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September Sales on Etsy and My New Antique Booth

September 30, 2019 by Florence 14 Comments

I never got around to making the announcement that I’ve ventured into the antique booth world! I’ve been incarcerated there 1-1/2 months, so I’m still trying to figure out my niche, what sells best, and how to style everything for an attractive cohesive look.

Styling is not my strong suit, so it’s a constant effort. Oh, how I’d love to have that decorating flair!

So far I’ve managed to break even.

I’ve been in a booth twice before, and I said “never again” last time, LOL. Somehow I developed amnesia about how much work it is, not to mention the hauling of furniture. I’m managing with 79 year old hubby’s help, (I tell him at least we’re getting off our derrieres) and on days we have to move really big furniture, our yard guy helps.

For more realism about what it’s like to be in a booth, check out a popular post on what I learned about being in a booth.

But on to what sold for me on Etsy this month.

September Etsy Sales for

VintageSouthernPicks Etsy Shop

Sales were slow, but they usually are for September.

Leather bound Holy Bible, large print, KJV

Sold: $30.79 with free shipping

Leather Bible

Vintage Padlock, made in Italy

Sold: $18

Vintage padlock

Vintage Sewing Machine Drawer, which I painted & glazed. I believe I bought it for $3.

Sold: $44 with free shipping

Vintage Sewing Machine Drawer

My dad’s last US Army blanket, 100% wool from the World War 2 era. There’s still big interest in that era. I’ve sold everything from his blankets, to his dog tags, to old yellowed papers, to phrase books. It all sells.

Sold: $53

US Army blanket

Vintage Silver Plate Sugar Creamer set

Sold: $20

Silverplate cream sugar

Cutter quilt. Paid $5

Sold: $18 (I usually sell cutters for $20, but this was not in great shape, even for a cutter.)

Cutter quilt

Old Merthiolate Bottle, practically full. These always sell.

Sold: $20.22 with free shipping

Old Merthiolate bottle

Crystal Perfume Bottle…paid $2.50

Sold (to a man for his collection) $29.25 with free shipping.

Crystal Perfume Bottle

Really long handled spoon I found in a sack of swizzle sticks.

Sold: $8.75 with free shipping.

Long handled spoon

Vintage Food Warmer, shipped to California to be in a TV show.

Sold: $17.99

Hot plate Food Warmer

Sales for SquareDanceNWestern Etsy shop

Silver conch chain belt

Paid: $2

Sold: $18.22 with free shipping

Silver conch chain belt

Red Ruffle Blouse, selling for friend

Sold: $20

Red Square dance blouse

Red Stretch Belt

Sold: $16.75 with free shipping

Red Square dance belt

Red Christmas Apron, selling for friend.

Sold: $18

Plaid Christmas apron for Square Dance

Booth Sales

For all my local readers, my booth is The Paisley Pig in Bessemer on 2nd Avenue. If you haven’t been there yet, it’s a darling place, with lots of nooks and crannies, & easy to walk around in an afternoon.

My booth rent is $160/month & it’s been a struggle to break even, but again, I’ve only been there a month and a half.

Here’s one photo of my booth. It’s still in the setting up stage.Booth Set Up

2 Things that Sold this month:

The dresser sold for $135 (net)

The white lamp sold for $26.98 (net)

Booth sales Sept 2019

3 other items not pictured that sold were:

  • an old quilt…one I had on hand/Sold for $22.50 (net)
  • a small wooden stool…paid $2/Sold for $13.60 (net)
  • a faux pumpkin…one I bought this season/Sold for $5.35 (net)

I consider these sales a great month!

I’m working my hiney off, but that’s good!

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: What's Selling on Etsy/Ebay Tagged With: antique booth sales, being in an antique booth, my new antique booth, september etsy sales, what sold on Etsy for sept 2019

What Sold on Etsy May 2019

June 10, 2019 by Florence 21 Comments

For those of you who follow me, I decided to jump ahead to May sales on Etsy, even though I haven’t shown you March and April yet. I’m getting to them slowly. May was actually a good month for a change. 39 sales in all.

