Living A Vintage Life: Sweet Dreams

'Diary Of A Quilter' Gives Old Sheets New Life

Submitted by Three Chicks Vintage
I remember a lot about the sheets and pillowcases I slept upon as a child. My dear Grandma Alice's white sheets were pressed and starched and her pillowcases were lovingly embroidered with flowers and fancy ladies. Even now as I close my eyes I can smell the starch and feel the gentle scratchiness of grandma's freshly made beds. When my Dad remarried, my stepmother had a closet of striped sheets - it was the 1970s and the sheets were white with stripes in fashionable color combinations - yellow and orange, pink and gold, blue and purple. I was especially jealous of my little stepsister's sheets - wild, mod arrays of flowers in bright pink. How I longed to choose my own sheets! When I finally got my chance, sometime in junior high, I picked lime green sheets scattered with yellow-eyed white daisies. Green, no matter the shade, is a calming color to me, and at that time in my life I longed for the calm and the freedom to choose that those sheets represented.

Another vintage sheet project from Amy.

Nowadays it is rare for me to purchase new sheets, (unless I find good, Egyptian cotton on sale) instead I pick up beautiful, high thread-count, vintage percale at second-hand stores. For a couple of dollars I find a sheet that will outlive almost any sheet I could buy new AND I get to pick colors and patterns that remind me of childhood. But I don't just pick up vintage sheets out of a sense of nostalgia or thrift, I pick them up because they are simply beautiful fabric. Holding them at arm's length I can imagine them as quilt squares, little sundresses, hair bandannas, valances ... Of course my imagination is much more active than my needle, so I've a healthy stash of vintage sheets and pillowcases awaiting a resurrection or a sleepy head!

Fortunately, there are folks who actually put their stashes to good use. Amy Smart is one such person - the smiling face on her 'About Me' page suggests that she is a colorful, creative person and the pages of her blog, 'Diary of a Quilter' confirms it. The project I discovered in her blog post 'Vintage Baby Sheets Quilt' looks like my own sheet stash come-to-life. In her quilt I can see both sheets I have and sheets I have slept upon.
Her vintage sheet projects include hangable art and sundresses too!
So ... you have a stash, you have the inspiration, now you have pictures and the instructions to guide you through a vintage sheet project!
Do you need to start your own vintage sheet stash? Or build on one you already have? Search etsyvintageteam bed sheet or etsyvintageteam pillowcase to get started!

The Biggest Distinction Between Shops

Fabulous photography: lighting & cropping are excellent. By tippleandsnack

There is nothing more important regarding your shop than photography. Forget worrying about the economy: If your photos are good, they will be featured endlessly in treasuries, showcased in blogs, your shop will be favorited often, you'll be added to circles daily and best yet, your items will sell. 

Clear lighting, lots of detail & clear white space cropping by beppiebags

I know, because my old photos weren't great. Things sold when I began my shop last year, but slowly. I adjusted my prices, made treasuries, joined teams, offered killer items, and still just did okay. Then I ran across tippleandsnacks shop and was blown away. I saw her items featured on the home page often. I saw her items selling. I adored her shop because of the clean contemporary appearance-it felt like a Pottery Barn catalog. 

Flawless photo: balanced cropping, strong light & visual interest. By birdie1

It took me a while to get off my tail. But I finally ordered Ott lights, set up a photography space and began rephotographing my items. Keep in mind, my photos weren't terrible on their own. But when they were paired next to bitofbutter or mascarajones items it was really noticeable. To be honest, I didn't really realize how poor my photos were until I saw them in treasuries. 

It's an ongoing process and I'm still not done. Every time an item expires I rephotograph it. All new items are of course photographed with the new system. 

Let's look at the difference between the two photos above. The first photo shows detail, has a white surround and is clear. But the lighting is off. I see lighting as the problem in many listings on Etsy. While buyers can still view the item, it won't sell them on it like clear spectrum lighting would. (Tip: Buy Ott lights today) The first photo certainly doesn't say: Magazine photo shoot! 

