Successful shops with few items

[Former_Member]

I've heard that the typical Etsy shop doesn't become successful until it has 100 items, yet I come across shops with just a couple of items that are doing very well .

One is a seller who makes a single design of a little girls peignoir set (her whole shop is based on one beautiful photo), another is a seller who stitches organic flax into a dishtowel, a full apron, and a half-apron.

Anybody notice similar successful shops?

[Former_Member]

I have notice jewelry shops with 60 and under doing very well.

[Former_Member]

I do notice shops like that sometimes. Maybe they had 100 items at one point and don't now? I don't know. There are always exceptions to the rule.

[Former_Member]

Yeah I've seen a few like that. I tend to think they're the exception though, or maybe they just promote really really hard outside of Etsy.

[Former_Member]

I've seen jewelry shops with as little as 3 designs that sell 60-80 of the same item every day!

For me, I didn't start doing well until I had 100 items and I promote the heck out of my line on multiple social media outlets.

[sherischart]

I thought it was opening at 40 and goal for 100. Either way it's the same experience for me. It's mind boggling isn't it? We all experience different levels of success right? I'm finding it discouraging to research comparisons and I continue to do so as well as obsess about views. ho-ho Back to the studio. Tis' the season everyone.....best to you. :)

[RivendellRocksSedona]

We were hoping that going over 200 was the magic number - still waiting.

[Former_Member]

I found a shop that sells beautiful pincushions, round, domed, with wonderfult felt animal figurines. Gorgeous, cute, pretty...can't remember the name, but I have a few in my favorites.

[Former_Member]

I restock my shop as often as possible, but I've been blessed to sell them just as fast as I restock them!

[NakedRatDestash]

I didn't start selling as much until I listed 100 items.

[PiecesofMeCardsnMore]

I've sold 17 items since I re-opened my shop on Oct. 15. A lot of my listings are available in multiple quantities but I still only have just over 20 listings at any one time. I can't make and list things fast enough to get higher than that right now. My items are lower priced so I'm not getting rich, but I think I'm doing pretty good for having so few items in my shop. I made it to page 2 once, then I sold something and that ended that! lol

[Former_Member]

look at me ....... :P

[NeedaCraftRoom]

I think it's about what you sell not how many items you have in your shop as simple as that

[ohmyclumsyheart]

I have never reached 100+ items in my shop (here or on my website).
But my shop is thriving. I'm selling consistently per week.
I make far more sales from my website than I do Etsy.
And I have stockist/wholesale orders on a regular basis.

So having 100+ items isn't really necessary.
Providing you work hard at promoting your shop.

x

[JoArtyJo]

I think shops can be successful of the back of a few items. Just for most of us it means we have to add 100 or more till those few items show themselves. I have one item that makes up most of my sales, and definitely most of my revenue (coloring book), but I couldn't reat have known that until I added it. And it took ages of trying new products to get the idea for it. So I now have 149 items with that one being my main earner. I think if I deactivated half of my listings it wouldn't make much difference to my overall shop, but these RBI ha do sell occasionally.

Also- I have lots of items which I keep activated purely because they bring in views. Main my originals. They hardly ever sell- but people look every day. I see it as a way to have a gallery of my work there for customers to see :-)
(And occasionally people splash out and I get a $150 sale!!)

Anyway- I think the successful shops with few items either got lucky and found a top seller really quickly or don't bother reactivating unpopular items.

[Former_Member]

Just goes to show there's no 'magic bullet'. And before you depress yourself by comparing your sales to others ask whether sales levels are the be all and end all. 'Vanity turnover' is nothing to envy. ;)

[Former_Member]

Joanne Waring from JoArtyJo says
I see it as a way to have a gallery of my work there for customers to see :-)
(And occasionally people splash out and I get a $150 sale!!)
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Snap!

[StudioAvai]

I've noticed some clothing stores with 1 or 2 pages of items.

[PiecesofMeCardsnMore]

Some sellers sell items that are more time consuming to make. They shouldn't be expected to pump out items just for the sake of putting 100 items in their shop. Someone selling handmade quilts couldn't possibly have 100 items (where would they store them? lol) but someone selling jewelry items would have no problem. But then again, the price tag on one quilt probably equals 50 pairs earrings.

It depends on what you make, time involved, cost of materials, etc. that dictates how many items you can list at one time. I would never pump out 100 lesser quality items just for the sake of filling my shop. I'd rather work a little slower, get it right and slowly build my inventory. However, I can't see myself ever having 100 listings. The most I ever had in my other (jewelry) shop was around 60, then I had a few sales and never got it back up there again. This card shop currently has 20 items (just had another sale overnight!). Some of those have multiple quantities available but I plan to increase my listings again very soon.

[Former_Member]

Joanne, this is brilliant: I think shops can be successful of the back of a few items. Just for most of us it means we have to add 100 or more till those few items show themselves.

It's interesting to look at a shop's sold items, going back to page 1, to see how they have evolved. Some are selling the same things they had in the beginning, others have gone off on a different direction, based on finding the hot item(s). Personally, what I had planned to make (kids clothes) is quite saturated, so I've made an effort to branch out.

I'm thrilled for sellers who can stop all the sample-making and photographing for awhile!

[Former_Member]

I started my shop in April, selling handmade bags, accessories and PDF sewing patterns of my items. I've never reached 100 items in my shop, the most probably about 60. But I've been so pleased with how things are going. Still long way to go but I sell regularly every week, the sewing patterns are my main stay with about 1/3 of them being money spinners and the rest bringing in viewers. The finished bags sell too, giving a wee finance boost now and again. I have to work hard at the social media side of things and try everyday to do some kind of promoting, be it on Etsy or outside Etsy. If I don't, viewings and sales really drop, you've got to be constant.