How has your shop evolved?

[Former_Member]

We all start somewhere. I remember coming to Etsy, and thinking my shop could never measure up. My first photos were horrible. My titles and tags were ridiculous. My shop has gone through many changes in the year and a half since I started selling my bags here.

If you've been around for a while, and your shop has changed a lot since you first started, post a link to one of your oldest sales. I think it will help newer shops see how a lot of shops evolve over time.

(the idea for this thread was sparked from a discussion in the forums).

Here's mine. Look at how awful the background is. You can barely see the handbag! The tags are single words, and terrible.
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/65610045?

[hipposdream]

This was my first sale

https://www.etsy.com/transaction/12199233?

and this is how my listings look now

https://www.etsy.com/listing/127186293/stunning-mid-century-colourful-aperitif?ref=shop_home_feat

I can not imagine that I sold that first item..... :-)

But with a lot of work I managed to improve.

[Former_Member]

Wendy - What an improvement!
Your tags were as bad as mine.

I like the idea of showing what your listings look like now - great idea. Here's my most recent listing
https://www.etsy.com/listing/128865451/custom-bridesmaid-clutches-gray-and-blue?ref=shop_home_active

and here's a link to my second sale for comparison: www.etsy.com/transaction/65610045?

[hipposdream]

Wauw that is also a big improvement , good job !

[Former_Member]

For me, I had only 8 listings and I was having difficulties adding more. My store remained with only 8 items for about 3 months. When I had my first two sales, I was determined to make this store a success.

From then on, I added more items almost every day. I joined many teams, and became active in the forum. I created several social media accounts and have been managing them until now. I developed my pattern designing skills and worked harder on my titles, tags, and description.

I feel that I did the most I can do for my store and I'm truly happy with the result <3

[Former_Member]

Hehe, I've been around for years, and my shop has changed SO much! My first listings were so bad, I can't believe anyone took a chance on me. :)

Here's a link to my first sale:
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/5082837

[Former_Member]

Linda: Holy blurry photo, lol! It's so fun to see how we all started out.

Artista: Your shop is looking great, after all your hard work.

[Former_Member]

Great thread! I look back and see how dark my photos were. I was a bad photographer!

https://www.etsy.com/transaction/77287650?

I also changed my name and wanted a party theme looking store since I sell party goods.

[Former_Member]

Rhymes, wow. Another huge difference! Your photography is sooooo much better now!

[Former_Member]

And I love how you had embellishment as a tag. Wonder how many views you got from that one, lol.

[Former_Member]

My first sale goes back to 2006. I used my flip phone camera.

https://www.etsy.com/transaction/190957?

Yikes.

[Former_Member]

Wow .jessica! That's astounding, few tags, blurry photo AND it sold!!!

We have all come such a long way!

One of my first!!
http://pinterest.com/pin/104497653826451210/

And it's counterpart
https://www.etsy.com/listing/128290770/wedding-bunting-in-a-beautiful-lace?ref=shop_home_feat

A long way in a year!

[Former_Member]

ooh fun! I just started 4 months ago but I've been working real real hard to improve every day. My first photos are supremely embarrassing, luckily this kind of sold itself

https://www.etsy.com/transaction/111805796?

tweaking still necessary, but here's a newer listing

https://www.etsy.com/listing/124764403/floral-frida-kahlo-satin-blouse-1970s

[Former_Member]

This is a really fun idea, I love seeing all of these. My first Etsy sale was this...

https://www.etsy.com/transaction/40033793

Bad background, blurry photo, poor tagging, yikes.

[Former_Member]

This was my first ever sale
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/73436732?

I started off in beaded jewellery, my tags were awful and my pictures morphed into various things. Lol

[Former_Member]

Wow, a lot of changes going on. Claire & Katie, you started out with beautiful photos. It's hard to believe that you could have improved on those - but you HAVE. So cool.

[Former_Member]

Katie Joy, It's especially fun to see how your style has evolved over time. Especially if you compare that first sale to the style of jewelry in your first few pages.

[Former_Member]

I realised quite quickly that I needed a niche in my jewellery. Jewellery is saturated with beaded jewellery. So using wood as my main material seemed like a logical step. I really enjoy using wood.

My photos weren't too bad, but they were too dark. I suppose they were treasury worthy, but not necessary sale worthy.

[Former_Member]

Katie, I love the direction that you chose. Your wood jewelry is gorgeous.

[Schalrausch]

Great thread here.
Okay, I am not that long around, still trying to improve things, tags is the most difficult part for me, but there are differences between my first sale and now, I find.
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/87347048

To compare, here is a new listing:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/127701099/mint-and-apricot-linen-scarf-pastel?ref=shop_home_active

[Former_Member]

Lol it's amazing seeing how some shops started out. The funny thing is our items still sold with the terrible photos, tags and titles! Go figure!

[Former_Member]

Katie, I know. I don't know how anyone found my bag with tags like "hand bag" and "blue".

[Former_Member]

Lmao I had tags like, small, wire, earring, drop. Terrible.

[MaxplanationPhotos]

we started with photography but during the holidays I had a bunch of wine cork crafts, once I posted them they flew off the shelf

so we now do photography and gifts for wine lovers

[Former_Member]

i so know what you mean
here´s my first
www.etsy.com/transaction/92545417
and that is my latest listing:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/128903818/blumenkette-kette-mit-gekupfter-blume