Great cropping, clear lighting, detailed shot by TPBVintage

The other thing that's vital is cropping. My photos were all big on detail-I was so close you couldn't help but see it!! Most of the shops in the vintage categories really suffer from too closeitis. Crop your photo for the thumbnail and leave whitespace around it. The thumbnail is critical because it the #1 view most buyers see. Much of the time I can't even tell what the item is without reading the title-which is NOT good. Customers should never have to work to see your item. If they can't see what the item is in a glance, you risk losing them. 

Well cropped, ready for it's thumbnail closeup

Poorly cropped, too close. Horrid thumbnail

That first photo is your biggest pull. If it's a good photo buyers may click through to view it. If it's not, many will pass it up. That photo should provide all the necessary info: true color and what it is. 

Look at the photos that get featured on the front page-for the most part they have white space around them. If you're not sure how big they'll be, switch your shop from gallery view to list view. This is how many people see your shop-especially if they're viewing it on a phone. 

Well cropped, natural lighting, great photo by thecreekhouse

Cropping & lighting are the single two biggest factors that influence the success of your shop. These factors are even more important that what you sell. I have seen the most average everyday run of the mill items sell fast when photographed well, and likewise have watched under priced gorgeous items languish for months due to poor photography. Don't put it off. You'll be so glad you did after you have a booming holiday season. 

New Excuses or New Solutions?

Many of us sellers have been discussing the lack of sales recently. We can blame it on the economic ups and downs, the time of year and the website we choose to sell through. I've used this excuse frequently throughout the years. "It's June, everyone is at weddings & graduations..." 

Rhinestone Hair Comb offered by OhFaro

But that's not solid reasoning. There are millions upon millions of web users in the world, all unique individuals. Some shop while at work, at home, in the library after class, during class, while waiting for flights, to alleviate boredom & to distract from life. Hundreds if not thousands of reasons to buy exist for all these individuals. 

Nippon Handpainted Dish offered by jenscloset

Yes, the economy is bumpy. In my state of California, unemployment hovers around 12% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's bad news. But let's look at this a new way. If you were told you had a life threatening disease, how would you feel if the doctor looked you in the eye and said you only had 88% chance of survival? I'd be over the moon with joy! 

John Deere Territories Map offered by 10karri

I am an optimist. I find that helps me get through times such as this and enables me to see through the mental clutter that fills the airwaves. 88% of the California population is employed! Those are all potential customers. Rather than bemoan lack of sales, let's figure out how to reach them. As many have mentioned, people are buying on eBay. If that's true, then we know people are buying-just not where we want them to. The question is, how can we get them to Etsy? 

Vintage Parking Meter offered by YesterdaysSilhouette

Facebook. I know it's a bad word for some folks, but try to remain open minded. Because if you're willing to sell on eBay and pay between 10-15%, you should consider Facebook. I pay for an ad on there. I have it capped at $3 a day. I pay for each click to my Nachokitty Facebook page-around .30 a customer. That's a lot cheaper and it provides me with a captive audience to advertise to that loves vintage. (You do need to update your page often, and not just with sales pitches) 

Students Reference Books 1911 offered by treasurehuntvintage

Expand your Audience. Are you selling Internationally? Is EACH of your ads explicit by outlining shipping to individual countries? Imagine a buyer sitting in Ireland browsing Etsy. She finds a mid century piece she adores and looks at the shipping to see this: 

Shipping info found on every Etsy sellers page

It's intimidating. It doesn't say Ireland. What does Everywhere Else really mean? She doesn't want to be stuck buying the item and then dealing with getting the money back if the seller won't ship to her. She decides to surf to the next shop. I am shipping over 1/2 of my items out of the country: China, Japan, Luxembourg, Austria, South Korea, Australia, Russia etc. I've never had a problem, but caution should be exercised. Common sense is always a good idea. 