32 sales in Vintage Southern Picks Etsy shop

7 sales in SquareDanceNWestern Etsy shop

What Took Forever to Sell

Fancy Brass Overlay Trash Can

Found at an estate sale for $5, it finally sold to someone in Australia, who paid over $70 in shipping to get it there!

Sold: $35.60

Fancy Trash Can

Vintage Doily Dresser Set

Very pretty and in nice shape, but dresser scarves do not sell well.

Cost: $2

Sold: $14

Dresser Scarf Set

Vintage Rooster Napkin Holder

Cute, but took a long time to sell.

Cost: 50¢

Sold: $19.79

Rooster Napkin Holder

White Tulle Fabric

I’m selling off bunches of white tulle I got from a friend of mine. It takes a long time to move, but this is the 3rd bunch I’ve sold. I have a whole lot left.

Cost: free

Sold: $15.70 with free shipping

White tulle

Vintage Ginny Trunk

I paid $18 for this doll trunk because “Ginny” is so hot, and I just knew I was going to make big bucks.

WRONG!

I barely broke even.

Profit after fees: $1.42

But it was better than donating.

Vintage Ginny Trunk

The inside of the trunk looked like this.

Inside of Ginny Doll Trunk

Contrast that with this vintage doll trunk I sold in 2014 for $44.99. It didn’t say “Ginny,” but it sold so quickly my head spun, so I knew it was underpriced.

Doll trunk with drawers

All that to say, it’s best to leave vintage doll trunks alone. They don’t sell well, unless they look like above. Even old Barbie trunks don’t do so well. They’re so many of them out there.

.Vintage Josef Owl Figurine

Who can resist a darling little owl figurine like this??

Lots of people!!! Like I’ve said in a previous post, figurines do not sell well!

Cost: $1

Sold: $24 with free shipping

 

Vintage Josef Owl Figurine

What Sold From Home

Vintage Quilt

Someone made this for me 20 years ago, but the fabrics it’s made with are much older. I love the quilt, but I’m downsizing. It was pretty and not stained.

Sold: $65

Vintage Quilt

Backpacker’s Aluminum Coffeepot

In my younger days, I did some backpacking, but I won’t be doing that anymore.

Sold: $17.00

Backpacker Coffeepot

Bird Identification Book

This is a small handbook from my Mother’s collection.

Cost: 0

Sold: $12.50

Bird Identification Book

Crate of Miniature Glass Coke Bottles

From a little collection of Coke items I’ve had 20+ years. Sold to a collector.

Cost: 0

Sold: $19.95 with free shipping

Crate of Miniature Coke Bottles

Vintage Evyan Powder Container

I’ve had this a long time on display in my bathroom. It took a long time to sell. Lots of them on Etsy already.

Cost 0

Sold: $16.78

Vintage Evyan Powder Box

Everything Else

Vintage Treasure Chest Jewelry Box

It’s a lot to pay, but it was the first day, and a larger box than usual. Check out this post for more info on these type chest purchases!

I always clean and polish these, especially deep in the grooves, which makes them look & sell better.

Cost: $8

Sold: $34

Vintage Treasure Chest Jewelry Box

Vintage Hummel Joseph Figurine

This figurine did sell pretty fast, but since it was used for Christmas sets, I took a chance.

Cost: $1.25

Sold: $59

Vintage Hummel Joseph Figurine

Vintage Bottle Merthiolate

People have fond memories of this vintage antiseptic, which burned like fire. I believe this is the 4th bottle I’ve sold, so I always grab these when I see them!

Cost: 55¢

Sold: $15.70 with free shipping

Vintage Merthiolate

Vintage Corset

As I said in my last post, The Latest Fun Finds, I rarely see vintage corsets, and certainly never on the last day! I got lucky.

Cost: $2

Sold: $36

Vintage Corset

Vintage Plant Mister

Also known as “the Plant Mister from H…”

This sold very quickly, but the person who bought it didn’t read the description that it produced a single stream of water. Granted, it shouldn’t been called a “mister,” but I thought it was the right keyword to use, providing the person read the description. Sigh.

