The first time I heard a psychobilly song was on a Geico commercial of all places. After that, I sent away for a Th’ Legendary Shack*Shakers cd and have been in love with that type of music since. I’ve always been a fan of horror movies, Halloween, and creepiness in general, so it was easy to love other aspects of psychobilly subculture as well.
If you’re a fan of zombies, tattoos, and retro fashion, you might fall in love with it as well. Check out what these amazing Etsy sellers have made!
Starving Artist by vanDara
I’ve been selling my art and jewelry on Etsy for over four years now and it has been an amazing learning experience. I started as a hobby, making things I wanted myself and couldn’t find anywhere. Over the years, I’ve gained enough regular income to quit my 9 to 5 job and focus solely on my shop. It hasn’t always been easy, but I consider myself successful in the handmade marketplace.
I’m part of a few teams on Etsy (with Mom’s Basement being one I visit frequently, of course) and I’ve noticed that at least a couple times a month on these teams, people ask, “What’s wrong with my shop? I have low sales and really want to make this my full time job.” With so many people asking this question, I thought I would compile a list of helpful advice that has worked for successful artists and crafters, as well as advice from the Etsy blogs and things I have learned from my own experiences. Even if you don’t plan on selling your art full time, these tips can help showcase and promote your work more effectively.
First of all, and possibly the most important in the beginning, is be patient!
It can take years to establish yourself in a certain venue or on a certain site, just like it would if you were starting a brick and mortar business. Luckily, information moves fast on the internet and it’s possible to speed up your popularity. But selling on a site for only a few months with low sales is completely normal and doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with your art.
Take LolitaAGogo for instance. Amazing artwork, (including the Adventure Time painting below), but very few sales yet. A little more time and I’m sure she’ll be selling like crazy.
Original Watercolor Painting ‘Off the Hook’ by LolitaAGogo
Jose from MisNopalesArt says to “take the plunge and go for it. When I first discovered Etsy and started listing items in my shop, it took several months to finally start picking up sales. At first I was a bit discouraged but I stuck with it and it paid off.”
He also says, “I think it’s important to have a variety of items available and to keep adding new items whenever possible. The more items you put out there, the more likely someone will eventually like one of them and purchase it.” Which I agree with whole-heartedly and expand upon below.
Storm Trooper Calavera Die Cut Vinyl Sticker by MisNopalesArt
Allure by black-dicefish
A couple of years ago I discovered that I have Synesthesia – a neurological condition that causes different senses to be combined, rather than separate. A common trait of people with Synesthesia (synesthetes) is always perceiving letters, numbers, and words with certain colors attached to them. For example, ‘A’ will always be red to me, ‘B’ is brown, ‘C’ is yellow, ‘D’ is navy blue, etc. I also see colored shapes when I hear certain sounds, and perceive textures when I smell certain things. My sister also has Synesthesia and she is the reason I discovered my own. Up until that point, I thought seeing each letter as a color was normal. There are over 60 known kinds of Synesthesia and my sister has traits that I do not, such as tasting voices and perceiving numbers with personalities.
Synesthesia by ThePathOfDreams
Most people with Synesthesia are creative and artistic by nature. And since this condition involves a lot of color, I thought I’d gather a collection of pieces with beautiful color palettes, and also include art by syesthetes as well. And even if you don’t have this condition, everyone loves color!
Rainbow
The following pieces are filled with many vibrant colors!
League of Legends – Zyra Fanart by alexnegrea
Vintage Typewriter Illustration by BearAndRobot
In Boise, Idaho, there’s an amazing place called Antique World Mall. I could spend days wandering through the huge expanse of aisles, looking through the crowded shelves and glass cabinets and never see everything. They have everything vintage and antique imaginable and every time I go there I find something I have to take home with me. They are items that were probably commonplace and taken for granted, but somehow survived for decades without being discarded. And really, it’s those everyday items that help sum up an era of time and speak volumes about the people that lived then.
Mint Green Custom Painted Olivietti Typewriter by ClaireLaSecretaire
I love vintage and antique items, and am a little disappointed that collecting them is a trend now. I collect typewriters, among other things, and used to hunt through the discarded electronics in the backs of thrift stores for them. I once found a 1920′s Corona this way, priced at only $4.50. Those days are long gone. It’s difficult to find a typewriter for under $100 now. However, it’s much easier to find art and crafts inspired by vintage and antique items, or that have been incorporated into something new. Check out the wonderful items below!
Miniature OOAK Handmade Primitive Vintage Teddy Bear by RaggyBears
Asteroids ATARI Video Game Clock by RecyclingTime
Figure Drawing Class by Bobbie-the-Jean
Interest in anthropomorphism has become quite a movement. Specifically, animals with human characteristics. Anthro has its own category on DeviantART and a host of groups dedicated to it, including #AnthroCommunity, which boasts over 4,000 members.
SYNC: Fox and the Butterfly by TysonTan
Anthropomorphism is defined as anything displaying human characteristics that is not human. Like animals, plants, food, inanimate objects, weather, etc, etc. The first known example is a 32,000 year old German sculpture of a figure with a lion’s head. Anthro embodies many popular geek concepts, such as Furry, kawaii, and cartoon. I’ve found many different amazing examples and compiled them for your viewing pleasure.
Adventure Time! by Suihara
Animal Crossing Cat Crochet Pattern by Liebe9
I love jewelry. I love bold, fun jewelry, understated, pretty pieces, and everything in between. There is a lot of geeky jewelry on Etsy, and much of it is of the fun and quirky variety, many of my own creations included. But sometimes I want to wear fine jewelry – something elegant that will stand the test of time. Luckily, there are artists on Etsy that have combined geekiness and fine jewelry, so you never have to choose between the two.
If you’re fond of dragons and fantasy, this ring should make you happy. It was created with a glass taxidermy eye and argentium silver.
Evil Eye Ring by thatSandygirl
Jewelsvine is one of my favorite shops. I have purchased from them in the past and still love my necklace. It was hard to choose just one item to feature, but I love this test tube necklace! Be sure to check out their shop for other awesomeness, like rocket lockets, skulls, robot kitties, and steampunk instruments.
Steampunk Necklace Embryo Test Tube Vial by jewelsvine
I own a skull necklace from MichelleChangJewelry as well. She makes simple, elegant jewelry featuring skulls, foxes, hedgehogs, octopi and more.
Baby Skull Necklace in 14K Yellow Gold by MichelleChangJewelry
If you’re a gamer, MB’s own SketchyStories has some awesome jewelry for you, including this jumping Mario pendant, as well as a D-pad necklace, Link, and Minecraft pickaxe!
Mario Pendant 8bit Silver by sketchystories