Vintage Dutch Carvings offered by thecreekhouse

Use other websites to your advanage. I just recently set up a new shop on eBay. On my ME page, I link directly to my Etsy profile page. I put a few very desirable high end items on the site and waited. Within 12 hours two people had come over to my Etsy shop and purchased things. For the 10 days those items were listed I received 49 visits from my ME page and 12 sales. One for over $1800. (Which is significant when you consider what it would have cost to sell that on eBay vs Etsy) Yes, a few things sold on eBay too, but the big winner was the Etsy shop. 


I've been told there may be issues with this on eBay. I'm not linking directly to my shop, so I feel fine with it. Use your own judgement.

Pharmacy Mortar & Pestle offered by jenzee09

Are you blogging? Promote it. Reach out to other blogs. Yes, it takes time, but it's free. Find a voice for your blog and  start being consistent. Then promote it on your Facebook page. Take your camera with you everywhere. Give your opinions about items you find or see. Be an active blogger and you will get found. It takes a little time, but when combined with your Facebook page it'll be quicker than you expect. 

Irish Round Tablecloth offered by HouseofLinens

Customers are out there. Millions of them. We just need to think outside the box and find new ways to reach them. Look at your shop objectively. Make it user friendly, promote it, promote your brand, promote your items and stay involved. I always thought June was a terrible month. This year it was busy for me. Go figure! 

Business Building Blocks

Have you ever day dreamed about expanding your business? Have you dreamed of quitting your day job and doing vintage full time? Have you looked at other businesses and thought to yourself, I think I could do that!?

Cherub Wall Sconces offered by tippleandsnack

I have. A lot. So I've been spending a lot of time studying successful businesses and learning how they got there. I've learned a few simple things that have given me the confidence to take my own business to the next level.

1960s Linen Pantsuit offered by alexsandras

1. Everyone started small. I found that the businesses I most admired were rooted in the hard work of one or two people. Some had savings to help them, but many got an idea and began with no source of funds. They came up with creative ways to handle challenges, didn't give up and put in the hours.

Sterling Modernist Bracelet Set offered by mascarajones

2. All had a business plan. I found this fascinating, since many new business owners I've spoken to lately haven't bothered with writing a plan. Having a plan helps you map out the route you want your business to take. Without a map, you can get lost really quickly. The plan maps out your goals for the business, helps you outline the structure to meet those goals and brings order to a lot of data.

Vintage Floral Porcelain Dish offered by jenscloset

3. Each business had a strong vision. They didn't all necessarily know how to execute it, but they knew they loved antiques and wanted to establish a certain level of business. Having this kind of passion is a cornerstone in every successful company.

Sterling Opera Glasses offered by cherrylippedroses

4. All the businesses took longer to be successful than they anticipated. Most thought it would be profitable in 6 months. Most learned that it takes at least a year and often two before a profit can be realized. During that time they were learning, making mistakes, making improvements and learning how to handle crises. Great use of that time of growth.

1950's Cotton Dress offered by hillbillyfilly

I've been researching, studying, planning and writing out my business plan for months. I'm now taking the leap! I'm opening a premium auction house in my California Sierra foothills area.

My new company logo

Am I waking up in a cold sweat at night dreaming of an auction house filled with 3 customers (all of them my children)? Yep. Am I determined to not let that little kernel of fear blossom into a paralyzing terror? Yep. I can do this. After learning about all these other successful businesses began, I realized I don't need to master it all the first go around. I can learn.

1931 Noiseless Typewriter offered by beppiebags

Whether you want to reach thousands of customers via an expanded website, open a brick & mortar vintage bookshop or reach more customers abroad, using the time and tried methods used by successful businesses is always a wise idea. Follow your dreams and see where they lead you!

June's Birthstones & Signs

The Birthstones:

June has many different birthstones with a wide variety of origins and properties.  Which birthstone you honor depends on your point of view in life :) .

