So Much Vanity...

So this mush be what people did in the 60s and thought of it as super groovy DIY painted furniture... I guess? It's rather... shockingly green, if you ask me. I actually had a neighbor come by and see it and she fell in love with it - just the way it was. Nope. I can't live with that on my conscience.

So, hubby sanded it and it was black underneath and I painted it plain white. And hated it. It was so plain looking. And the surface underneath was so uneven it really showed...
I dithered for a few weeks about it and then stripped the whole thing back down so it was smooth, and I happened upon this pot of "oops" paint sample in a really pale pink and I jumped all over it.
When I first painted it my husband didn't believe it was pink; it's so pale. But trust me; it's a pale, pale pink.

The ice cream chair had to be sand blasted; and then I shot it with flat white Kraylon. The black and white leopard print seat gives it a snazzy modern twist...

For sale now in our shop. :)

Vanity, vanity.

Well, I'd already taken the mirror off and the drawers out before I got a "before" pic of this piece. The drawers had hideous, bulky, fake brass handles on them. They had to go.

Then I whipped up a "custom" paint color with several leftover bits of paint I had sitting around; blues, teals and whites. I bought a fifty cent pot of "oops" sample paint called "Pot of Cream" for the drawers. We filled the old holes in from the handles and bought new ones at Hobby Lobby (on sale) and I added a little flourish on the front...

Do you want a free china cabinet, they said......

My friend called me and asked me if I was interested in a free china hutch.

Well, duh!

She cleans homes in town and some of them are high end places and they occasionally ditch furniture and she hooks me up. It's kind of tall and ugly, she told me - she described it as kind of a gold finish. No prob. easily refinished. We made plans to pick it up.

We got there, and it was this.... this thing.

It was over 7 feet tall, heavy as lead, and ugly as all get out. That's a POND scene painted on the drawers. And some kind of gold spray all over it. Plus, it was not real wood - it was some kind of wood fibers, poured into molds, and then glued together. It took three beefy dudes to load it, and even then they were really struggling with it. So we got it home and it lived on my porch for a  couple of weeks. I got tired of people stopping and asking me about it, and friends and neighbors seeing it and commenting about it all the time... it had to go, it was a real "attention - getter" and I hate that kind of thing at my house! I don't want to be known as the "odd furniture assortment on the porch" house in the neighborhood.
 

Pond scene? Really?

It took an hour or more just to tape up all those glass door panels. Ugh. Then I decided on this paint I thought was going to be more grey than blue; but enough blue to not be totally grey.... but it turned out blue-blue. So, it is what it is. I painted the accent parts white. It looks kind of Parisian/Frenchy I think. And it requires a biiiiiig house. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to sell it. LOL
In the meantime, it looks pretty neat in the shop, it's better to get attention there than at my house!

Etsy: My 10 Lessons Learned. sometimes, the hard way.

This October 5th is my four year Etsyversary, and nearly 1000 sales. (Some shops get 1000 sales in a lot less time, so don't be impressed. Seriously.) Selling both vintage and handmade items.

Instead of cluttering up the forums like some people do with milestone threads about "1000 sales and what I've learned", I'm just going to clutter my personal blog with it, and then people can choose to not look at it instead of being annoyed on the forums. I'm not a seller looking for those pat "awww, congrats on your awesomeness!" replies.

OKAY, stop right here. If you're not interested in being serious about your Etsy shop, you don't need to read any more. If you want to  list ten things and then sit and do nothing and wait for something to sell, move on. This post is for people who are interested in learning how I have used the Etsy platform to host items I  have to sell, and nicely supplemented my income for four years and counting, and some tips I have learned along the way and how you can use them in your own shops.  

So here is what I have learned in the last four years, about Etsy, and selling online - or anywhere - in general.

You're going to have to forgive me because I am going to be brutally honest about some things. I apologize ahead of time if what I have to say huts anyone's feelings. I'm not trying to diss anyone's crafts.... I'm just stating what I've learned about selling.  

