Here begins #6 (“Work more for myself”) on the Donkee Do List. I’ve opened up the Donkee House shop on Etsy a few days ago. It was a lot of preparation, but it was also a lot more fun than I thought it would be. What possibly could be fun in all this besides all the sourcing and buying? Hmmm…I found that I really do like to:
1. Style and take pictures. It proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated, but I realized in the end, it was all about experimentation. I moved the subjects around a lot and when that didn’t work, I moved myself around a lot. I took at least twice as many photos as there are showing in the shop. The most frustrating part about this step? The weather. Seriously, I needed good natural sunlight, but it was grey and dreary for days and days, it seemed. It was a long waiting game.
2. Determine pricing. I tried to be really fair in pricing. I took to studying the items in detail (besides, “oh, it’s so pretty!”) and researched online. This part can take a good while, but it’s doing necessary homework. Not only do I want to give as much information as I can to the potential buyers, but it also helps ME tremendously in getting to know my current product and for future sourcing.
3. Determine packaging. To be honest, packaging is still percolating in my head. I got the ultimate push, though, when I had my first sale just a few hours after the shop went live. So unexpectedly crazy, right? I didn’t think I was going to sell anything for weeks! Seriously – I’m selling along with really seasoned and expert folks on Etsy and somebody picked MY stuff? What? High with freshman joy, I panicked a little because I didn’t have any packaging that I liked around. After a bit of WTF am I gonna do because zip lock bags ain’t gonna cut it, I looked to my bag of vintage scrap fabrics and ribbons and voila!
4. Create assortment sheet. An assortment sheet is basically a list and recap of inventory. In this list, I have pictures of the items, description, cost, retail, quantity I have, quantity I’ve sold, quantity left over, source, dimensions, weight, whether the item is vintage or new. This is definitely a get to know your goods better exercise.
Of course, along with the good and fun, there are also some boring tasks associated with all this. I really DON’T like to:
1. Determine shipping. All the USPS, UPS, Fedex, First Class, Priority, International, Parcel, Flat Rate stuff confuse the heck out of me. Also, I don’t understand how some sellers can do free shipping or extremely cheap shipping and be above water. Some shipping prices are outrageously high (I think) and I want to offer the most economical and reliable options. The husband is in charge here – he’s the logistics guy. Yay!
2. Promote. I know, this is a bad one. It’s so necessary, but I so dread it. I’ve never been a self-promoter or salesperson. A good sort, anyway. It’s all so uncomfortable. Ugh…well, at least the little Etsy Mini is up on the side bar. Doesn’t that count as something?
This is all just the initial impression so far on this Etsy shop experience. As I grow into it, I’m sure there will be more ups and downs, pros and cons. Meanwhile, I have so much more to do. I have a good number of stuff almost ready to be listed (waiting for shipping options) and a lot of pics waiting for finishing touches. Oh, I can’t even THINK about the fabric just yet!
But I really need to know what you guys think about the Etsy Mini on the side bar. Is it distracting? It’s so colorful against the black and white theme – does it look out of place? Is it me? Arghhh….
Tell me what you would like to do with the coffee bag and what your biggest challenge is in your world of crafting. 
