Shop of the Week- Thrifty Theresa 5

This week’s Shop of the Week is ThriftyTheresa, owned by Theresa. 

 What is the meaning behind your shop name? 

The ThriftyTheresa shop name was pretty easy to come up with. My parents, especially my father, taught me the love for vintage & collectibles throughout my entire life. Pretty much every weekend of my childhood was spent at thrift stores, swap meets, flea markets, antique stores, and garage sales. As a reseller of vintage I try to acquire items at a good price so I can offer items at a good price to my customers and make a little profit in the process.  

 How did you get your start selling vintage? 

I started selling on Etsy back in 2007 and was making handmade rosaries and Catholic gifts under the shop name Prayers4Theresa. My father was selling his vintage toys and collectibles on Ebay and I started ThriftyTheresa as a platform to help him sell HIS items so he would get more exposure. I began having so much fun listing and selling vintage on Etsy that I eventually began listing some of my own items to sell myself. Dad has since taken a hiatus from selling and I have completely taken over the shop, filing it up with all sorts of fun and unique items. It’s become a really great hobby and part-time business for me. 

What is your favorite item in your shop right now, and what makes it special to you? 

My favorite item in my shop right now is this LOVE cube paperweight. It has so much nostalgia for me. My family had this piece on a bookshelf in our home for as long as I can remember. Last year I found another one in a local thrift shop and was so excited to see it. When I told my Dad about it, he gave me the one we had at home so I could keep it and told me to sell the other one. I just think it is adorable, colorful, and has such a lovely message – LOVE!

cube paperweight

What is the most unusual or amazing item you have sold from your shop? 

My favorite sale was a large Q*Bert plush doll that was part of my father’s toy collection. Again, it’s all about the nostalgia of my childhood – I remember this toy sat on my father’s beside table for many, many years. My dad loves toys and he kept it in great condition with its tags and all. It was one of the first items we put in the Etsy shop and it sold for $130! Not too bad for a 33 year old plush doll.

SOLD!

Do you sell your items at other venues outside of Etsy? If so, where can we find you?

At this time I do not sell my Etsy items outside of Etsy. I do sell on Ebay, but I do not cross-list my Etsy items there. I do not enjoy selling elsewhere. Etsy is where my passion and happiness is found. 

What social media platforms do you use? Share your links with us, so we can follow you!

Besides the usual Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc – I also make Youtube videos about selling on Etsy. Most of my videos are Hauls and twice a month I do a Sales Report. But I also enjoy giving back to the Etsy selling community and I occasionally post tutorials, how-to’s and tips and tricks. I also have a Seller Interview series where I talk to fellow sellers – Vintage and Handmade alike – to learn about how they started on Etsy and the goals they have for their shop. I truly believe we should think of each other a coworkers and not competition. Learning from one another is one of the reason I love the Etsy teams like Vestiesteam.

http://www.youtube.com/thriftytheresa
http://www.facebook.com/ThriftyTheresaEtsy/
http://www.instagram.com/thrifty_theresa/
http://www.pinterest.com/Thrifty_Theresa/