Insurance Manager Finds New Shelves for Old Antiques

Notes from Chris

Episode 1382

When Christy Tharp first listed five of her products on Etsy, she didn’t think it would be the start of a new business. Her husband had recently passed away, and she was left with a home filled with antiques that no longer held as much meaning. Not wanting to keep them, Christy decided that she would find a way to sell them. She thought that she could get the best prices by listing them on Etsy, where people go to purchase craft and vintage items.

As she started listing her items, Christy found that she enjoyed the process. Most of the fun came at the product photography stage, where she would think of creative ways to showcase the aesthetics of the item she was selling. After several weeks of doing this, the process got easier and she developed a routine. This left her wondering if she could keep selling on the side, even after she cleared her own collection.

She worked as an insurance manager by day and wanted to use her free time productively. As she recalls, “I figured it was a numbers game and if I had enough products, I could get the sales to the place I wanted.”

The first step was to head to thrift stores to purchase more items to sell. In the beginning, there was no process that she used to pick out her inventory—it was all just based on gut feel. But as she listed and sold more products, she developed a better sense of what customers wanted.

This mix of market research and gut feel has worked well for Christy. She’s learned to include relevant tags in each listing and write clear product descriptions. She’s also had some luck with Etsy’s programs to promote her listings on Google. On the other hand, while she has tried to build up a presence on Instagram and Pinterest, her posts there haven’t translated to many product purchases.

Despite these challenges, Christy has actually seen sales increase in 2020, a pleasant surprise. This year she’s brought in over $12,000 profit and she’s certainly surpassed her initial goal of simply clearing out her collection. By moving old antiques to new shelves, Christy now has the ability to move herself across continents for annual vacations—at least when she’s able to travel again.

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Check out Christy's timeless collection at her Etsy store, The Blue Break Front.

SEE ALSO:

• Couple Turn Unwanted Furniture Into $1,000 Per Month: A couple in Ottawa learn to “upcycle” unused furniture, working extra hours whenever they want and getting paid for something they’d do for free.
• IT Guy Earns Extra $50,000/Year Restoring Vintage Radios: He wanted to start a side business and put his engineering degree to good use. When he stumbled across two 1950s radios, he found an idea that was right on his wavelength.
• Bedridden Marketing Director Pops Tags at Thrift Shop: A marketing director for a Connecticut health facility converts her passion for unique, vintage finds into a reselling side hustle.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,