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Etsy Sales Report for August 2017

August 2017 Etsy Sales Reports Pinterest Image

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we’ve been so terribly busy this summer! Trying to get our house and my dad’s house ready to sell, working on a non-related estate sale, working on and having a sale at my dad’s, getting away for a few days at the beach, and trying to maintain the booths and at least my Etsy shop, if not the blog and blog shop. Whew! I wish for what passes for our normal life again. But it’s not likely to happen in the next few months. 

Still, Etsy wasn’t half bad due primarily to a surprise $275 sale. We’ll get to that at the end. It’s definitely something to watch for if you resell.

Here’s what sold:

Adorable, mod, butterfly planter.

1960's Mod Butterfly Planter

Butterfly planter
$12.00


Vintage, food storage/gift labels.

Vintage food gift stickers

Vintage food gift stickers
$3.00


Vintage, metallic, dress trim yardage

Vintage red metallic trim

Red, metallic, dress trim
$17.00


Jean d’Orly hanky that was given as a gift when you bought something else. It’s still in it’s original package.

Jean d'Orly hanky

Jean d’Orly hanky
$7.00


3 pigs cookie stamp

Retired 1997 Three Little Pigs Brown Bag cookie stamp

Brown Bag cookie stamp
$10.00


Vintage Air Step Shoes

Vintage Air Step Shoes

Vintage Air Step Shoes
$15.00


There’s money in them thar post cards. Not this one so much, but some have quite the nice ROI. Many more have zero value because they’re so common. I’m certainly not an expert, but from my experience, look for local interest – small towns are usually best, people, real photo cards, etc. 

Postcard of the Ponciana Cafe in Tifton Georgia

Used, linen postcard of the Ponciana Cafe in Tifton, Georgia
$7.00


I have several of these advertising, Art Deco bridge tallies. Sold one for $2.00.

Art Deco Bridge Tallies

Art Deco advertising bridge tally
$2.00


I recently stood in a sweltering room, sweat dripping, clothes sticking to my body, hungry stomach growling and hand picked 46, vintage patterns. Everything I bought at that sale was $10. Those patterns were a small part of it. I’m estimating they were 5¢ each, but I think that’s being generous on the amount. I don’t really think they were quite that much. They say you make your money at the time of purchase. That sale will be very good for me. I haven’t got all the patterns listed yet, but this one doubled my money for the whole sale’s purchase.

Vintage patterns are another thing that can have quite a good ROI. In my neck of the woods, they are usually 25¢ or less each. But, they can be hit or miss. I’ve bought some I thought were great that turned out to be common as dirt. But I’ve also bought some winners. Look for stylish, something people might wear now, costume, western/square dance, Vogue, especially Vogue Designer and Vogue Paris, and unused is always a plus. Of course, even in those categories, there are winners and losers.

Vintage Vogue pattern 6143

Vintage Vogue Pattern
$22.00


Here’s something else most people pass up. Cook books and booklets that accompanied cookware. They don’t generally bring much money, but they’re cheap and easy to find, easy to list and easy to pack and ship.

Chef's Ware Cookbook

Chef’s Ware Cook Book
$7.00


Vintage photo of a dog lying on a barrel and his boy behind him. The actual picture is smaller than it is shown here. Still cute as a bug!

Vintage photo of a dog on a barrel with his boy standing nearby

Vintage Photo
$3.00


Vintage wood, basket purse with bandana fabric.

Wood basket purse with red, bandana fabric

Wood basket purse
$15.00


And here’s the surprise sale. Did you know playing cards can be quite collectible? I saw these at an estate sale and passed them up on the first, full price day. Because I didn’t know just how collectible these were! Went ahead and took a chance with them at the half price sale. I think I’ll withhold the price I paid, but let’s just say they had an extremely good ROI.

I don’t know what to tell you to look for in playing cards, but it appears, no longer in business casinos in Las Vegas are da bomb.

Vintage, hard to find, Dunes playing cards. Complete deck with box, two jokers and "B" card. Red backs.

1970’s Red Dunes Playing Cards
$275.00
(I was asking $299, but came down for the buyer.) 


Click here to check out my friend Florence’s August Etsy sales at Vintage Southern Picks, too!

I’ve got so many great things waiting to be listed, I can hardly walk through the room they’re stored in. I get excited every time I look at them, then discouraged because chunks of time to work on them just aren’t there. But that is part of getting this house ready to sell. Get those in-the-way boxes listed and for sale! 

We found a house last week that was perfect for us. It’s more money than we had planned to spend. A LOT more, but we couldn’t build it any less and could hardly have designed it to be any more perfect. It needs a lot of updating and cosmetic personalization. That annoys me for so much money, but this may be what we have to do. We’ve got to get some financial things lined up, put in place and need to at least sell one of our houses before we can even make an offer. If that house is meant for us, it’ll wait until we’re ready. If we do get it, it will be an exciting adventure!


Etsy Sales Report for August 2017

8 thoughts on “Etsy Sales Report for August 2017

  1. Hi Wanda, that little bandana basket is adorable! I’d have liked that myself since I love purses. But the playing cards! Wow! I would never even THINK of asking that much! How did you know to do that? Congrats on that wonderful sale!! You’re right on the patterns…they are hit or miss. I sold one for over $200 once, but I couldn’t understand why (a bidding war on Ebay). The mod yellow planter was really cute. I know postcards can be good, but they don’t sell for much, not that that matters to me. I’ve sold a few of them, but they usually take a long time…waiting for the right buyer to come along.

    1. I found my exact playing cards had sold on eBay for $306.00. That’s the only reason I knew to price them that high. As for postcards, I’ve seen some sell way on up there. Like over $100. Usually ones I wanted. But I remember selling an old, real photo postcard of a nurse for around $50. But those are the exception. I mostly have had a similar experience as you. Low dollar and a long time to sell.

      1. That is amazing…about the cards. Wonder what it was about them? Maybe an old casino out of biz or something. Would like to have seen the nurse postcard.
        Have you had any luck with matchbooks?

        1. Yes, these cards were from the 1970’s and the casino is no longer there. Wanna know what’s really cool? I have more! Just not complete decks. I don’t have a clue how to price them.

          I don’t believe I’ve sold any matchbooks for more than a couple of bucks. If I’ve ever even had any to sell (except for the ones I have listed now.) I just don’t remember.

          1. Maybe you could try them even if they aren’t complete. I have often looked at my card decks trying to figure out a clever way to repurpose them, but so far I haven’t come up with anything.
            Bummer about the matchbooks. I have some here I’d like to get rid of.

  2. Thanks for the tips on the patterns. I’ve bought some in the past and they have never been good sellers but maybe I’ll concentrate on what you suggest,

    Ok, so you got 275.00 for one deck of cards?? I am flipping out. I am SO going to be on the lookout for those now.

    1. Good luck with the patterns! I flip flop from thinking I like selling them and maybe should have a whole different Etsy shop just for patterns and sewing things to wondering why I bother. LOL But I love patterns. And sewing. And sewing things. And fabric. If they don’t sell, they can always go in my collection.

  3. […] the vintage Dunes casino playing cards I sold for $275.00 on Etsy back in August? Etsy link or blog post link. Well, this incomplete pack and extras were bought at the same time. (My total cost for all: $2.00) […]

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