I made over 300 sales in masks on Etsy in the month of April 2020. This is What Happened During the Pandemic As An Etsy Seller. 

I made over 300 sales in masks on Etsy in the month of April.  These sales could be a quantity of 1 or a quantity up to 10.  I would say I conservatively made to order about 500 masks in less than 30 days.  I am going to speak honestly here, I have had a lot of major experiences in my life, the month of April was one wild, wild ride. 

How did this start?  I was born and raised in Southern California, and that is where the majority of my family lives to this day.  I received messages from a couple family members on a Thursday asking if I could make masks because California was starting a mandate that its residents wear masks starting that following Saturday.  Missouri Star Quilt Company had just released this free video tutorial for a mask with straps and I told them yes, I would make them this style mask.

After spending Friday making about 10 of these masks, I told Jason I was thinking about listing some on Etsy but I really didn’t want to.  I wanted to focus on a new project I was all geared up for and then literally within the minute after ending that phone call I received a notification from the Etsy Sellers App

I have never received a message from Etsy like this before.  So I immediately called Jason back and we together decide to say what the hell, give it a go.  People need access to masks.  I decided that I would focus on children size masks first and throw one or two adult sizes up.  So Saturday I list a few by 9:30 am and they started selling immediately.

The first week I sold a few each day, but on the following Friday I had received orders that equated to about 39 masks sold that day.  Saturday one of my masks was a best seller.  Sunday two of my masks were best sellers and I was sewing on Easter Sunday! This selling environment lasted about 2 to 3 weeks.  The biggest selling day for me was on a Wednesday, when the stimulus checks had been direct deposited.  That was a fun and surprising day as well.  

Jason made me a new set up for efficiency in the middle of our front room.  He set me up with an ironing table and a sewing table.  We also took a lamp out of our closet and used that so I had better light to see when I was sewing late into the night.  He would stay up some nights and iron the straps while I sewed the main parts together and help me save time.  It was great, Fiona would get a laugh out go the lamps new hairstyle each time.

I would say that 90% of my interactions on Etsy were positive and overwhelmingly positive actually.  I would say 10% I would say were not very nice, but I think that comes with the territory of being an online seller.  Sometimes people, I think, forget they are talking to humans on the other end of a message or they just flat out don’t care and as a seller I have learned you have to have a tough skin and stand your ground.  Those 10% will try to destroy you if you let them just because they can, you have to focus on the majority of kindness found in the 90%!!!!

I wanted to share some of the gnarly details that are some of my most fond to reflect on.  #1 being I broke my sewing machine on Easter Sunday!  Remember that previous Friday I had sold 39 masks? Jason, my husband, went out to Wal Mart that Sunday afternoon and bought the only model of sewing machine they had left!  There were only 2 sewing machines left in our town!  Beggars could not be choosers at this point, and you know what I am really really happy with my machine.  This also meant I had to learn a new machine but we got through it.

#2 I broke 2 sewing needles.  #3 I went through close to 20 spools of thread.  #4 I had to fully clean out my machine over 3 times because it had collected to so much dust and fuzz.  (I normally clean my machine every 3 to 6 months).  #5 I sewed day and night.  I showered but sometimes not until 2pm just to make sure I could get masks in the mail by 5 that day.  #6 My family is awesome and my husband took over my normal household chores because I couldn’t do both #7 I am still deep cleaning my house that got taken over by my kids 

Best of all my SEO Search Engine Optimization is better than ever and I have returned to all of my digital businesses with a renewed spirit.  I am so thankful I was able to provide a service to so many Americans who genuinely needed something I made.  One woman messaged me for a rush order because she was going to use the masks she ordered when she went into to deliver her baby.  Another woman messaged me and said she was so glad that I was selling Elsa masks because her child refused to were anything but so she would wear the one I was selling.  Someone else messaged me and said his head is so big, his wife tells him he has a head like a catfish, and asked if I could customize the length of the straps on his mask because he thinks the ones I sold would be the only ones that would fit.  I had someone else make multiple purchases for other people in her family and leave me very kind reviews as well.  It is overwhelming the exchange I have had with people all across America and how grateful I am that I chose to say yes to this opportunity and that my husband was willing to back me up and say I got you, I got the house, I will help you and you will succeed at this.  And we did.  We did succeed.