I have booth in the Midwest and we are way behind you on trends so all the things you say you are not picking up still sell very well for me. I like to watch West Coast sellers so I can be ahead of the game here in the middle of the country! I would say we have 2 more years of Boho before it's dead here too.
Very interesting!!! It's amazing how quick trends can flip on the coasts. I plan to travel to Michigan this year and I'm excited to see what the selection is like!
Hi Andi - I am a fellow etsy vintage seller, based in Germany. Thanks for those insights, always very interesting, though markets are slightly different. So, here are my 2cents and what I look for and what I avoid. Talking about smalls - I do buy them, and I started to make bundles of items that would work in an certain style. Like, a brass minitature and a small brass bowl or candle stick. And I try to keep the work for listing items in a certain price range by working on them in bulge. 10-20 at a time: photo - measurements - descriptions - listing. And listing means: copying and slightly changing existing listings. And be done with it. And those big pieces - as long as the margin is good, which is often is, I make it my personal challenge to create and put together the best individual packing for that particular item. Kind of a creative project for myself. And I do that right after I listed it. And again, several items at once, makes it more efficient. The items go into my "warehouse" (i.e. my garage) in their boxes. Ready for immediate shipping. What I avoid - everything shabby or to "farmhousy". And things I don't know anything about, as trending thy might be. I will sell what I have on stock oft those, and that's it. What I'm looking for? Old china ware does very good for me. V e r y good. As do vintage home textiles, embroidered table cloths and such. Items in a higher price range - because of their quality, provenance, quirkiness, rarety, popularity (figures, I guess) I'm a sucker for silver, sterling or plated - as long as it's in good condition and of good design. Talking about shopping for yourself ;) Most of the times it's the first reaction when I see something, like an instinct. And of course the price. It's all about your sources, right? Love you content - keep it coming, it's very inspiring and helpful. etsy vintage sellers unite !!!!
Wow - your comment was so very helpful!! Thank you for sharing. I love hearing other sellers perspectives, especially across seas. Just fascinating. I love that you approach big items as your own personal challenge. I get immediately annoyed when it sells which is definitely the wrong mindset haha! Ive been hearing that textiles do really well for resellers. I have only sold a few things over the years. I just not sure what to pickup outside like quilts or quirky vintage blankets. Thanks so much for watching and feel free to suggest any video ideas you would like to see!
I just sold 3 studio pottery pieces. They were large soup/stew mugs. I bought them at the good will about a year ago and paid 3.99. Just sold them for 40 a piece. Took a while, but it was worth the wait!
I've just discovered your channel and have loved your videos. I am a new reseller and likely making lots of mistakes in picking up inventory, but the two things I'm struggling to sell are vases and pitchers. I have a wide variety and price points, but they're just collecting dust. I'm offering sales right now and increasing my social media reach, so we'll see. Can we teach an old dog new tricks? God I hope so, I do not want to return to the corporate world!
Buying the wrong stuff is so common in the beginning. It's all a learning curve. I spent a lot of time watching videos in the beginning and tracking the solds of my favorite Etsy shops. I still buy stuff today that I'm like - why did I get this?? haha
Great tips, Andi. But when I saw your little miniature rabbit/hare, I went to your Etsy to see if it was listed, lol! I love miniature brass figurines ❤
Gulp! When you said miniature things are no longer selling for you I had a moment because I just bought a lot of them! lol. I'm glad I read the comments below though because it made me feel better! Just started today watching your video's with this one. Thanks for your work making this and insight!
Things that have sold well in the past but will no longer be in my Etsy shop because the market has dropped out or too much trouble. 1. Coffee pots with matching demitasse coffee cups 2. Supersized Brandy balloons 3. Collector plates 4. Clear drinking glasses 5. Amber glass of any form 6. West German pottery (unless it’s spectacular) 7. Silver plated tea sets 8. Anything plastic 9. Dinner sets (just too hard to store and post) 10. Murano (too many very good copies to guarantee authenticity) Bonus: anything to do with tobacciana - it’s a nightmare with customs Not an exhaustive list but just the top 10 😂
This list is fantastic! Thank you for sharing. It's wild how amber glass has dropped so much. It was so popular! And you bring up a good point - so many good dupes out there it can be hard to figure out what you have making research so time consuming!
I had a bunch of miniature silver pieces, trays, goblets, etc I sold from a locked case. Sold all except for one Native American teapot really quickly. Solid profit. If you can protect miniatures they have a market.
I personally love boho and I figure others will too even if it is less on trend, so I still pick it up. I am also trying to not buy things that sell for under a certain price, for Etsy at least, but it's frustrating because even as I list higher end items it seems like it's only my $25 and under items that have been selling in the past month (and to a greater extent this year) for me!
I’ve tried to stick to a minimums this year too. Especially with my free shipping items. But it’s a challenge when things are so pricey at the thrifts and some things are just not worth more.
Studio pottery used to sell so well for me but I’ve stopped picking it up too because it just doesn’t move anymore. I love it and want to save it so it’s always a struggle.
I have not done this long enough but what sells is the unusual colorful. Can’t wait for the 80 to come back so much good stuff out there REMEMBER Dynasty big hai love it.
It's so hard not to pick up everything I love personally. Art if also something I hate to ship too! I usually will only bring those to markets. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for this video. This is exactly what’s happening to me although I don’t sell online I do have a booth and the same things that are not selling is the same things you’re saying.😊
Hi I'm going to keep asking this question to you answer me please I know you're so busy. My question is why do you include free shipping? What are the advantages of that? Can you still make a profit with free shipping? Everybody on Etsy & eBay always want their items super fast. Do you ship priority to make up for that need?! I'm about to open an Etsy shop and I need all the help you can give me please?❤ Love your videos they are so helpful & informative ☺️
I do free shipping on Etsy because historically, the website would prioritize listings with free shipping, so your item would display higher in search results. My time to ship is 7-10 days and then I select the cheapest method unless the person tells me they need faster shipping. Most cases I get the item out within 3-5 days, but I give myself a buffer in case life gets too busy or I have too many orders. To make a profit on free shipping, I usually add $10 extra to the sale price. This covers most items. If it's a big or heavy piece I will add $20 or more.
Things always come and go. Its best to keep them aside for now. I love miniatures. i will still collect them. It also all depends on one's interest. As a rule I done follow other peopl's interest..
I usually keep the item for awhile just in case. What's funny, the people statue I showed in the video literally sold today. haha! I still don't plan to pick up more of them, but glad it's going to live with someone else!
I bought set of dishes last year because it was so cheap and it's still sitting on my shelf. It's so heavy, I can bring myself to even try to move and photograph it.
I don't know. Here in FL you can still find Pyrex "in the wild" at low enough prices to resell at decent margins. I think it's because lots of grandmas here were moms in 50s/60s/70s and still have very authentic (and well cared for) collections that often show up at thrift shops or estate sales when these wonderful women pass away. Some thrift stores have caught on and mark Pyrex way up, but other places just treat it like regular dishes and thus you can score a good deal. You just have to be discriminating with your sourcing. But that's just my experience down South. Other parts of the country may be quite different.
I have booth in the Midwest and we are way behind you on trends so all the things you say you are not picking up still sell very well for me. I like to watch West Coast sellers so I can be ahead of the game here in the middle of the country! I would say we have 2 more years of Boho before it's dead here too.
Very interesting!!! It's amazing how quick trends can flip on the coasts. I plan to travel to Michigan this year and I'm excited to see what the selection is like!
I love picking in Michigan. Holland has some good thrifts.@@AllPutTogether
Good to know! I will keep that in mind - thanks!
Hi Andi - I am a fellow etsy vintage seller, based in Germany. Thanks for those insights, always very interesting, though markets are slightly different.
So, here are my 2cents and what I look for and what I avoid.
Talking about smalls - I do buy them, and I started to make bundles of items that would work in an certain style. Like, a brass minitature and a small brass bowl or candle stick. And I try to keep the work for listing items in a certain price range by working on them in bulge. 10-20 at a time: photo - measurements - descriptions - listing. And listing means: copying and slightly changing existing listings. And be done with it.
And those big pieces - as long as the margin is good, which is often is, I make it my personal challenge to create and put together the best individual packing for that particular item. Kind of a creative project for myself. And I do that right after I listed it. And again, several items at once, makes it more efficient. The items go into my "warehouse" (i.e. my garage) in their boxes. Ready for immediate shipping.
What I avoid - everything shabby or to "farmhousy". And things I don't know anything about, as trending thy might be. I will sell what I have on stock oft those, and that's it.
What I'm looking for? Old china ware does very good for me. V e r y good. As do vintage home textiles, embroidered table cloths and such.