So she sent it back & I relisted it. It sold again very quickly to a gal in Hungary. I made sure she knew ahead of time it produced a single stream of water.

Still wanted it.

Cost: $2

Sold: $19.95

Vintage Plant Waterer

But it never arrived. It came back to me before it ever went overseas, because the box looked like this.

Smashed Shipping Box

The “plant mister” was OK, but the box I used to pack it in was far too flimsy.

She still wanted it. Bummer.

So I sent it back on my nickel. Wasn’t her fault I didn’t use the right box.

Painful lesson learned.

Vintage Recipe Box with Top Lid

Cost: $4

Sold: $19.99

Recipe box with top lid

Potobello Tea Kettle, made in Italy

Cost: $3.82

Sold: $40

Potobello Tea Kettle

Vintage Bates List Finder

Always a good seller, but they’re hard to find.

Cost: 55¢

Sold: $18.75

Vintage Bates List Finder

4 Hoosier Cabinet Storage Jars

There were a lot of these on Etsy already.

Cost: 55¢

Sold: $32.70

4 Vintage Hoosier storage jars

4 Cloth Ivory Place Mats

Place mats usually don’t sell very well. There are so many on Etsy already.

Cost: $1

Sold: $14.70 with free shipping

Cloth Ivory Placemat Set

4 Vintage Cross Stitch Magazines

Cost: 25¢

Sold: $10.00

Cross Stitch Magazines (1)

Pair of Embroidered King Pillow Shams

Cost $2

Sold: $28

Embroidered King Pillowcase Pair

Cubical Tissue Box Holder

These are good sellers.

Cost: 55¢

Sold: $22

gold Tissue Box Holder

Challis Fabric Remnant

Cost: Minimal

Sold: $8.99

Challis Fabric Remnant

Green Print Fabric Remnant

Cost: Minimal

Sold: $14.95

Green Print Fabric

Pinwheel Fabric Remnant

Cost: $2

Sold: $16.95

Pinwheel Fabric (1)

Vintage Brass Bird Cage with Bird

When I found this, I thought it was going to be so unique. Ha. A whole page of them on Etsy already. Mine was the only one with this type of bird.

Cost: $1.50

Sold: $36

Vintage Brass Bird Cage with Bird

Spoon Rest, made in Italy

Don’t buy these. It took a while to sell, and I’ve seen bunches of them sitting in thrift stores, which is where this came from.

Cost: $3.99

Sold: $18.00

Spoon Rest Made in Italy

Vintage Capelli Straw Handbag

Dates from the 80’s. Found the last day at an estate sale. Sold quickly.

Cost: $3

Sold: $28.90

Vintage Blue Straw Bag with Beaded Handles 1

Vintage Evyan Powder with Powder

Shipping an open powder container with powder in it was a big problem. The inner cap on the powder was missing, so there was no way it was going to arrive NOT in a mess. The buyer was able to salvage most of the powder, which was EVERYWHERE.

I should have put it in a zip lock bag, which would have helped contain it.

Another lesson learned. Sigh.

Cost: 55¢

Sold: $29.90

Vintage Evyan Powder Box with Powder

Vintage Crochet Southern Belle Linen Set…Doilies and Runners

Cost: I cannot remember what I paid for this.

Sold: $27.95

Southern Belle Dresser Set

 SquareDanceNWestern Sales

Men’s Red Square Dance Tie

Cost: 0

Sold: $15.70

Red Square Dance Men's Tie

Patriotic Square Dance Skirt

I made this myself, but without an elastic waist, skirts are slow sellers. But this sold fairly quickly.

Sold: $29.50

 

Patriotic Square Dance Skirt (1)

Another Square Dance Outfit I made.

Sold: $45

Navy Check Skirt and Red Blouse Square Dance Outfit (1)

Longer Square Dance Skirt

This sold quickly even though it was a non-elastic waist, and a size small. Size small in skirts are very slow sellers.

Cost: 0

Sold: $17.50

Navy and White Check Square Dance Skirt

Denim Floral Skirt 

This was the “Skirt from H…”

It sold to a person in Greece.

And was a problem because of a very slow arrival.

Most of my International sales are via First Class Mail International, which is cheaper, but has no reliable form of tracking.

When a problem arises, you don’t know where the package is, and no one else does either. Not even the PO can tell you anything.

Believe me, I know. I spent an hour and a half on hold waiting to speak to a real person, and when they came on the line, they weren’t able to tell me anything I didn’t already know.

This package went to Greece via the Russian Federation. Figure that one out.

Long story short…the buyer opened a case due to the slow arrival. Having an opened case on Etsy is a big headache for the seller. I convinced her to wait 30 days because they sometimes take that long.

The package arrived in exactly 30 days & if it hadn’t, I promised a refund.

We have almost become friends through this ordeal.

All that to say, be wary of First Class Mail International.

Cost $1.65

Sold: $29.95

Floral Denim Skirt

Black Square Dance Petticoat

Colors like black, white, or red don’t sell very well because almost everyone has those already.

Cost: 0

Sold: $29.90

Black Square Dance Petticoat

Black Fringed Ankle Boots for Square Dancing

Cost: $1.65

Sold: $48

These sold to someone in Australia.

Fringed Black Boots

Congratulations if you made it this far reading! I appreciate it.

Leave me a comment and let me know if you made it to the end, and let me know what you think of all these mishaps, which I’m sure will be funny later.

Ha. Ha.

PLEASE PIN!

May Etsy Sales Vintage Southern Picks

For More Juicy Sales Posts, click below:

What Sold in February 2019 on Etsy

featured image for what sold on etsy feb 2019

Update on Etsy Sales and What I’ve Been Up To (August 2018 Etsy Sales)

august 2018 etsy sales and what I've been up to

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: What's Selling on Etsy/Ebay Tagged With: etsy sales, may etsy sales, what's selling on etsy

What Sold in February 2019 on Etsy

April 7, 2019 by Florence 28 Comments

Just sayin’…February 2019 sales were great, but March got off to a slow start…like switching off a lightbulb! And all sellers know just what I mean, and that’s what you have to get used to…lots of ups and downs in this business.

And why am I even talking about February sales in April anyway??? Yes, well…hope you don’t mind “suffering” through it, LOL. I haven’t been able to finish up this thing in a very timely manner…sigh.

I “love” those titles I see on Pinterest having to do with running an Etsy business…

  • someone brags claims they have a $70,000 income on Etsy
  • someone brags says they have sales every day
  • people are making so much money, they can quit their job

Just so you know, that DOESN’T happen to most of us! Never has, never will. I wish it did! But all that to say, don’t allow yourselves to get discouraged.

So on to the sales…32 in all for the month.

February Sales

Let’s start off with…

What Took FOREVER To Sell

A Vintage Tower Craftsman Swing Arm Lamp…someone gave us this at a garage sale, but without a shade, no one was interested. Finding one that worked wasn’t easy.

FYI…most Tower Craftsman lamps have a glass ball near the base, and this one was faceted, making it a bit more interesting.

Cost: 1.00 (shade)

Sold: $40.00

Vintage Tower Craftsmen Swing Arm Lamp

Men’s vintage gold tone cuff links. These were in a gigantic bag of cuff links I found somewhere.

Cost: minimal

Sold: $15.75

Mens Cufflinks

Finds From Decluttering the House

Vintage harmonica sitting in a drawer.

Cost: 0

Sold: $35.00

Vintage Harmonica

My Grandfather’s Report Cards from Medical School in the 1890’s.

An estate sale person told me recently that report cards are hot…hmm

Cost: 0

Sold: $8.00

Vintage 1890s Report Cards

Old Photographs & Cabinet Cards from Long Dead Family Members

Cost: 0

Sold: $7.00

Vintage Photographs and Frames

My husband’s brother passed along a box of mechanical pencils & pencil leads. This one was new in the package.

