“I make up to $2,000 a month selling vintage items on Etsy!”
“When I was a kid, my parents had an antique shop and I used to spend weekends with them looking for new items and working in the shop. Last year, I had accumulated a ton of items from my mom and my husband’s family. I also had a lot of my own stuff like Playbills and autographs that were taking up space, so I decided to open up Nan’s Haven Antiques and Collectibles on Etsy (Etsy.com/shop/ NansHaven) and sell them there. It started out as a hobby, but when the pandemic began, I knew it would be a great way to make money on the side.
“To get the business off the ground, I designed a logo, wrote a description for the shop and included information about my background. When I have new items to sell, I research them on eBay, read the descriptions to see which keywords are used and get an idea for pricing. I also use WorthPoint. com, a subscription service that shows you what different things have sold for. When writing up my item, in addition to the usual descriptors, I give suggestions on how they can be used. For example, I recently sold an oblong planter after posting photos of it filled with things like make-up, office supplies and faux succulents.
“I continue to source items at estate sales but only buy things that I love or that I think others will love. I’ve sold a signed Christmas card from Liberace and Barbie dolls—I have 500 of them in my basement! I always send a handwritten thank-you card to all of my customers.
“Each month varies, but I can make up to $2,000 a month (Etsy makes a cut of my sales). The money I make goes toward savings and to pay for a vacation with my husband to celebrate our anniversary!”