You've seen those big sellers on Etsy who seem to be making sales left and right. You have to wonder how they've made it to where they are: can they actually be FOR REAL? What's their recipe for success? And just how do they do it?

I've made it my mission to shine the Storque spotlight and bring these sellers to you. I'll be asking them all those questions you're just dying to know about their success on Etsy. They have been generous enough to share their secrets with us and we want to spread their personal success stories to everyone so they can learn from their business practice.

This week's Etsy success story spotlights Andy and Nancy, the driven team that makes up Circa Ceramics. Andy and Nancy are based out of Chicago and have been making and selling ceramics long before Etsy came to life. They have created a distinct style and recognizable brand for themselves, which we think has more than a little to do with their overall success. This duo has been selling on Etsy just barely a year, and are quickly approaching 500 sales! Andy and Nancy travel all over the country to show off and sell their ceramics while spreading the Etsy love.

Ok, on to to the questions we've all wondered but never got the chance to ask...

How did you first hear about Etsy, and what made you decide to open a shop on the site?
Andy I do a lot of google searches looking for odds and ends and I think it was around October of 2005 when I first came across Etsy shop names in some the results. We lurked through the first half of 2006 and then created the [tab] which was our first item we felt had a good chance of fitting in on Etsy.

Nancy Same thing, except I'm usually hanging over Andy's shoulder or sitting next to him and looking up stuff. We'd been on the "show circuit" for about five years then, and a lot of the artists we'd encountered were also selling work on Ebay - and no matter how they presented it to us, I could NOT picture selling our wares on there, especially with all the bargain finds I'd known Ebay to be full of (not good for ceramics/pottery!).

What do you think is your key to success on Etsy?
Andy Definitely listing frequently and adding new pieces. It also helps to have items at different price points. Having the ability to customize pieces creates a great interaction with the buyer and reinforces the benefits of the Etsy Experience.

Nancy Ditto what Andy said, and really decent images with clearly stated info. We try to present every angle of our pieces, because you have to convey as much info as possible to the buyer. We rarely get convos from buyers asking questions about the work unless it's about customization.

How do you promote your shop?
Andy When we are at fairs I am the one that deals with the money, so while Nancy is packaging a sale I try to inform the buyer about our work on Etsy.

Nancy We provide cards with contact and buying info, and links to our Flickr, our Etsy shop, and our regular website. We have a mailing list which we've been slowly converting to an email list using Constant Contact, and in there I plug our Etsy and upcoming events. October is one of the months we do a huge mailing/emailing with info on where to find us in preparation for the holiday season - super important! We also purchased space on Trunkt (which links only to our Etsy) and most recently on Poppytalk's blog, her online 'marketplace' where we'll be linking directly to our Etsy also.

How do you handle such a large volume of sales in your shop? What systems have you created to manage the orders?
Andy We have always approached pottery from the production standpoint, so in the past we were producing for shows that were one to four weeks away and we would always have items that would carry over. Now these items are listed on Etsy and we have been showing up at shows with less inventory. Our shop sales are spread out over time so we can always stop posting or leave our shop in edit mode if we are having a particularly stressful time with orders.

Nancy What he said. We try to stay organized by printing out special requests and labeling them so we know which ones are rushed and which ones can wait our standard 3-6 weeks that we ask them to wait.

Are your orders mostly from repeat buyers or new buyers? What do you do to gain repeat buyers?
Andy We have really great repeat buyers, but the majority of our sales are to new buyers. Try to have a really impressive product that is shipped in a timely manner. When the package arrives, you will hopefully exceed the customer's expectations, and they will want to start a collection of your work.

Nancy I have to say that we have an equal amount (repeat vs. new). We also get a lot of referrals and recommendations, which is a huge compliment! The new buyers are coming from having picked up a card at a show (where they've seen the work in person) or from blog readers, who are not shy in telling you they saw you and had to check you out!

Repeat buyers come from being impressed with what they received. We'll get emails or convos from buyers after they've used a piece, and they sound so pleased! Some of them leave hilarious feedback, so you know you made them happy.

How do you stay motivated? Does it come naturally?
Andy I have a mental list of all the shapes that I would like to see, and it is just a matter of attending to all those little things that pop up before I can work on a project.

Nancy Another blogger asked us this same question, and I'm not ashamed to use the same reply here: fear. Sure, it's natural. I want us to have pieces that work and that are attractive. I don't ever want to be passe. And there is this need to always experiment: we come out with our newest ideas that way. - Our [tab] came to be in that way. The need to be current...not necessarily trendy, but current.

Take a peek inside the lives and studio of Circa Ceramics above. 

What is your favorite current Etsy Feature?
Andy I like tagging our convos with pertinent information.

Nancy I am a Jared fan. Seriously. I love the Treasury, I love the Tag Fractal (not currently in use, but I love it anyway).

What features do you use most on Etsy?
Nancy Hmmmm. I'm going to have say convos. I help organize Street Team info that way, we help potential buyers and other Etsy members that way. And I love checking the Treasury - I go there everyday!

Andy Same for me.

What goals do you have for your Etsy shop one year from now?
Andy I would like our Etsy shop to replace at least one show a month, if not two. We do about twenty to twenty five shows a year, so if we can get that down to about ten to twelve good shows, that would be great. (In reality, now that Etsy has more people showing up at more shows, we will probably end up going to over thirty events next year).

Nancy I concur. Also, I have this fantasy that it will be always stocked with at least twenty of each of the cup, bowl, and plate sizes, and like forty of each of the magnets and tabs. Our customers thrive when they're given a lot of choices. We've noticed no change from art fairs to here (online). Oh, and I'd like to hit 1500 sales by January.

Anything else you want to add?
Nancy Never underestimate the power of your online appearance!

To learn more about Circa Ceramics and steal a quick viewing of the studio where they create their line, catch up on some quality Storque reading in their studio feature article.  Like what you see? Check out what Circa Ceramics call their top Etsy picks in the related items below: