I Gave Myself A Year

I gave myself a year...I started my 1st shop on Etsy April 1, 2008. I told myself if, within a year, my shop was doing well...I would keep it up!

I am happy to report...I will work even harder this year on both of my shops! http://www.jenscloset.etsy.com/ and http://www.mymilkglassshop.etsy.com/ .

I've had lots of ups and downs, excitements, disappointments, learning experiences, etc.

I learned real quick that sellers on Etsy are very supportive of each other. When I've had problems or questions, my Etsy friends are right there to lend support or answer my questions! You know who you are...and so do I..and I thank you! I've saved convos from way back when I first started, from Etsy friends who've helped me out!

In the past year I've learned so much. I've read more books than you can imagine on vintage glassware, china, Fire King, Pyrex, etc! That's another way Etsy has helped...my vintage friends(no, I am not saying they're old..they sell vintage too!)...have helped me out so much with their vintage knowledge!

Packing..shipping!! Wow!! That's been quite a learning process too! I have my trusty USPS scale so as I am listing an item I can weigh it and get a pretty accurate idea of the cost for shipping! I love packaging up my sales so when the customer receives it, they feel like they've received a gift! I use pretty pink tissue and ribbons; I've always loved wrapping gifts (my Mom was thankful at Christmas time that I loved wrapping so much!)!

Marketing...well, that is number 1 to me! You need to get your name out there....there are all sorts of ways to do this. www.flickr.com/jenscloset www.twitter.com/jenscloset and more! My goal for this year is to figure out google! I love looking at the google analytics, but it still confuses the heck out of me!

I am quite serious and sincere when I say that there is not one aspect of being a shop owner that I do not like! wait...okay..there's one...waiting in the post office line (which I don't have to do too often since I can usually create my shipping labels at home..love that!). I love the customers, I love what I sell, the packaging,...oh and I do I love the feedback!! That is the icing on the cake!

I could go on and on and in the next few days, I will..to celebrate my 1 year anniversary!

Thanks to everyone that has helped me...I do appreciate it more than you'll ever know!

Best wishes to you all!

Jen

5000

What does that number mean to you? Just a number! A year ago..it would have been just a number to me too!

So you think twitter is silly!?

Not to me!

Twitter friends have been the ones I go to when I just listed something new in one of my shops! or when I have a troublesome day! Or, if I have a milestone day!

Do you work at home? I do! And I am a very social person..so my twitter friends, well, they are my cube friends! and they are just as important..no..more important than an cube-work friend!

Thanks Twitter! and all of my "cube friends"-- will be peaking over my cube to say thanks!

Jen

Shop Etsy!

If you haven't shopped on Etsy yet..what are you waiting for!? Between the talented artisans and the fabulous vintage shops...you can get everything you need right on Etsy...yes, even food!

I have been a buyer on Etsy for quite awhile now and every purchase has been a positive experience!

Today I am showing you two of my most recent purchases.

First...beautiful soap from http://www.bellagracedesigns.etsy.com/ This is actually a picture of an extra soap I received with my larger soap! I'm using my larger soap..it's wonderful! It is the exact same (that's probably bad english! exact-same!) fragrance as Philosphy's Baby Grace (one of my favorite fragrances!). Not only are her soaps beautiful, but they smell great and last a good long time!

Second... http://www.sharonfosterart.etsy.com/ ..Sharon actually purchased some milk glass from my milk glass shop awhile back ( http://www.mymilkglassshop.etsy.com/ ) , which she used to create beautiful watercolor paintings! I just had to have this painting...with my milk glass vase! I looking foward to finding the perfect frame for it! And I can't forget about the cute Easter card I bought too, isn't it so cute~!!

If you haven't tried out Etsy yet..you must..you will be pleasantly surprised!

If you have a shop on Etsy, send me a comment if you would like me to promote your shop on my blog...I will be more than happy to!

Best wishes to all! Happy Monday!

Jen

I'm a Leader!?

No...I've never been a leader, nor a follower.

Not that I think being either a leader or follower is a bad thing; after all...at this current time I

have 4,616 followers on twitter! Don't get me started on twitter...I love it! And..I'm a follower on twitter, currently following 4,784 people! Much to my amazement, I have 40 followers on this blog..what a great feeling! It sure makes me think maybe this leader stuff is kind of fun!

Leaders...those are people like my older brother (boy, that's even more fun to say now that we're older!), Rick. He's always been a leader. I have always admired my older (had to say it one more time) brother for his wonderful leadership qualities! If you're influencing people in a good way, then being a leader is a good thing!

But I'll still think of myself as neutral, that doesn't sound like the appropriate term..what are we called when we're not leaders and we're not followers!?

Okay, that's just my quick ramble for the evening. I received a few emails from my friend Lynda and she told me I'd better update my blog (since we haven't seen each other in a year, she reads my blog to see what's going on!). So this is for her--hi Lynda!

And hello to my followers..I am grateful for each and every one of you!

Best wishes,

Jen

Happy Anniversary to Me!

That's right! It will be 1 year ago on April 1st...yes, April Fools Day..that I opened www.jenscloset.etsy.com!

What a year it has been!

I followed my passion and haven't looked back since! Ever since I was a little girl (just a few years ago), I have loved antiques and vintage! Now that I have my two shops...I have an excuse to buy more! How fun is that!?

