Here's Kim and her delightful interview!
(The entire clan is just adorable!)
Explain your reasons for starting an Etsy vintage shop.
Before I opened my Etsy shop, I rented space for about 5 years in an antique mall and sold vintage furniture and clothing. I had another baby and felt a bit overwhelmed trying to keep the space up and take care of 2 little girls. I had been wanting to try an Etsy shop for a while, so I decided this was the right time.
What is your favorite vintage item you own?
Hmmm, there are so many things that I've fallen in love with! I think my favorite item or maybe I should say items is one wall of black and white photos in my dining room. They are all photos that my mom blew up, then matted and framed of family members that have all passed on. They are all very unique and artistically done pictures.
(Beautiful, and I love the lamp too!)
At what age did you start collecting vintage?
Ahhh, why do you have to ask about age? ;-) just kidding. I lived in downtown Salt Lake City in my mid 20's and that's when I became totally hooked on vintage! That was about 15 years ago now.
Which item is your favorite in the shop right now?
I've been making jewelry for quite some time. I initially didn't put any in my shop because there's so much on Etsy. I finally had some that I felt would look good with what's already in my shop. This little necklace and the fabric is just so precious to me.
Find it HERE
Which states have you gone thrifting? Which one was your favorite?
I've traveled a lot on the Western side of the U.S. and grew up in Florida. However, I've found the most abundant and plentiful vintage in Missouri and Illinois, when visiting my sister. The Midwest and Northeast seem to still have such a plentiful and wonderful supply of vintage. I've always wondered why it's better there than other regions of the U.S.
Is there an item you sold that was hard to let go?
I love this dress found HERE.
5 words to describe yourself.
free spirited, creative, opinionated, people lover, and highly self critical....oops! more than 5 words ;O)
Is Etsy your job or hobby?
If this was a job in which I had to pay bills, I wouldn't be very successful at paying the bills. I do it because I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and love to collect, design, etc.
Since you’ve been around on Etsy, what advice would you give to sellers, particularly new ones?
Etsy takes a bit of time to figure out if you want to be a successful seller. At least it did for me and I'm still figuring things out. Here's some thoughts on what I think it takes to be successful:
1. You've got to have a product or item that people want. Something that sets you apart and is unique.
2. You've heard it before, but your photos have got to be really good....eye-catching. This is something I'm still working on and photography has become a new interest since I started selling on Etsy.
3. Marketing/Advertising your shop. I knew nothing about this when I first started. I went to the Etsy forums and started asking questions. It was incredibly helpful and the people there are so nice. I also looked at what other successful Etsy shops have done and took inspiration from them.
4. Search Engine Optimazation (SEO). 1/2 of my sales come from people already looking on Etsy but there's another good portion that finds my shop through online searches. Learning about keywords to use in your shop and listings and how SEO works has been interesting and helpful in getting sales as well.
5. Treat your customers well, answer convos as soon as possible and be professional.
Thanks Kim for the great advice!
Here are some more amazing items from Kim's shop!
Hope you enjoyed the interview!
Thanks Anna for the interview! Your blog is beautiful ;-) Off I go to tweet and FB it to everyone.
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