Items in a higher price range - because of their quality, provenance, quirkiness, rarety, popularity (figures, I guess) I'm a sucker for silver, sterling or plated - as long as it's in good condition and of good design. Talking about shopping for yourself ;)
Most of the times it's the first reaction when I see something, like an instinct. And of course the price. It's all about your sources, right?
Love you content - keep it coming, it's very inspiring and helpful.
etsy vintage sellers unite !!!!
Wow - your comment was so very helpful!! Thank you for sharing. I love hearing other sellers perspectives, especially across seas. Just fascinating. I love that you approach big items as your own personal challenge. I get immediately annoyed when it sells which is definitely the wrong mindset haha! Ive been hearing that textiles do really well for resellers. I have only sold a few things over the years. I just not sure what to pickup outside like quilts or quirky vintage blankets. Thanks so much for watching and feel free to suggest any video ideas you would like to see!
I just sold 3 studio pottery pieces. They were large soup/stew mugs. I bought them at the good will about a year ago and paid 3.99. Just sold them for 40 a piece. Took a while, but it was worth the wait!
Yay! I'm so pleased at least someone is doing well with pottery! ;)
When I source large items, I immediately buy a box at U-Haul that it will fit in. That way when it sells, I’m all ready to ship.
This is genius!!!! Def going to mention it when I go my packing video.
I’ve had some luck putting my smalls in lots. Like 3 heart-shaped minis as a Valentine’s lot.
Great idea! I do this for some things, but I like pretty much all mini things so they don't always go together haha.
I was going to suggest this too. Lotting them up. There are some tiny items that do have good value. 😊
I've just discovered your channel and have loved your videos. I am a new reseller and likely making lots of mistakes in picking up inventory, but the two things I'm struggling to sell are vases and pitchers. I have a wide variety and price points, but they're just collecting dust. I'm offering sales right now and increasing my social media reach, so we'll see. Can we teach an old dog new tricks? God I hope so, I do not want to return to the corporate world!
Buying the wrong stuff is so common in the beginning. It's all a learning curve. I spent a lot of time watching videos in the beginning and tracking the solds of my favorite Etsy shops. I still buy stuff today that I'm like - why did I get this?? haha
Great tips, Andi. But when I saw your little miniature rabbit/hare, I went to your Etsy to see if it was listed, lol! I love miniature brass figurines ❤
Thanks!! I haven't been able to bring myself to sell any of the minis yet. haha ;)
Gulp! When you said miniature things are no longer selling for you I had a moment because I just bought a lot of them! lol. I'm glad I read the comments below though because it made me feel better! Just started today watching your video's with this one. Thanks for your work making this and insight!
Thanks so much for watching! And miniatures are more of a personal thing - so if the sell for you, keep doing it! :)
Things that have sold well in the past but will no longer be in my Etsy shop because the market has dropped out or too much trouble.
1. Coffee pots with matching demitasse coffee cups
2. Supersized Brandy balloons
3. Collector plates
4. Clear drinking glasses
5. Amber glass of any form
6. West German pottery (unless it’s spectacular)
7. Silver plated tea sets
8. Anything plastic
9. Dinner sets (just too hard to store and post)
10. Murano (too many very good copies to guarantee authenticity)
Bonus: anything to do with tobacciana - it’s a nightmare with customs
Not an exhaustive list but just the top 10 😂
This list is fantastic! Thank you for sharing. It's wild how amber glass has dropped so much. It was so popular! And you bring up a good point - so many good dupes out there it can be hard to figure out what you have making research so time consuming!
I had a bunch of miniature silver pieces, trays, goblets, etc I sold from a locked case. Sold all except for one Native American teapot really quickly. Solid profit. If you can protect miniatures they have a market.
I personally love boho and I figure others will too even if it is less on trend, so I still pick it up. I am also trying to not buy things that sell for under a certain price, for Etsy at least, but it's frustrating because even as I list higher end items it seems like it's only my $25 and under items that have been selling in the past month (and to a greater extent this year) for me!
I’ve tried to stick to a minimums this year too. Especially with my free shipping items. But it’s a challenge when things are so pricey at the thrifts and some things are just not worth more.
I love miniatures for layering on bookshelves
Me too!
I too have to resist the big stuff. No more sourcing blankets until I sell (actually list) the ones I have!
Haha I tell myself this too! But it usually doesnt work haha. I also love granny blankets.
