Help from vintage sellers please

[ThePlaidPineconeCo]

Hi all,

I've been reading that the more items you have, the better your chances of popping up on Google searches, or just getting exposure on Etsy in general. But being a vintage shop, I find that locating new, unique items can be very time-consuming - especially when you work 50 hours a week at a desk job :( - and it can also be quite pricey, so you have to take your time to comb through estate sales and antiques fairs. Now, I see some shops that have over 100 items listed, but that just seems unattainable to me considering the time that finding vintage items can take. I feel that maybe people who handmake their items, such as a graphic t-shirt printing shop, might be able to produce more listings in a short span of time, because they produce multiples of the same item as orders roll in.

I'm not complaining - I love spending my days off searching for great finds, but I'm wondering how other vintage sellers manage to list so many items? Did it take a long time to get to 40+ items listed. Guess I'm just trying to figure out the logistics of it. I can't imagine finding another 50 quality items in any short amount of time, let alone listing that many.

Just looking for some guidance/advice. Thanks!

Jaime

[MerceryMerceryMe]

Don't restrict yourself to estate sales, auctions, etc.
Thrift stores and small town, hole in the wall antique stores can be great places to find quality treasures for cheap prices.
Especially the thrift stores.....the people who price these things usually have no idea how much something is really worth, and even if they did, they have price restrictions, so you'll never pay a ton of money for anything, no matter how much it's worth, at a place like that.

[ThePlaidPineconeCo]

Oh, I usually frequent thrift shops and antique stores as well, I was just generalizing. :)

And yes - I've found that many of the sellers are unaware when they have something really valuable!

[MerceryMerceryMe]

Ah, gotcha! Wasn't sure, as some people do think thrift store=junk store.
I see you're in Florida, and I'm not sure if you have any Savers thrift stores down there, but up here in the Midwest, they are THE best place to find cool stuff. They always get unique, one of a kind, vintage stuff, from housewares to clothing.

[ThePlaidPineconeCo]

Thank you; I'll google that and check it out. Florida's a strange place for vintage. Very few people are "from" Florida, most people are Northern transplants so they bring things from up north and sell them down here, but I find that there's much fewer vintage stuff floating around down here since Florida doesn't quite have that traditional mid century colonial type vibe like so many other states. It makes it a fun challenge to find hidden treasures.

[ThePlaidPineconeCo]

Any advice on the listing thing? Anyone?

:)

[NextStageVintage]

Your shop is lovely, your photos are very nice. For time restrictions, work smart, not hard. Focus on finding quality, not quantity. Research what is marketable and what isn't. Maybe you look a little more high end--one sale of a higher priced item takes less time than selling three or four lower priced ones. You don't have to have a lot of items to have a great shop.

[Former_Member]

Hi Jaime- I'm not exactly a vintage seller, but I did run across this blog article the other day from this girl who owns or owned a vintage clothing store. She said she built up a big inventory from private sellers, large lots, and even store close-outs. Here's a link to the article if you're interested - like I said she sold mostly clothing, but I think her advice can translate into other areas.

http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/08/whats-it-like-to-own-a-vintage-boutique-.html

[ThePlaidPineconeCo]

Laurie - thank you so very much. I really appreciate the advice. Quality, not quantity. That's exactly what I was hoping to hear! I like the advice about going for some big ticket items, that's something I will definitely take to heart. And thank you for the compliments on the photos. I just opened and have been fretting that I'm doing all the wrong things.

Kayla - Thank you, this helps. And that shop looks amazing. I'm kind of really jealous.

[ThePlaidPineconeCo]

P.S. From the article you sent me, Kayla: Since we have a larger building, we need more inventory, but I think a lot of vintage stores can get away with much less because quality truly is more important than quantity.



Love it!!!

[GreenZebre]

It takes time to build up inventory but believe me you will get to the point where you have to edit your basket at the garage sale, thrift store, etc.

I have more things than I have time to list but that doesn't mean if they were all listed my sales would increase.

Check the sales of shops you like and see how many items they have in relation to their daily sales. It may be more about having the right thing. I think if you have the things people eventually your buyers will find you.

The best mid century stuff is in Florida!! wish I could bring a truck down there and fill it up. See my favorite store-
http://circawho.com/

[Former_Member]

Hi Jaime,
I opened my store in late October and have to tell you that it took weeks to get 50 or so items listed (I work full time so I was doing it over the weekend or whenever I had 30 minutes to spare). 90% of my inventory is still not listed and it drives me crazy but I found that if I list at least 1 item a day I can replace whatever was sold, offer fresh listings and still feel productive. I also photograph dozens of items in the same sitting then list them over a course of a week or two or whenever I get the chance. Looking for new items and shopping for inventory still takes up most of my time, but I try to combine my runs in the same day (flea market, estate sale and thrift stores) usually on Saturdays so that helps. It's a full day affair or at least a 5 hour run but it gets me enough items to list for weeks. Sometimes it is easy to get overwhelmed or feel intimiated by those established shops that have been around for years and sell large volumes on a daily basis. Try to remember that everyone had to start from scratch and that it takes a while to get established and just keep plugging away. Now I'm off to check out your store.
Jasmina