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 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
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
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
Pretty little perfume bottle I found at an estate sale.
Bought: $1.00
Sold: $15.50
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
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.
A ho-hum el cheapo vanity tray I picked up at an estate sale & sold cheap.
Bought: can’t remember
Sold: $14.00
Set of Shower Curtain Rings
Bought: $2.00
Sold: $14.00
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
Back in the day when I used to cross stitch years ago…
Sold: $16.00
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
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
Souvenir of a trip to Austria…
Sold: $20.00 (it sold pretty quickly, so I probably under-priced it.)
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
Ornate mirrored vanity tray
Bought: $3.00
Sold: $26.00
Vintage Tablecloth…selling for a friend
Sold: $20.00
Set mismatched brass candle holders
Bought: About $6 for all
Sold: $24.00
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.
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!
Florence
Latest posts by Florence (see all)
- The Latest Vintage Hauls - February 10, 2020
- A Vintage Fall Haul - November 3, 2019
- September Sales on Etsy and My New Antique Booth - September 30, 2019
- Camping Trip Thrift Store Haul - August 2, 2019
Great post. Always fun to see your treasures. I just started a blog myself and was so surprised how much work goes into the process. http://www.homebyliv.com. I really love your posts.
YES!!! Trying to juggle a blog and an etsy shop is such the challenge. You do it well.
Lisa, thank you for the encouragement! It truly warms my heart! Glad you enjoy the posts & good luck on your blog! I’ll check you out.
My sentiments exactly! I can’t do two things well at once, either. I have a hard enough time doing ONE thing — AT ALL — much less well!
I’m always amazed at the number of things you sell. I have to remind myself that people can’t buy it if it’s stored in a box somewhere and they don’t know about it. I’m thinking about tackling vintage clothes this week. Yuck. Not my favorite.
I’m going to put a link to this in my last blog post. Give ’em something more to look at. If anyone is still reading it, that is. I mean, it’s been a whole day now. LOL
Like I said Wanda, you inspired me to write this post in the first place. I’ll put a link to yours in mine. I just didn’t have the energy last night when I was trying to finish up. Wanda, I have to remind myself of that too…they can’t buy it if it’s stuck in a box, LOL.
Oh, and how right you are about how long it takes to do a blog post! I worked on my last one for a full couple of DAYS!! I have found though, that for the sales reports if I go ahead and work on the post as soon as each sale comes in, it’s a breeze.
We don’t want you to stop doing the reports. Maybe trying that method won’t seem as time-consuming.
Hmm, I haven’t thought of doing it that way! I’m going to try it.
Hi Florence, so happy to hear from you! I personally missed you a ton. Knew you were in a state of craziness trying to downsize. I’m having the same issues on Etsy. I too blame it on myself, not working on it daily…. I opened 2 booths in an antique mall with my sister. It takes a lot of my time but it brings me tons of pleasure. Etsy did change their Algorithms again! It’s SO frustrating. I want to list new items not rework old items. I think everyone’s sales are down and I can’t believe it’s not hurting Etsy too. I keep contemplating stopping Etsy too…not sure if that’s a good idea. I do rely on the sales for supplemental income. You know, to afford a mani and pedi every once in a while. AND the high costs of prescription drugs! I too am always amazed how much buyers from Australia will pay for shipping on items no one needs! Yet Etsy wants us to offer free shipping to all of the USA. I’m offering about 80% of my items at free shipping. I relate it to my antique mall rent….the cost of doing business. Wow, this is a long note! I missed you and wanted you to know that you’re not alone. Here’s hoping that you can continue Etsy and blogging……take some deep breaths and do what’s right for you.
Linzey, thank you for your note. It warms my heart. You’re so right about the latest algorithm change being frustrating! I’m biting my nails. Doing lots of reading trying to figure out how to change, re-doing lots of photos, etc etc. I’m with you…I can’t believe this isn’t hurting them too. And for heaven’s sake, why make these major changes right before holiday season! Makes no sense. I’m happy to hear you enjoy your booths! I used to have one until it got to be too much work, but you go girl! I’m glad to know you’re enjoying it so much! And yes…the free shipping push. They’re acting just like Ebay now. Sigh. But I have changed lots of listings to be free. Thanks again for the encouraging note. It’s so nice to be missed.
I have missed you Florence. But I totally get it. That is why I closed my booth in March. Now I do a couple of crafts events and am trying to decide if I should open an online shop, but not on Etsy or Ebay. Blogging does take so much dedication and so does running a booth or an Etsy shop. I know you will make the best decision for you and your husband. But I hope you stay in touch!
Thank you so much Debra! I appreciate your empathy & understanding. I hope things will come clear for your path ahead. I will stay in touch! I get to read a few blogs these days. Just don’t have as much time to comment on every one anymore. Sigh.
Hello Florence!! Glad to hear that you are well, if busy. And you are right, blogging is a huge undertaking and very time consuming. I’m constantly in awe of people that can juggle a shop and a blog. You have to make the best decision for you. I know that blogging can also be expensive, but there are ways to have a site for free, like on Blogger. You could move your site there, and it would stay up forever. You could pop on whenever you like and share what you’ve been up to! Just a thought. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving!!
Thank you Kim! Good to hear from you! I keep up with you through your blog most of the time, but don’t comment as much anymore. You know, I wish now I had started with Blogger or Blogspot. I would love to switch, but am scared of that migration process. That’s tempting though. I never thought of it. Have you done something like it before?
Florence, there are several great articles for transferring from WordPress to Blogger.
The first most important step is to backup your blog before you do anything.
If you are using WordPress, there is a menu item on the Side Bar in the administrative control panel. If you are looking for a free platform, you can still use your domain name if you move to WordPress.com.