1. Have a product people want, or need. This is the biggest deal. Because if you don't start with a really great product, what's the point of everything else?
You might like your items. Your  Mom might like your items. Your friends may love them, too. But if your items don't appeal to a wide range of people, it ain't gonna work. Be honest with yourself about this. You're going to be competing with 100,000,000,000 other people who sell pretty much the same things on Etsy. (This especially goes for handmade sellers, I think.) People are not going to want to buy overpriced crafts when there are serious, full time sellers on this site who make most people's crafts look like 4th grade VBS specials. Just being honest, here. So what makes you think people are gonna  buy your item? I'm serious. These are things I asked myself. So, how about it? Know the answer.

For selling vintage, it's a little bit easier, because one of a kind vintage items, marketed to the "vintage junkie" crowd, will usually sell themselves. When vintage shoppers spot an item they want, collect, or have been looking for, they'll buy it no matter what. Vintage it relatively easy, compared to handmade. The thing about vintage is, you have to know your product, be honest about it's condition, be fair in pricing, and most of all, know trends: home decor trends, fashion trends, collecting trends. Know what's hot for more than just one scene, too. Otherwise you're going to end up with a house full of stuff that belongs in a rummage sale that no one wants; including you. Trust me on this. I have bought things I thought should sell, only to donate them to Goodwill a year later when I realized they would never sell because they were not "Kitchy", they were tacky, and no one was going to pay money for that - plus, it made my shop look like a really bad yard sale. Did I loose money? Yup. Another thing about selling vintage: you have to be ready to shell out for decent inventory. 

One more thing about selling vintage: nothing ticks me off more than over priced vintage. Yes, there are some high end vintage items that fetch prices in the hundreds and even thousands of dollars range. But the majority of it isn't. I decided early on, I was going for selling  quantity instead of trying to sell the really expensive, highly collectible items a few times a year. I looked for mid range items that were affordable by just about anyone, and sold more of that than the higher priced items. There's more shoppers out there with a low or middle range budget than people with a high income with the means to spend $400 on a dress. So I decided my target market was the middle/lower range income folks. I have carried high end items from time to time, but that just added diversity to my shop. I try to stay to the middle of the road. So.... decide your target market; and work it. 

Whether you're selling vintage or handmade, find a niche.... that one thing you're really exceptional at, and work it. I started with vintage and added vintage inspired handmade items as well. But it's all "vintage" themed. Don't try to sell everything everyone else does. Sell what you are really really good at; and believe you're better at it than anyone else is. This goes hand  in glove with working your target market, also. If you find a niche within a certain demographic, you're going to hit gold.

Another note about product: have lots of it. If you have five listings, you're wasting your time. Try to have at least 100. I find the more listings I have in my shop, the more traffic I get; and the more my sales pick up and stay steady. I know this seems like a lot, and it is, but if you're wanting to be serious  about Etsy, you're going to have to have 100 listings or more.

2. Learn how to use the site. It is not as simple as creating a listing and Etsy does everything else. If you run your Etsy shop that way, you're going to get buried. Literally. Thousands of items in your category are listed every day. For each one listed, you're getting pushed further and further down the list. But if you have learned how to properly TITLE and TAG your listing, your SEO will bump to to the top of searches both on Etsy and other search engines. I am not going to go into how to do it on this post. There's plenty of that on the Etsy forums and site. I taught myself; it's not hard. I also took a class on SEO optimization through my local community college. Educate yourself.

Also: fill out your location, have policies, use the about page, join teams, sign up for direct checkout so people can use their CC. Use the site; the site will help you. BUT: be cautious in the forums. 

3.If you want to make money on Etsy you have to treat it seriously. I view my Etsy shop as a part time job, and I work it like a part time job. I put in tiiiiiime re working my listings all the time. Anything that is slow, or not getting views, or not selling after weeks of being listed, I re-work. See #2.