Agate: The origin of Agate as a birthstone for June dates back to Gregorian times, and is the most traditional birthstone for this month.  On a Gregorian Calendar, one will find the poem below touting Agate's properties for those born in June. Who comes with summer to this earth, And owes to June her hour of birth, With ring of agate on her hand Can health, wealth, and long life command. Agate is a variant of quartz, comes in a wide variety of colors, with or without stripes, can be found all over the world, and has a wide range of uses, from jewelry to pottery. Agate is said to imbue its bearer with protection, strength, and harmony. Ancient cultures often used Agate to support a good harvest. Agate has also been associated w/magic in ancient societies, used to render the bearer invisible or to remove curses and spells. Find - Agate by The Etsy Vintage Team

Vintage Antique Akro Agate Pot by MomWaldsPlace

Modern times, however, dictate that Pearl, Moonstone, and Alexandrite are the birthstones for June. Moonstone:

Vintage Soft Blue Faux Moonstone Earrings  by ChrysalisEShop

The Moonstone is the Mystical birthstone for June and can trace it's origins as a birthstone back to ancient Tibet. Ancient Tibetans believed that the birthstone can help the bearer overcome the hardships of their birth month (personality traits that may not be, shall we say, the most productive), and Moonstone is said to bring a sense of calm and harmony to its wearer. In ancient folklore, Moonstone is thought to bring fortune, happiness to lovers, and is often associated w/the moon goddesses. Moonstone is a pearly, opalescent feldspar that can range in color from white to pink to blue. Commonly used in jewelry, Moonstone can also be found as a part of the decoration on a wide variety of products. Find - Moonstone by The Etsy Vintage Team

Pearl: The Ayurvedic birthstone for June is the pearl and hails from an ancient Indian practice of natural medicine. This philosophy believes that the birthstones have natural healing powers and can counter the effects of bad karma.  Pearls are said to bring modesty, chastity, and loyalty to the wearer. Ancient Chinese Folklore tells us that when dragons fight, Pearls will fall from the sky.  Pearls were thought to be the tears of the gods, particularly that of Aphrodite, by the Ancient Greeks. Pearl, made of calcium carbonate, is a mass produced w/in an oyster or clam as a response to what the organism perceives as an internal irritant and/or foreign, dangerous substance. Pearls are most commonly used in jewelry, but can be also found as part of an inlaid decoration.  The term is also often used to describe a color. Find - Pearls by The Etsy Vintage Team

Antique/Vintage Ocean Pearl Buttons  by TheVintageRecycler

Both Moonstone & Pearl are Modern birthstones, as dictated by the organization, the Jewelers of American.

Alexandrite: Deriving its name from the Russian Tsar, Alexander II, Alexandrite was discovered in 1834 and symbolizes good fortune, success, and happiness. Because Alexandrite is extremely rare, it is most often found as a simulated, or lab grown, specimen.  Alexandrite is a prized gemstone for the use in jewelry because it changes color from reds to greens.

The Signs:

The two astrological signs for June are Gemini (May 21st- June 20th) and Cancer (June 21st-July 22nd). People born under Gemini, the Twins, are said to be intellectual and very communicative. People born under Cancer, the Crab, are said to be emotional and protective.

Tortolani Zodiac Sculptural Clamper Bracelet Cuff
by
CherryLippedRoses

Fight Back Against the Slumps!

Vintage Clock Face by VintageInspiredVt

Lots of talk recently about sales. Or rather, lack of sales. Is it a slump? Is it the site we sell on? Is it us? Is it the time of year?

While those factors are worth considering, at the end of the day there are many elements we have direct control over. Not everyone heads out to the sun when summer comes! Millions of people work on their computers every day. Thousands of blogs are gaining new eyeballs every day-often at a very rapid rate. So we know the people are out there. The question is, how do we get them into our shops?

Crab Pendant by GeneralWhimsy2

Are you blogging? I don't mean once a month or once a week. Are you blogging every day? I know that sounds intimidating-and I'm certainly not a champ in this department. But I watch and I learn. I know from watching successful blogs that it takes frequent content to not only keep an audience but to continue to grow it. People want freshness. They want new. They want something great to look at every day when they sit down to their computers.