Cost: 0

Sold: $32.00

Mechanical Pencil and Leads

Another brother passed along a vintage Colgate shave stick holder.

Cost: 0

Sold: $15.66

Vintage Colgate Shave Stick Holder

Black and white postcards all from Brussels, Belgium that my dad picked up when stationed in Europe during World War 2.

Cost: 0

Sold: $14.00

 

WW2 Belgium postcards

A Total Surprise

I bought these winter mittens years ago when I had a booth thinking I was going to make a banner with them. That idea flopped, so I thought I’d give them a try. Lo and behold, someone bought them!

Cost: $1.00

Sold: 16.00

4 Sets of Winter Mittens

Other Miscellaneous Sales

Vintage Paper Plate Holders

Cost: $2.00

Sold: 16.00

Vintage Paper Plate Holders

Wooden Scrabble Racks

Cost: $1.00

Sold: $9.00

Wooden Scrabble Racks

Bobbins Lot

Cost: $1.50

Sold: $12.99

Metal Bobbins Lot

Old Handwritten and Typed Recipes

Cost: 25¢

Sold: $7.00

Old Recipes Lot

Vintage Metal Bath Shelf…a thrift store find

Cost: $3.82

Sold: $34.00

Vintage Bath Shelf

A vintage Hollywood Regency mid century modern tissue box holder…a thrift store find

Cost: $1.00

Sold: $22.00

Vintage Tissue Holder

Really cute fabric with a sewing theme

Cost: minimal

Sold: $16.95

Sewing Theme Fabric

Flower basket…thrift store find I regretted buying, & was surprised it sold.

Cost: $1.00

Sold: $16.00

Vintage Basket

Vintage Oil Lamp

Cost: $3.00

Sold: $39.90

Vintage Oil Lamp

Vintage Letter Opener…used to be good sellers, but now I find they’re slow movers unless really unusual.

Cost: $1.00

Sold: $18.77

Brass Letter Opener

Brass Lotus Dish…thrift store find

Cost: $4.99

Sold: $19.40

Vintage Brass Lotus Dish

Vintage Sewing Trim with 3 pink floral decals

Cost: minimal

Sold: $10.00

Vintage Pink Trim & Decals

Grab bags of left over knitting yarns

Cost: minimal

Sold: $6.00

Yarn Grab Bags

Large ceramic bunny

Cost: $2.50

Sold: $19.95

Ceramic Bunny

Old Photo Album with over 20 cabinet cards

Cost: 0

Sold: $32.00

Vintage Album with Cabinet Cards

Vintage yellow sheet set, reminiscent of Mad Men

Cost: 0

Sold: $35.00

Vintage Bed Sheet Set

Sales from my other Etsy shop, SquareDanceNWestern

Men’s Square Dance Necktie…sold to a guy in Italy.

Cost: 0

Sold: $12.65

Mens Square Dance Tie

Boho maxi skirt

Cost: 0

Sold: $29.00

Square Dance Floral Maxi Skirt

Boho maxi skirt

Cost: 0

Sold: $29.00

Maxi Square Dance Skirt

Men’s Western Shirt

Cost: 0

Sold: $29.00

Men's Square Dance Shirt

White Square Dance Blouse.

Someone offered me a box full of Square Dance clothes for nothing if I would pay the shipping to get them here. I thought it was a good deal, and this is one of those. I’ve already made up the cost in sales.

Cost: $1.65

Sold: $23.00

White Ladies Square Dance Blouse

Men’s Western Belt

Cost: 0

Sold: $15.00

Western Belt for Men

Men’s Collar Tip & Scarf Slide Set

Cost: 0

Sold: $26.66

Square Dance Collar Tips and Scarf Slide Set

And that’s all…what do you think?

Please Pin!

what sold on etsy feb 2019 pin image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: What's Selling on Etsy/Ebay Tagged With: February 2018 sales, what sold in february on etsy, what sold on etsy

What Made YOU Decide to Start Selling Online?