4. Have good customer service. Goes without saying - but you'd be surprised how many people have crappy customer service on this site. Ship ASAP. Be nice to people. Admit when you've made a mistake and be prepared to pay for it. Answer convos immediately, if not sooner, and for Pete's sake! Offer returns!! If you get a nasty convo (I have had PLENTY), step away from the computer. Scream, yell, vent, throw things, cuss.... then wait several hours. Cool off, then write down your response. Then type and send it. I learned this from experience. It works. If you have to be firm with a customer, do it professionally. Getting mad and defensive is UNprofessional and not nice.

5. Learn how to take halfway decent photos. Okay  - PHOTOS is what sells items on line. If your photos suck, people aren't going to even click your thumbnail to see the whole listing. Think in thumbnails. You've got to at least have one eye catching thumbnail per listing to get people to want to click it!
I see so many dark photos. Um... HUGE "click off"! Take pics in natural light. Please, don't do props. I am not a great photographer, by any means... but I try to take HALFWAY decent pics, at least. In natural light. Seems to work out; people use my photos in treasuries all the time; three of which have been chosen for the front page. And use all five photo slots per listing, if possible.

6. Ship international. It's not scary, I promise. It's really, really easy. Just do it. Use the USPS website. It is your friend. Also, make buddies with your local Postmaster. They're gems.

7. Ship smart. I learned this the haaaard way early in my first year. Double box. Use a mile of bubble wrap, if needed. Buy bulk padded shipping envelopes. Also, get a scale for price calculations. Trust me on this.

8. Don't skimp.  Don't be cheap. Don't be cheap making your product, don't be cheap buying your vintage, don't be cheap packing it, don't be cheap shipping it... just don't be cheap. You're going to have to spend some money to make some money. If you're cheap it's going to show and it's going to hurt you in the long run.Cheap does nooooot pay off. Ever.

9. Don't look for someone to blame. Okay I have to say there is nothing I despise more than when sellers get on the forums and whine and cry about not making sales, and griping at Etsy for changing whatever, and look for somewhere to place the blame for not making sales or getting views, or whatever. When I don't make sales, I look at ME. I look at what I have been doing - or not doing - to try and make sales. When Etsy makes changes, I don't run around like the sky is falling, I just educate myself about the change, learn how to make it work for me, and then roll with it. Usually, when I hit a sales slump, I can jump start things with new listings, re working listings, re tagging, renewing, and moving around on the site.

10. Buy. If you don't buy on the site, what makes you think anyone should buy from you? I buy on Etsy all the time. As a buyer and a seller, I have a complete view of Etsy as a user. I am a firm believer in buying. In fact, sometimes when things are slow in my shop, I buy  things; and then suddenly I get sales, too. I don't know what it is, but it happens.

So that's my 2 cents. I know it seems harsh, but it's the straight-up truth that I have learned in four years and 1000 sales.

P.S.: A word about money.

Okay. 

I hear it a lot: "I haven't got the money to -buy a new camera/relist items every week/offer returns/give free shipping/pay the Etsy bill/have decent packaging/list more than a couple items, etc. etc. 

I know what it's like to start a small business with ZERO MONEY. I started my shop with a plastic tote of vintage stuff I have been collecting since  my teens. And NO money. I think I put $20 in my Pay Pal acct. from my checking acct. when I started. I was writing checks at the Post Office to ship things, hoping the checks didn't hit my account till my next pay check. 

I was lucky, and I started making sales a few hours after listing my first items. But it still wasn't a whole lot. I went weeks with no sales. I soon realized I was going to have to take certain risks in order to achieve any success. So I started re listing as much as I could afford to. At the time, you could buy a spot in a "showcase" on Etsy for about $6.00 - $10.00. I tried to buy a spot whenever I could; and it brought some traffic and sales. I panicked when I would look at my Etsy bill... as it crept past $20 and kept on creeping up there as I listed more items and relisted others. But the sales started picking up and paying my Etsy bill was no longer a worry. It was a slow process... but I had to spend money to get there.    
It started out with just a few dollars, but the better I did the more I was able to spend on promoting, better inventory, more inventory.... then a new camera, and a new computer; etc. etc.