Vintage Soutache by AddVintage

What's the content of your blog? I admit, I still haven't found the voice for mine. I don't want to be a salesperson, shoving my shop finds down throats all the time. But I also don't want to ignore that I do have a shop. Find a way to keep your blog fresh: take your camera along on your estate hunts, write about the history of an item, or showcase items from another vintage shop. Mix it up and do it often. That's the best way to get found.

Barkcloth Folk Print Jacket by marybethhale

Are you making treasuries? Do. We all know they bring eyeballs in and we NEVER know where those eyeballs lead. Just this week a treasury brought me to a customer-in the most roundabout way. A woman saw an old wood saw of mine that was featured. She mentioned it to her father in law. He looked at it and went to my shop and left it up on his screen. His wife came along, saw some paintings I had and emailed them to a friend in Russia. The woman in Russia loved them and bought them. Now she's having me ship them to her best friend in Louisiana. Huh? From a treasury?

1930's Bantam Typewriter by YesterdaysSilhouette

Are you updating your Facebook page daily? Do you have a Facebook page? Again, not with just your latest finds. Solicit input from your viewers. Ask them questions. Have them post photos. Get them involved! And then sprinkle in your latest finds on a regular basis.

Rare Childrens Book by wonderdiva

We cannot just sit back and hope our shops are found. We should not depend on whatever website we're selling on to advertise for us. Yes, the site has a role to play, but we can greatly influence how much traffic comes to our shops. If we were just selling on our own websites we'd have to! So let's work just as hard as if we were all alone in the vast wasteland of the web, hoping to be noticed.

The Nuts & Bolts of Owning a Business

Is selling on Etsy just a hobby or is it your business? Do you do it for enjoyment with little regard to year end profits or are you concerned about boosting revenue? Are you keeping records that will help out in case of an audit? 

15 Quart Pyrex Bowl by beppiebags

These questions matter, especially at tax time. Unless you're trying to keep your business under the table and operate on a cash only basis (Which I highly discourage), you'll need to keep records. Keep in mind that Paypal will report their records if you're audited. 

1970s Hummingbirds Dress by PersonalPursuits

The first question is hobby or business? It's an important distinction. If you are planning on calling your Etsy shop a hobby, read up on the restrictions. Let's assume for the sake of this discussion that you're a business. 

The Skin of Our Teeth offered by TheOldBarnDoor

Are you keeping track of your expenses? Are you keeping records? Here's a few of things I keep track of: 


A. Receipts from thrift stores, estate sales, etc. 
B. Mileage to estates, thrift stores, etc. 
C. Excel Spreadsheets of what it is, what it cost, where I got it, what it sold for, and any shipping losses. 
D. Excel Spreadsheets of all my consignment sales.
E. Costs of business insurance.


That's all I worry about. I could get into deducting costs associated with my home office, but I've heard those kind of gray area deductions can trigger further investigations. 

Vintage Wall Mirror by moxiethrift

Some ways in which I practice sound business management: 


I keep a separate bank account for my business. It's a business account, not a personal one. 


I keep records about each consignment client and keep them up to date on their sales for their own tax records.


I keep detailed inventory lists to stay organized, to know who owns what and in order to find things quickly once they've sold. 


I keep track of all my in state customers for sales tax. Check with your state and see what your requirements are. 


I keep track of the rules surrounding Self Employment tax & Social Security and pay accordingly. 

Victorian German Silver Purse by justbecauseshecan

While I'd prefer to just focus on finding the next cool item, I've found that taking a little time each day to maintain records saves me a lot of wailing and gnashing later on. Now while this is what I do, please know I'm not a tax expert, I don't claim to be and I'm just sharing my personal experience. 

A Milestone Celebration!