December 10, 2018 by Florence 2 Comments

I thought it would be fun to find out why and how the rest of you decided to start selling online.

  • How did you start?
  • What did you start with?
  • What was the catalyst?
  • Or if you started with a booth, let me know why you decided to start with that

If I get enough responses, I’ll publish them in another post. Let me know in the comments!

For me, I come from a long line of folks who never threw anything away. Consequently, I’ve had access to all kinds of odd stuff from parents and grandparents, much of which I’ve already sold.

After that, I got the bug, started going to estate and yard sales looking for everyone else’s odd stuff. So how did you start?

I wish I still had photos of that early stuff I sold, but I don’t. Lately I’ve really been cleaning out, purging,  and downsizing, so here’s a sample of what I’ve had hanging around the house for years.

OLD QUILTS

Both my grandmothers quilted in the past, but mainly my dad’s mother who I never met. I’ve inherited all her old quilts, which I finally rescued from our hot attic this year.

Probably hard to see, but this is a Log Cabin design (I think), made from bits of satin and velvet.

At one time I had it hanging on the wall, so it still had curtain rings attached. Age and attic heat took its toll…it was deteriorating, but it sold quickly.

antique log cabin quilt

Vintage Patchwork Star Quilt. It was made 20 years ago but with old fabrics my grandmother saved.

I was afraid the fading would prevent it from selling, but not.

vintage star patchwork quilt

Another old patchwork quilt hanging around our closet for years. Homemade with no batting, and heavy, but it was colorful and made with upholstery scraps.

I figured I would have to donate it, but would you believe it got tons of favorites??

It sold quickly! I can’t understand it.

colorful patchwork quilt

Colorful Granny Squares Afghan one of my dad’s patients made years ago. It took a while to sell.

colorful granny squares afghan

I bought this over 20 years ago when I was on a Wizard of Oz kick. Only thing was there were a bunch of them on Etsy already, but it sold fairly quickly.

wizard of oz throw

 ODDS AND ENDS

Old tractor funnel we found in our basement. The person who bought it was making a Christmas tree out of old funnels.

 

old tractor funnel

Vintage Coffee Grinder I dug out of a dumpster way before it was cool to be a dumpster diver! It took a while to sell too.

vintage coffee grinder

You’ve seen it before on another post, but this has been in my family a long time…a vintage funeral basket in great shape, and it sold quickly.

vintage funeral basket

I bought this years ago when discovering the Titanic was all over the news. It sold fairly quickly.

titanic mystery jigsaw puzzle

My brother gave me this German made beer stein for Christmas about 40 years ago! How quickly the years pass!

It took a while to sell.

German made beer stein

Hobo wood carving…a souvenir of a trip to Europe my mom and I made back in the 70’s. It practically took wings and flew out of my shop!

hobo wood carving

Toy cast iron stove I got for Christmas as a kid. I’ve kept it on display as an adult. I hated to part with it, but we’re downsizing.

It sold quickly.

Read my lips…there were a ton on Etsy.

toy cast iron stove

Now I just KNEW this wasn’t going ANYWHERE! Only because there were about 3 pages of them on Etsy already!

It sold quickly.

trivial pursuit game

Cute vintage tablecloth, full of stains, and sold quickly.

cute vintage tablecloth

2 Vintage Flower frogs sold fairly quickly

2 vintage flower frogs

I confess I never heard of Norman Greenbaum until I met my first husband. This was one of his favorite records.

It had the hit “Spirit in the Sky” which sold over 2 million copies in the 70’s.

I learned from a record dealer acquaintance that’s not good when you’re trying to sell a record. It means there’s a lot of them out there.

Even my beloved Beatles’ albums from the 60’s aren’t worth that much.

And it took a while to sell.

Norman Greenbaum record

OLD CHRISTMAS STUFF

This beautiful Christmas cake tin was holding picture hanging stuff. Finally got around to emptying it out this year & it sold quickly.

old christmas tin

Have you heard of David Frykmann? He makes cutesy Christmas figurines, and this was one of the early ones from 1997. Apparently the earlies are quite collectible.