I've learned quite a bit in this past year.

Photography...my daughter, Lindsey, helped me pick out a camera (Canon PowerShot SD750). I knew nothing about photography (which is evident looking at some of my earlier listings!). This camera was a great investment and not too costly at all!

Packing and shipping...whew!! I'm still learning! I have a USPS scale and my handy zip code list and USPS current shipping prices to refer to. Bubble wrap is my best friend, but boy, what an expensive friend! I have some new sites I will be checking into that look like they have pretty good prices on bubble wrap and packing materials. I usually ship priority, and in most cases, can use the priority boxes provided free from the USPS! I do buy a supply of boxes from Uline and Paper Mart. I also buy my pretty pink tissue paper from Paper Mart!

I've had great support from other vintage sellers on Etsy. I've mentioned before that SurrenderDorothy (http://www.surrenderdorothy.etsy.com/ ) has been a great help to me! Speaking of SurrenderDorothy-she is the leader of our Thursday night "vintage vixen" forum..what a riot! That thread moves so quick..check it out, you don't have to sell vintage to join in! Thursday nights, I think it starts at 7 pm est and goes on into the night!

What else....well, of course, I big part of having a shop is marketing! I flickr and twitter and blog and doesn't all sound funny!? Flickr twitter...who knew a year ago that I would have become so internet-savvy...maybe that's an exaggeration! You can usually find me hanging out at www.twitter.com/jenscloset ..by far my favorite hangout!

My flickr account is fun too.. check it out at www.flickr.com/jenscloset . I often post pics there before I list items to see what kind of feedback I get. Flickr, twitter, blogs, they all sound like fun, and they are, but it's also part of marketing! Get your name out there...you can't hide! How will anyone find you!?

And that takes me to my goal for this year--I am going to learn more about google. I know I need that! I want my name to come up at the top of the list when someone is searching for something relevant to my shop!

Well..this is Part I of my anniversary blog...more to come..my hand is tired!

Thanks to all of my followers and readers...and my comments! I am thrilled when I see a comment, even when it's from me!

Jen

One of Those Days

We've all had them! One of those days! Then that one thing happens...and that's when you realize, it really has been one of those days!

I try not to fret when I break some material item...I let it go pretty quick! It's over and one with..so what are you going to do!? Mope about it!?

Yes!! Today I am going to mope about it! Give me another hour and I'll be fine! It's just been one of those days...few days, to be exact! So the cute frosty aqua pitcher is getting the full blame for everything!

It's my fault for cleaning..I should have never done that! The cute pitcher was up on my kitchen counter..I just bought it recently..and it was so cute--I just had to have it there! Then I had to go and wipe the counter...and BAM!! ran my hand right by the pitcher, and the handle just snapped right off-or cracked right off...whatever! My sweet son, Mark, said.."maybe you can glue it back on"...great idea..but there's a gaping hole where it cracked off!

So...it's not really about the pitcher..it's about the day. I will forget about the pitcher and move on, but sometimes it's good to just vent and get it over with!

Thus...this post on my blog...for all of us that have had those days! We all have! Write about it, get it out on paper, or on your blog and then let it go!

Thanks to all my twitter friends for there kind words!

Jen

March 10th

Can't remember if that's the date or note! Hoping for spring soon! This is just a quick blog to say hi to everyone!

Still twittering away and enjoying my shops http://www.jenscloset.etsy.com/ and http://www.mymilkglassshop.etsy.com/.

I'm sure everyone is anticipating spring as much as I am....bring it ON!

Ready to Welcome the World!

Yes, you heard me right! I am ready to welcome the world!

Today I am going to focus on ways to get more traffic to both of my shops. http://www.jenscloset.etsy.com/ and http://www.mymilkglassshop.etsy.com/ ...don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the success I have had thusfar..but I can't stop there!

My favorite place to hangout these days is www.twitter.com/jenscloset (that's the link to find me most of the time!). Today I asked my twitter friends for help with information about google and how to get my shop names to come up when someone does a search on google. I know that google is the main place people go to when they're looking for something!

I've learned that I should have as much information in my item descriptions as possible. I should blog more and maybe google will rank me higher--please please google, rank me higher!

Let's see..what else? Oh, I'm supposed to have links not just to my shop, but things in my shop. Let's try this-my Currier & Ives Plates! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16615870

This was my crash course from this morning on twitter, so I know there's more to learn. A few other suggestions, add my url (I'm such a virgin that I originally typed "earl") to msn and yahoo.

I also need to do something with merchantcircle.

I've been told letssets.com will help, but I had trouble with that.

I've read that the pay per click thing on google really isn't worth it..that just gets you the right-side thing, which no one really looks at!

So there, that's what I've learned in about an hour on twitter! And you thought http://www.twitter.com/ was just a silly social networking thing! I can't say enough about twitter! I've been intriqued with the fascination of it all...what draws me to it all day..what draws everyone to it all day!?

Well, for one, the fact that when I ask for help with google..my twitter friends jump right in with information. When I have a bad moment, they jump right in with encouragement. When I make a sale, I get tons of "yay jen"'s!

When you work from home, you need to feel like you have coworkers in a cubicle next to you. My twitter friends are my cube-friends. And I thank all of my cube-friends!

Thanks for all the google info..thanks for the encouragement..thanks for just having fun things to say!

I am off to conquer the google world!

Jen