This week the Etsy Vintage Team reached and surpassed 200 member shops! Drum roll, please...fortuitous #200 is Oh Dear Watson, the shop of Cody and Amanda from North Carolina. They offer vintage home decor and housewares, presented with a delightfully fresh perspective. Who wouldn't love to have this 1930s Hall China mixing bowl set in their vintage kitchen?

After #200, we approved five more shops as our Membership Committee burned the midnight oil to catch up with a long list of requests. Numbers 201-205 are:

Seagull Island
Nostalgia R Us
Reconstitutions
Peacock Gypsy
Peacock Gypsy Vintage

Two hundred members is not a lot in terms of Etsy Teams. Some number in the thousands, but we are smaller for a reason. EVT is a professional association, and for 3+ years both our standards and our loyalty to each other have remained high. Our mission statement:

The Etsy Vintage Team (EVT) is an organization of Etsy sellers who are passionate about vintage and antiques, as well as items handmade with vintage components. Members are certified after undergoing a thorough review process to ensure they maintain high standards of professionalism, integrity and customer service. With an Etsy Vintage Team Certified Shop, you are purchasing authentic vintage goods from a knowledgeable, trustworthy dealer.

We thought it was high time we celebrated EVT certification! Beginning today, members are officially called "Certified Shops," and will display this new badge in their Etsy listings, blogs and more.

Special thanks to Mitzi of Vintage Goodness for creating all our Etsy Vintage Team logos, including this new badge! To see the full listing of Certified Shops, visit our Etsy Team Page.

It's December 8th. What Can I Possibly Do Now to Boost Sales?

Vintage Marcasite Bow by popgoesmyvintage

I am an all year holiday shopper. I despise malls and I prefer to find unique items. Etsy was a dream come true when the site launched. I pay attention to what family and friends are into and try to find one of kind gifts for each one.

My brother is the opposite. He wakes up from an over work induced fog around Dec 20. He then madly rushes around getting gifts-ordering them off the web and paying for the high last minute shipping.

My family asks for lists each year from us. We oblige, searching for things we need. (We really don't need much-except for more chicken, dog and cat food, a farm hand and snow chains-unique, but not very fun to gifts to give!)

No matter what kind of shoppers are looking, our Etsy vintage stores should make it easy for them.

20% off Sale on Opera Glasses by hautecountryvintage

1. Keep listing. Make sure the shop is fresh. Yes, renewing your items counts a bit. But for those shoppers that know your listings and are just hoping for that awesome-amazing-out-of-this-world find, you need new things.

2. Rotate your item photos. A secret to a fresh shop isn't just moving items around. It's also switching your photos. Hopefully you have more than 1 photo that would look great as a thumbnail worthy of a treasury. Change them around. Amazing how our eyes gloss over things and then notice the littlest changes.

3. Advertise. Make treasuries. The more I've made, the more I've been featured in. Get your store name out there. Use the Circles that are under the Activity Feed link at the top. People are finding other shops and items based on who their circle members are looking at. This is viral marketing at its best-use it to your advantage.

Silver Lipstick Case by tippleandsnack

4. Stick with a consistent avatar during the holiday season. While it's tempting to replace your standard store logo with a cute holiday decoration, I don't recommend it. You want your shop to look familiar to buyers. There have been so many shops this season that I don't recognize. (why did I mark them for a favorite? I don't remember them!)  Buyers want to buy from shops they trust-especially since it's now December 7 and people are starting to get nervous about shipping.

5. Reach out to your Twitter & Facebook fans. Offer them a deal: free or discounted shipping, free shipping upgrades, free gift wrap, a store discount, etc. You have a captive audience. Capitalize on it.

Vintage Dollhouse by vintagegoodness

6. Include advertising in your packages. Never forget-right after Christmas and January are big shopping times. It's chilly outside and people are indoors. A warm computer screen is so cozy, isn't it? Remind this season's shoppers that you'll be around in January to help them find the gift they really wanted to get.

Whatever you do or don't do,  I hope you have a wonderful Holiday season filled with bubble wrap, packing peanuts and the frequent hunt for just the right sized box to ship in!