50% off?

I've been doing some research on how to better market/sell things/run a vintage shop.

I have vowed to be more regular with my blog posts. I was doing pretty well for a while but I haven't really been very regular with my school work so I feel guilty devoting time to things I enjoy when I'm not doing the things that provide for my future.

I have also started copying and pasting my blogs to my livejournal. I was just using my livejournal to promote in communities but figured posting these blogs there couldn't hurt. Two people have already found me and commented on my posts within hours of doing so. They won't buy anything, but it does make me feel good when other people read what I write and feel compelled to leave me something sweet or helpful in response. Sometimes I love the internet. Even though it is a constant source of distraction for me.

I changed my etsy avatar to the really cute picture of the kitty bud vase I'm selling. Someone told me that people that use a product they sell as an avatar attract more business than those who use a picture of themselves. I don't know. We'll see. I really liked the most recent one. The one I'm using for this journal currently. But it's sentimental I guess. So it's not the end of the world.

I am awaiting invites for chictopia and lookbook from fellow etsy sellers. I figure every item I model for my store, I will post on those sites. I will have to work on more creative photography, but it should be a good marketing tool and should also help give me feedback on what people actually think of the things I think are worthy of selling. I also assume that I will try harder to "pretty up" for my photos and try harder to accessorize the items I'm selling which should help with sales. I hope.

Finally, I was encouraged to lower my prices. It wasn't a personal jab. It was listed in a list of things that successful vintage sellers do. My prices still sell items but they take time to sell. Listing things by what they could sell for is slow while listing things for what they will sell for should be faster. In fact, I've already had a sale today which makes three sales this week. I'm happy with that. For now :)

With that being said, I've canceled the sale I was having for 25% off everything in my shop, in return for taking fifty percent off of 90% of the items in my shop. I'll most likely raise some prices when sales pick up, but for now I'm just happy with a $5-$10 profit on any item. I'd like to clear out my shop within the next two weeks so that I can add the rest of the things I have stored in my apartment. I'd like to pay some tuition monies too.

Here are some of my favorite things in my shop right now. You can click on the pictures and it will take you to the listing!!






ALSO!! Please don't forget to participate in my first blog give away in the post directly below this one!! I've had 10 comments and I'd like to get at least 10 more!! You have nothing to lose and I have all the hair advise to gain :)