your title. Vary your titles and tags so your items show up in more different searches.
6. Compose short, but complete item descriptions that include the item's size and condition. Anticipate the questions of buyers. Don't use boilerplate. (Don't copy sections of your descriptions word-for-word from listing to listing.)
7. In your item description, avoid copying and pasting your title at the start of the description. Rather, sprinkle the keywords from your title conversationally into the first few sentences.
8. Create an original, cohesive brand. Find your niche. Let your unique style shine. Buy and resell what you love.
9. Specialize in what you carry in your shop by style or type of item. Who is your target market? Do some market research.
10. At the same time, don't be too narrow in your product offerings. If your items aren't on trend, adjust your mix.
11. Sell items at a variety of price points to attract a variety of buyers. Keep your prices reasonable while still making a profit. Find what price points work for you.
12. Ship quickly. Provide great customer service so customers come back. Do something extra, like gift wrap or enclose a small gift.
13. Operate your shop legally. Pay your taxes. Follow all copyright and trademark laws. (You can get shut down for violating Etsy policies.)

    

    Do shop updates regularly

14. Sell with integrity. Make sure all of your vintage items are at least 20 years old. Tell the truth. Disclose all item flaws.
15. Do regular Shop Updates. Here are some ideas for vintage sellers.
16. Use good grammar and spelling.
17. Try Etsy promoted item advertising.
18. Try Etsy's Shopping Engine Advertising
19. Avoid team mass clicking games (affects our conversion rate).
20. Avoid team mass favoriting games.
21. Be active in social media.
    
22. Start a blog. Search engines love them.
23. Adjust the tags, titles and photos of low-performing items. Fill out the attributes. Make sure your items are in the right categories.
24. Keep your shop active. Renew expiring items. List new ones. Tweak listings by changing out the first photo.
25. Offer fresh product. Stale items fall to the bottom of search. 
26. Package your items with care and style. Mail them quickly.
27. The Etsy marketplace is constantly changing. Pay attention to what is going on by checking the forums and/or being active with a vintage team or two.
28. Test out searching for your items to see where they appear. How do your items look compared with the rest of the search results?
29. Visit your shop on a mobile device. Note how it looks, as well as your items. Make any needed changes.
30. Spend your time wisely. Use the tools Etsy gives you. Learn how to read your stats. Effectively use Etsy's Listing Manager. 

Were there enough references?

Small tweaks daily to your Etsy shops can improve sales. What are you doing today? 

Shop updates - over 40 ideas for vintage Etsy sellers

Still-life

Etsy shop updates are like a mini-blog. They are an opportunity to market your items to potential buyers. The more updates you post, the more often you appear on the front-page feeds of those who like your shop. Also, you can share your updates to social media channels. They link back to your item, making it easy for shoppers to make a purchase from your shop.

Etsy wants you to use images that aren't the same as our five listing images… What a great opportunity to showcase your brand. And exercise your creative side!

Over 40 shop update ideas for vintage shops:

In use in a seasonal way

1. What is your inspiration? A barn shop? Grandma’s place? Your own collection? Show it.
2. Post a pic of your vehicle full of new finds. Or as you unload them. Or as you clean them.
3. Post a shot of an auction, sale or home where you pick your items.
4. Show off new (or old) finds in an interesting group of color(s) or style(s).
5. Showcase your photo booth or where you stage your items for photos. Did something unusual ever happen?
6. Photograph your items stored in an interesting way. Try a wide angle.
7. Demonstrate ideas for styling and/or using your items.
8. Showcase your items for sale in or on other venues, like your shop or at a show.
9. Simplest approach: "just listed is this great..."
10. Take more item shots than you think you will need for listings. Use the extras for shop updates.
11. Is your home decorated with items in the style that you sell? Can you artfully stage an item in your home and post that?
12. Show an aspect of your life that might be interesting to others and relate to your vintage shop.
13. Make artisticstill-life compositions of items for sale. Photograph and post them. Recombine items for sale.
14. Stage your item in a seasonal setting. (This is my favorite.)
15. Showcase your item in use.
16. Where’s Waldo? Bring items on vacation and photograph them in interesting places. (I took some jewelry shots with a NYC skyline view while visiting.)
17. Seasonal inspiration of items – fall scene with fall colored item, snow scene with a winter piece.
18. Re-photograph shop items with a different background, on a rainy day, or in a different season.
19. Show off your customer's photos of the item.

    

    Shop Update photo using a rustic Filters app

20. Item needed: place an Etsy tag on the spot where your item could be.
21. For a vintage souvenir, feature a photo of the place it came from. 
22. Showcase your partner, kids and/or pets with your items.
23. Color match your items to something seasonal, especially seasonal Pantone colors. Or color match your items to each other.
24. Show your packaging area.
25. Post a picture of an item gift wrapped or ready for shipping.
26. Show any extras you send.
27. Offer those who have favorited your shop a “Thank You”coupon code. See how many use it.
28. Reward previous customers with a coupon code. (How many use it?)
29. Celebrate a certain number of sales, items in your shop or feedbacks with a coupon code.
30. Compose a graphic shop announcement about your upcoming vacation (even a new baby!)
31. Post a screen shot of your latest 5-star review.
32. Post a link to your latest blog post or other SM activity.
33. Post a screen shot of a newly stocked shop section.

    

    Treasury-style update. I even repeated my photo!

34. Highlight a picture of your item in a magazine, blog, movie or television presentation.
35. Post a screen shot of your items on a Pinterest board, Facebook or Instagram post.
36. Post a photo collage of related items in your shop.
37. Use some special effects on a nice secondary listing photo. This works well for simple retro items.
38. Tie an interesting photo with an item you have for sale. 
39. If you are hankering for treasuries, make your own. Use a grid on Canva to feature your items all together. 
40. Showcase a gorgeous close-up detail of a piece.
41. Post a map (vintage, weather, etc.) with your location tagged.

Additional points I keep in mind:

Seasonal color feature

• Have a variety of photos available from which to choose
• Have something brief to say about the item
• Vary the look of your photos
• Don't use the lead photo from the listing

How do you do a shop update? That's the subject of another post.

Item staged in a different seasonal environment