Me too! I love afghans but have yet to list them! 😂😂
Studio pottery used to sell so well for me but I’ve stopped picking it up too because it just doesn’t move anymore. I love it and want to save it so it’s always a struggle.
I love it too! I definitely have quite the collection of forever pieces now. ;)
Make sure that you buy lots of smalls and lower priced items for your booth though. It's definitely different than online selling.
Yes, I am trying to get comfortable with lower prices which can be hard. ;)
Love this episode Andi! Thank you for sharing your experience.
You are so welcome!!! :)
Thank u Andi on this video on what is now not selling well. Very educational and u are the pro to listen to!!!💞💞🙃💞💞
So glad you found it helpful!
I have not done this long enough but what sells is the unusual colorful. Can’t wait for the 80 to come back so much good stuff out there REMEMBER Dynasty big hai love it.
I have never commented on a thrifting channel great video
Aww thank you for watching and commenting! I definitely think the 80s are on there way back in and I'm excited for it too!
Hi. Man do I relate. I also love miniatures and I’m trying to limit my art pick ups because I really dislike packing the big ones. Cheers
It's so hard not to pick up everything I love personally. Art if also something I hate to ship too! I usually will only bring those to markets. Thanks for watching!
I really don't love shipping larger items that I have to make a box for but I love the profit margin so I keep picking them up haha.
Ugh I know!! Furniture has the best margin but I totally hate it too!
Thank you so much for this video. This is exactly what’s happening to me although I don’t sell online I do have a booth and the same things that are not selling is the same things you’re saying.😊
Thanks for letting me know! It's interesting that no matter where you are or how you sell it, certain products just fall out of favor.
Hi
I'm going to keep asking this question to you answer me please I know you're so busy. My question is why do you include free shipping? What are the advantages of that? Can you still make a profit with free shipping? Everybody on Etsy & eBay always want their items super fast. Do you ship priority to make up for that need?! I'm about to open an Etsy shop and I need all the help you can give me please?❤ Love your videos they are so helpful & informative ☺️
I do free shipping on Etsy because historically, the website would prioritize listings with free shipping, so your item would display higher in search results. My time to ship is 7-10 days and then I select the cheapest method unless the person tells me they need faster shipping. Most cases I get the item out within 3-5 days, but I give myself a buffer in case life gets too busy or I have too many orders. To make a profit on free shipping, I usually add $10 extra to the sale price. This covers most items. If it's a big or heavy piece I will add $20 or more.
@@AllPutTogether I'm so sorry I finally found the shipping video and all of the explanations on why you do free shipping. Thank you
Things always come and go. Its best to keep them aside for now. I love miniatures. i will still collect them. It also all depends on one's interest. As a rule I done follow other peopl's interest..
Agree, you can't always follow the trends, plus it's much more fun to source things your excited about. :)
Your right tiny smalls or things that are too big is just really a burden ❤👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🙋🏻♀️
A total burden! I'm really trying to be good this year and it's so hard haha! ;)
I LOATHE making boxes!!!!
Yes!! It's so annoying!
Hi. When you say rattan, does that also include bamboo pieces?
Yes, bamboo has slowed for me too, with the exception of tortoise shell bamboo. That seems to have staying power.
Maybe you can sell a “lot” of your miniature
Yes, I think I may consider that if I can muster up the courage to sell them. They are so cute I want to keep them alllllll.
If some of your current inventory items are now off trend, do you then purge them or hang onto them, hoping that they’ll still sell eventually?
I usually keep the item for awhile just in case. What's funny, the people statue I showed in the video literally sold today. haha! I still don't plan to pick up more of them, but glad it's going to live with someone else!
Dishes just don't sell for me. Glasses, sets of transferware, mugs, none of it.
I bought set of dishes last year because it was so cheap and it's still sitting on my shelf. It's so heavy, I can bring myself to even try to move and photograph it.
PYREX is dead.
I don't know. Here in FL you can still find Pyrex "in the wild" at low enough prices to resell at decent margins. I think it's because lots of grandmas here were moms in 50s/60s/70s and still have very authentic (and well cared for) collections that often show up at thrift shops or estate sales when these wonderful women pass away. Some thrift stores have caught on and mark Pyrex way up, but other places just treat it like regular dishes and thus you can score a good deal. You just have to be discriminating with your sourcing. But that's just my experience down South. Other parts of the country may be quite different.