A milestone for me

I marked a milestone the other day.

Last Sunday, I recorded my 1,000^th sale on Etsy -- a set of three heart-shaped candy boxes.

It’s an accomplishment that I’m quite proud of, and it didn’t happen overnight.

I opened my Etsy shop about six years ago, but I didn’t sell anything for the first year. Why? Well, I was a little intimidated. I knew I wanted to sell stuff, but I needed some time to figure out how to do it.

Once I was confident, I sold my first item: A box of tiny plastic pink dolls. They were quite popular in the 1950s and 1960s and you could buy them by mail order from ads in magazines. They were called 100 Dolls.

From there, I’ve sold lots of other stuff: Fabric, Christmas ornaments, Halloween costumes, draperies, tablecloths, hankies, kitschy wall décor. The list goes on and on.

The consistent sellers are ceramic Christmas trees. This year, I sold six. Last year, I sold four. I’ve also sold three vintage typewriters, and I have another pink one listed right now. I also have 20 percent off of all Christmas items in my shop, so go and check it out. 

The money that I’ve made is going to a good cause: funding college tuition.

I also gain the satisfaction of knowing that I reunite people with their memories. Often I hear that a buyer has purchased something that they remember from their childhood.

And buyers have given me much in return, too. I don’t think I have had a bad experience on etsy. People are almost always kind and courteous and make doing business a pleasure.

One particular buyer wrote me the nicest note the other day, and it was just the thing that I needed to pick me up after a challenging day.

So thank you my etsy customers both past and future. Here’s to the next 1,000 sales.

Also, a quick thank you to my family. They put up with my selling craziness and have come to accept that the sound of my packing tape means that mom is making money.

 

Comments

[laurie magpie ethel]

Congrats. It is nice to be able to pad that college tuition bill! Etsy has been great for me too, and really the nicest customers. Well done!

[Shara]

Congrats! Hitting those milestones is a great wy to see how far you've come! I just went over $20,000 in sales on ebay over the last 15 years. That's nickels and dimes to some sellers - but $20,000 sounded impressive to me!