Interview with CrafterCommunity

Reed, who also has a new blog,
CrafterCommunity

recently asked me to do an interview with him. So I thought I would share it here also.

Tell me about your store…what you sell…when you started?
I started selling vintage in 2010. I sold a wide variety of decor, housewares, collectibles, and some clothing. Now my focus is mainly on clothing and accessories. The shift happened last year when I got a model and a great location to shoot.

The personal change happened when I created a vision for what I wanted my shop to be. Everyone has their own unique “voice” and that is what I want to express in my shop by creating a narrative with the photography. I want the items to tell a story in the way they are shown, like little snippets from a diary. Hopefully people will want to keep returning to see the latest entries.
What would you do differently if you started over?
Use social media! I’m a late joiner in that arena. I finally started an instagram account and am loving it. It is a way to show my photography, and items before they are listed in the shop (hint, hint) and it is a way to connect with people around the world. My instagram is @domesticrebus
“domestic” for the connotations of home and the every day, and “rebus” for the use of images to tell a story.

Do you have any tips for new sellers?
Take the best photos you possible can. Join teams….these can be an enormous help to you. Ship international. Offer returns and insure your parcels. A seller who says “no returns” (unless final clearance) and “if you don’t pay for insurance it is your responsibility if it breaks or gets lost” is not getting my business.

What are your goals for your store?
To grow an international customer base. And to keep unfolding a story that people want to return to.