Both free platforms, WordPress and Blogger, have a few rules about affiliate links. If you have those in your post, they may disappear.
Thanks again for your comment Deborah! I have 1 Google adsense on the blog, but no affiliates.
Florence, I just found your blog in a link on Wanda’s blog. I am so happy to have found you, and would hate to see you disappear. I have a comment about the free blogging platform, however. Blogger is owned by Google and you are required to have a Gmail address. If you want to keep your options flexible, go with wordpress.com. You can keep your domain name and have a free blogging platform. Email address is your decision. Technology is my field, and I am trying to learn about selling online. Do you have any thoughts on Shopify, especially the new low-cost plan with the WordPress plugins? Thanks for being here I love your site. Deborah
Deborah, thank you for your comments! I appreciate your input so much & your encouragement, and I hope I’ve been an encouragement to you through the blog. Good luck with your online selling venture! That is another whole ball of wax…a lot to learn, and on the other hand, I know so little about technology. Glad to know that WordPress.com is an option & that I can keep my domain name. I do hate to throw away all my work over the past years.
About Shopify, I have thought about branching out to that many times, but I don’t like the $30/month basic plan, & the fact that I have to do all my own promoting. However, I didn’t know about the low cost plan with WordPress. I’ll have to check into that. I know there are sellers who say they do great with Shopify, so it bears thinking about again.
I sometimes feel like with blogging. Especially when the hosting fee comes out of my checking account. I put so much work into the blog and sometimes it doesn’t feel like it rewards me. So I understand completely.
Sending you a big hug.
Thank you sweet Kari! I totally know what you mean about your blog not rewarding you. Sometimes you wonder if you’re striking a chord with anyone.
I always enjoy your posts. You have a great sense of humor and are very realistic about what sells, how long and the pricing. I find it fascinating to see the different things that sell for you. We are vendors at a few vintage shows in northern Idaho and it is interesting to see that different items sell in different areas. Whatever you decide to do please know how fun your blog is for us!
Thank you so much Teri! You don’t know how encouraging that is! So glad to know you enjoy it & get some insights. Oh it is SO interesting to know what sells in different areas. I find that fascinating as well.
Thank you so much for sharing. I appreciate your hard work, I really enjoy your posts.
Thank you Robin! I appreciate you saying so!
It is so good to hear from you dear friend. It really is hard to blog and do something else. I love all of your sales but mostly that pretty vintage purse. My daughter bought one that looks like it recently but it was brand new. And that mortar and pestle. I have the same one, it was bought in Greece a long time ago. I hope that when you are done downsizing you’ll have more time to devote to the blog and your etsy shop. We have really missed you.
I think of you as a dear friend too, Mary, even though we’ve never met! Isn’t that the funniest thing? It’s hard to think of giving up the blog. I’m trying to think of other options…maybe not posting as often will help. It was to the point I didn’t have time for Etsy at all, & that was defeating my purpose. I’ll be through with downsizing one day I hope. We just need to make this big decision about moving.
Hey Florence, so nice to hear from you! Glad all is well, albeit a little crazy:) I’ve always been amazed at how much you do sell. Especially compared to me lol! Granted I’ve not put my heart and soul into Etsy ever, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more sales. I love reading about your ups and downs but if you need to take a break I totally understand. You gotta do what’s best for you! Hang in there — xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home
Kathleen, so nice to hear from you too! Yes, things have been a little crazy around here for several months now. Glad you enjoy the posts on what sells. Sometimes you wonder who sees it. You know what I mean. The story of blogging. Well, I know what you mean about the slow sales. It’s not been a good year. Thanks for your encouraging words though.
I’m so glad you posted again Florence. I really missed you so very much and I so enjoy seeing what’s been sold. It’s always a bit of a surprise for me. Those tiki forks…… go figure? The perfume bottle is really pretty though. Wish I’d seen that in your shop. It’s lid is very similar to the antique makeup brush I got from you awhile back. My friend loved it BTW – thank you for shipping it all the way out here to South Africa.
I do hope you’ll post every now and again but I understand that it’s a lot of work, especially when the etsy shop should be a top priority and then the downsizing is also a huge task. Whatever you decide to do though, I wish you luck and as always love.
Thank you Michelle. You’re a sweet caring friend. I’m so glad you enjoy the posts. And yes, the perfume bottle! I got it and the brush at the same place. Glad your friend was pleased. I’ll post now and again…maybe not as often until I get things sorted out. Thank you for coming by. I appreciate it so much.
I’ve thought about doing a post explaining just how much goes into writing a blog post and then I thought no one would believe me 🙂 I can’t even imagine trying to keep an etsy shop afloat at the same time. Hope you have a wonderful holiday selling season and make a ton of cash!
You should do that post Pam! It would be interesting. It’s been hard keeping that shop afloat, that’s for sure. I’ve finally seen the light. It’s my top priority. Thanks so much for your comment! I appreciate you taking the time to drop in.
I’m glad your back and wish you could find a way to make it both work. Love seeing what people buy and the prices. But I understand. Boy do I understand! I struggle with my full time job and blog which is a full time job as well. As for my online shop, I havent even been working it. Been using what time I have left toward my blog. I’ve been seriously thinking of cutting my post back to 2 a month I stead of 1 a week. Glad your back now and wish you the best in whatever you chose. 😊
Sweet Linda, it’s good to hear from you! Only another blogger understands what we go through, that’s for sure. I don’t know how you do it with a full time job. I tell you I wouldn’t have the energy! I can definitely see there’s only so many hours in the day. A job & a blog…my goodness, forget a shop too. You know, if I were you, I would cut your posts back. It hasn’t hurt me at all to take a break. I’m still getting a few subscribers, which is always amazing to me. Give yourself a break Linda. Thanks for coming by!