And I started out with $20.00, a plastic tote, and a cheap point and shoot camera. 

Today I have two Etsy shops making money, and a brick and mortar antiques shop that's picking up steam.

SO. Don't talk to me about not having the money to start out in a cottage business. Anyone can do it. even if you just have $5.00, and a really good idea. 

You CAN do it! It just takes really hard, steady work. But it CAN be done. 

And if you've read this far......


Thanks for indulging me. Have  fabulous weekend! 

:)

Rocker Re-Do

This rocker came from the shop; it's been in the "back room" for years, looking dreadful. I dragged it home and ripped everything off and gave it the 'ol DIY chalk paint treatment; and covered it with some adorable blue and white floral material ("Kingsport") that I got from a friend who had it in her storage shed. It turned out so cute! This is one of those things I hate to part with  - but I can't keep everything.

I am really starting to get the "hang" of upholstery. I have a couple of Victorian chairs I am saving for later when I really feel confident. I'll probably make those my wintertime evening projects. :)

Have a great weekend, everyone! And if you're in my neck of the woods, come in and see us in our shop in the historic Milton General Store building across from the Thomas Day museum  (139 Broad St.) in lovely historic Milton, NC.  :)

China Cabinet before, before, and finally after

I had bought this china cabinet about 2 years ago in bad condition. Broken glass, gross green interior, drab finish with damage. I decided to try and restore it and sell it unpainted... but it never sold so I just kept it.

But recently I decided to go ahead and paint it. It was sold before I could complete the painting. :)

The glass in the door had broken again, so I had it replaced with plexiglass this time. (I was going to do a chicken wire door, but the buyer preferred glass.) It kind of broke my heart to see it go. I had been using it for so long it felt like part of the family. But, I can't keep everything. And it is loved where it is now, so... all's well that ends well. I highly recommend plexi glass for things like doors which seem to crack and break easily. However, I do also recommend having it professionally installed. 

Shabby Little Nightstand

My mom bought this somewhere... and I got it in trade for some other stuff. It was pretty shabby...

 

It still is kind of shabby, I guess. :) I left the drawers the way they looked as I sanded them... I liked it. :) I mixed up the paint color myself, to get a pale robin's egg blue color. 

Raspberry Lemonade Stenciled Dresser

 

This was a Goodwill score. I rarely find things at Goodwill in my city anymore; or if there is something there worth having it's already sold before I get there! But I managed to snag this 1940s piece.

A customer was looking for a dresser and decided she wanted this one just based on my description to her of it. 

The stenciling was done in a dusty rose color; it turned out so cute! The customer was thrilled. :)

Dining Room Chairs - Drab to Fab!

 These chairs were downright ugly; but sturdy... and that's what sold me on them. They even came with a nice enough table (not a match but close).

Before I even painted them, a customer who has bought some things from me for her new lake house decided she wanted them and wanted them white. Then she dithered about the color for the seats.... then she said they were too small for her large dining table.... so, I did the seats in the fabric of my choice!

I found this printed canvas duck fabric at Hobby Lobby and fell in looooove. :)

Queen Ann Transformation

This chair had been in the shop for years... ever since I started working there in my late teens. Covered in a dull, drab piece of red broadcloth in a very sloppy manner. No one ever gave it a second glance.

I brought it home, ripped everything off, painted the frame in a off white DIY chalk paint, and covered it in this black and cream fabric which I scored for a mere $4  per yard. I also added a few decorative tacks around the front legs to hold things in p lace.

I put it back in the shop and it sold in two days.