I just wanted to get rid of it, LOL.

The person who bought this was looking for Santa & Airplane, and was willing to pay top dollar if I could find one. Be on the lookout for the early pieces then.

david frykmann santa and boat figurine

Back in my adventurous days, I did lots of backpacking & camping.

I’m trying to sell off that old stuff now, like these 2 old Army/Navy canteens. They took a while.

2 army navy canteens

MY DAD’S WORLD WAR II STUFF

Dad’s 100% wool army blanket in perfect condition. Sold quickly.

100 percent wool olive drab army blanket

2 Sets of ID Dog Tags with Old Keys Attached

I’m just showing you one. Sold quickly.

vintage army dog tag

A compilation of old phrase books, German map written in German, Bible promises, old postcards, others. It sold fairly fast.

world war 2 lot paper ephemera

I’m sure you’re asking why I’m selling this World War 2 stuff. Mainly because I don’t have children to pass it on to. I must get rid of stuff. I can’t keep everything, nor do I want to.

I haven’t been able to bring myself to sell his old medals and military patches yet, but I must do something with them eventually.

So the point of all this is…if you sell online or in a booth, look around the house for YOUR treasures. Give it a whirl. You may be surprised like I was.

Don’t forget to tell me how you got started selling!

PLEASE PIN!

what made you decide to start selling online

 

Filed Under: What's Selling on Etsy/Ebay Tagged With: how you got started selling in a booth, how you got started selling online, selling treasure from your house

Update on Etsy Sales and What I’ve Been Up To

November 12, 2018 by Florence 32 Comments

Decisions Decisions

I decided to write a totally honest post about what’s been going on with me lately. For those of my followers who’ve noticed, I’ve been taking a long break. I greatly appreciate those who’ve missed me & begged me to return. I’m back, but I’m not sure how long. Long story short, I’ve learned I’m not one of those people who can do two things well. I can’t blog and work my Etsy shop. Nor can I work my Etsy shop and blog well. I have to choose. Chances are, I may shut down the blog a few months from now.

My followers love my posts on what sells on Etsy. I’ll try to catch you up on the last 4 months before I go. Bottom line~I’ve been noticing my Etsy views have greatly fallen off in the last couple of years. Last year they seemed good, but not as good as the previous year. Of course, there’s always lots of competition for eyes on your stuff. This year’s sales are worse than last year. So I really need to get to work again, and I can’t blog well too. For those who don’t blog, it seems easy. You just sit down and write a post, right? No, it’s not that easy! Lots of background and techy work is also involved.

Here’s a breakdown of last year and this year:

2017: August sales: 30

2018: August sales: 19

2017: September sales: 23

2018: September sales: 14

2017: October sales: 24

2018: October sales: 20

For those who do Etsy or Ebay, you really need to work your shop every day, and there have been many days…weeks really…I haven’t touched it, and it shows.

What also comes into the mix is where we are in life. My husband and I are in the midst of drastic downsizing, and we’re getting rid of lots of stuff. I can’t go out and buy more stuff while I’m downsizing, so I’m running low on stock. We’re trying to decide whether to sell our house & move to a smaller one. That’s a whole other ball of wax…moving or getting ready to move. It doesn’t leave a lot of time for either blogging or Etsy-ing.

Those are my dilemmas for which there are no easy answers.

Without further ado, here are the results for…

August Etsy Sales

I found this vintage wooden pipe stand on the last day at an out-of-town estate sale. Pipe stands do well, but I thought this took longer than usual to sell. I loved it because it was unusual. It needed some work to make it look this good…repairing loose veneer, re-staining some spots, and oiling the dry wood.

Bought: $1.00

Sold: 26.99

vintage wooden pipe stand

Vintage Mortar and Pestle made in Italy. This took a while to sell because there were a lot of them on Etsy & the pestle was cracked. I was surprised it sold at all.

