Selling Vintage on Etsy: Do They Attract the Right Eyeballs?

[nancy l starr]

Hello All - I'm getting ready to start listing fixed-price in the Etsy Vintage section, primarily for lower-cost collectibles that don't fetch enough in an auction format.

I wanted to ask if anyone in the group has used Etsy much for vintage pieces, and if it's been profitable in the long run. And in this case, profitable could mean that you created a relationship, whether it be by making an immediate sale, or by getting folks to sign up for your newsletter or become fans of your Facebook Page.

[Debsgreatfinds]

good question I'd like to no this to :)

[valerie cifaldi]

Hi Nancy,

I am shocked at how well my etsy store is doing. I sell mostly vintage millinery flowers and have done very well. millinery and craft supplies are about 1/2 to 2/3 of my sales but hats, clothing and hair clips,  old purses, etc also do very well. many weeks the profit from etsy is higher than the profit from ebay, because the fees are so low.

click on my store

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Avaricia

 

there is an "items sold" section to show exactly what each store has sold.

i have etsy regulars, lots of them actually, and they are the nicest people. remember etsy buyers are more educated than most

[nancy l starr]

Wow that sounds really great, Valerie - Thank-you so much for your informative reply! And you actually answered a secondary question I had in regard to selling "supplies" on Etsy. I'm going to list the yards and yard of sewing material I've collected since my Mom and Home Ec class taught me to sew many moons ago when I was 16.

[valerie cifaldi]

material does very well too. just find a large seller's "items sold" page and use the same keywords and tags. etsy buyers use different terms than the usual ebay keywords and they love "color" words (use shade descriptions). peeking at what the other sellers are listing will also keep you from under pricing your vintage supplies.

put me in your "circle" and feel free to convo with any questions.

 

Valerie

[VintagePlusCrafts]

hi, I do pretty well selling vintage items on etsy, I also sell some handmade crafts (hand embroidery)

but I know for sure that I sell more vintage then handmade crafts.  here's my shop link if you want to see what kinds of vintage items I sell and have already sold. my shop name is Vintage Plus Crafts

http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintagePlusCrafts

[vicki hufstetler]

I just recently put up 6-8 items, but am unsure if this is the right venue for me, I sell alot of "real antiques", and many high end - ie expensive pieces. So I don't know if I'm going to get very far here. I've been searching for an alt to ebay - I can't live by their rules man! LOL

But, because I won't except returns, and I do charge for shipping, it seems I am now burried in search there.

Has anyone tried selling higher end items there? Would love to hear feed back - especially on jewelry, pottery, and glass??

And if anyone has had better luck with these type items elsewhere - please share! Thanks

[Craig Phillips / B & C Emporium]

the most expensive pc I have sold on esty or bonanza is $750.

what is your shop name vicki?

Craig

[Rick Murray]

I sell mostly higher end arts myself though I do end up with a lot of lower end and moderate pieces. My biggest problem is having the time to list items and promote the shop. Hoping to have some time this week to place more items up.

CarteArts