Farmhouse Table

 So, I picked this up last weekend for practically nothing at a local auction house. It was a big mistake for me to go there; now I know where I can get in my auction fix every single Saturday. Uh oh.
So, it was basic old brown on the bottom and some kind of murky tan blah color on the top; and coated in old polyurithane that had turned yellow. I knew immediately what I was going to do with it.

 A little stripping, a little sanding, a little DIY chalk painting, stain, and wax - and there you have a cute little kitchen table.In the photos above you can see how I was building my newest display in the shop; finished up below:

We kind of go for a strong "Classic American" vibe in the shop. It fits with our circa 1830s building.  Of course we have smaller spots of modern, Shabby Cottage, French/European themes in other areas. This seems to work well with our customers - there is something for everyone's tastes in interior decorating, and something for every budget.

I'm also trying to get away from the traditional "Grandma's cluttered, dusty antiques + junk + thrift shop" look. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE THOSE SHOPS! That's where you can dig around and find awesome treasure.

But, in our shop, I am trying to get a cleaner, more organized, "curated" look with a strong emphasis on interior decorating and not just collecting old stuff in a location and hoping someone buys it.

This idea seems to be working, as I have sold off almost everything I started with and am scrambling to find new inventory. 

Come see us if you're ever in our neck of the woods - we're in historic downtown Milton, NC across the street from the Thomas Day House/Union Tavern museum. There are many other things to do in town as well; various little shops and an Art Gallery  - stop on by, we LOVE visitors, and I love to talk about the town's history! :)

Trunk Makeover

I got this trunk at the last auction I went to because it was stuffed together with some other items in a "lot" I wanted for another piece that was in it. But, I had an idea of something I wanted to do with it, so I stopped Kevin from putting it in the load of stuff that went to the "green box". (The dumpster.)

A few coats of DIY chalk paint, some book pages (another auction item that I really didn't buy on purpose) and a little glue and I now have a nice storage chest for craft stuff.

I still have to coat the inside with some mod podge or something. And touch up around the handle and the hardware....

But pretty cool, huh? I make no claims to the original I idea, however; I saw painted trunks on Pinterest and probably the book page idea came from there, too. Ha.

Don't throw things away just because they're ugly!! :)

Yall have a good one; stay cool. And come back and visit me soon.

:) 

Blue and White Chair

I bought this chair at an auction for beans, and it sat around in my office/den/studio/sitting room for weeks while I thought about procrastinated about re doing it. 

I went shopping for upholstery fabric and discovered that the best, and my favorite - fabrics - are all like $40/yard, and I freaked. Kind of like when I found out how much Annie Sloan chalk paint cost, per quart. Why do all the cool things have to be so dang expensive?!

Then I lucked out and found about a yard and a half of this super fantastic blue material for $3.00 at a thrift shop. I knew immediately what I was going to do with the chair. A dab of DIY chalk paint and wax, and I went to town on learning upholstery by the seat of my pants and several You Tube videos. 

I discovered it helps to have four hands when doing this; my husband was conveniently on hand for that  (ha!)

It turned out pretty nice; and now I feel a little more prepared to tackle my next project: a Victorian Eastlake side chair.  :)

Octagon Table

This is another one of my husband's pics. We decided we've been doing enough turquoise and white; a little classy black was in order.

Metal Vintage Necklaces.

My husband bought me this necklace last week at an estate auction. I spotted it in a box lot, and remarked about how beautiful it was.

He bought this much jewelry to get it. So I have costume jewelry to last my shops a year or two. If I don't sell it in lots on eBay just to be rid of it.

My necklace is older than I originally thought; most likely from the late 30s - early 40s, from my research. It it in the trendy "bib" or "collar" style. I just adore it. In all my researching on line, I did not see another one like it.

Some others sorted out and for sale in the shop:

 Buy here

 Buy here

Buy here

The lady of the house had a real thing for tribal style jewelry, I tell you. Going back several decades.