Bought: $1.00

Sold: $15.00

Vintage wooden mortar and pestle made in Italy

Over 14 yards of really pretty sewing trim. I had already sold some of it in yard lengths, but doing it that way was too slow, so I sold the whole lot.

Bought: Can’t remember…not much

Sold: 19.99

Over 14 yards of crochet sewing trim

I had no idea what these were when I bought them, but they looked interesting. I found out they were parts to a Timbale set. They’re dipped into dough to make shapes, fried, and covered with powdered sugar. You might have seen them at county fairs.

Bought: 50¢

Sold: 8.99

Vintage parts to a timbale set

Pretty little perfume bottle I found at an estate sale.

Bought: $1.00

Sold: $15.50

Vintage Perfume Bottle

Paperback booklet minus its cover on “100 Houdini Tricks.” I bought it hoping to find out how they do those mysterious cutting-people-in-half tricks, & the levitating-bodies-in mid-air tricks, etc. No such luck. It was mostly card tricks, but it was still interesting. Somebody was curious too and bought it.

Bought: 50¢

Sold: $8.00

100 Houdini tricks

Vintage Box Purse found at an estate sale.

Bought: $4.00

Sold: $60.00

Yes I know, I was shocked too at that price! There weren’t many on Etsy & those prices were high. I took a chance, but it took a long time. I was about to lower the price when it sold.

Vintage box purse

A ho-hum el cheapo vanity tray I picked up at an estate sale & sold cheap.

Bought: can’t remember

Sold: $14.00

vintage oval mirrored vanity tray

Set of Shower Curtain Rings

Bought: $2.00

Sold: $14.00

Set shower curtain rings

These are fun pieces I wore to a Hawaiian Square Dance Party. I really didn’t expect them to sell, but someone needed it for their Luau party, and you can see the tiara was missing the “y” in baby. I found it by the time I shipped it though.

“Luau baby” tiara and 2 cloth hibiscus hair clips

Bought: can’t remember

Sold: $11.00

Luau Baby Tiara and 2 cloth hibiscus hair clips for a luau party

Back in the day when I used to cross stitch years ago…

Sold: $16.00

Cross Stitch boots, completed cross stitch piece

A set of flatware I found in a cabinet while going through my clutter. Missing a couple of pieces.

Bought: can’t remember

Sold: $20.00

Flatware utensils

A really old vintage suitcase that has seen much better days, so I set it for my JUST-GET-RID-OF-IT price.

Bought: can’t remember (I’ve had it past my memory.)

Sold: $15.00

Really old vintage suitcase

Souvenir of a trip to Austria…

Sold: $20.00 (it sold pretty quickly, so I probably under-priced it.)

Hobo man wood carved figurine

A vintage funeral basket…what they used to put flower arrangements in a long time ago. Another thing in the stash at home.

Sold: $30.00 with shipping over $60 to Australia

Vintage Funeral Basket

Ornate mirrored vanity tray

Bought: $3.00

Sold: $26.00

Ornate mirror vanity tray

Vintage Tablecloth…selling for a friend

Sold: $20.00

vintage tablecloth

Set mismatched brass candle holders

Bought: About $6 for all

Sold: $24.00

mismatched brass candle holders

Lastly, 2 boxes of vintage tiki forks found at an estate sale. A poor risk…they took forever to sell.

Bought: 10¢

Sold: $10.00 to someone from South Korea (who paid over $14 for shipping). They must not have tiki forks over there, LOL.

2 boxes vintage tiki forks

Hope you enjoyed the long overdue post & hope you enjoyed it!

And if this hasn’t whetted your appetite for what sells on Etsy, go check out my friend Wanda’s Just Vintage Home blog. In this post she shares what’s sold in her Etsy shop and booth over the last several months. Fascinating reading for all of us sellers!

I’d love it if you pin! Thanks!

pinterest image for update on etsy sales august 2018

 

 

 

Filed Under: What's Selling on Etsy/Ebay Tagged With: what's selling on etsy, what's selling online

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