Articles tagged with 'seller'
Seller Stories: Caylie Posted by 
rubidium about 1 year ago
We’d like to present the first in a series of Interviews with Mintd sellers. Since Mintd is primarily a community site, we figure getting to know the people that make up the space is a great way to find out a bit more about one another, their work and their processes.
So here is Caylie- (of La Ave fame) talking about making and minting.
1. When did you first get into making stuff?
I’ve been making things for as long as i can remember. I was known in my household as the stickytape kid when i was really little, because i would make everything out of tape. I learnt how to sew when i was about 5 years old from my Oma (which is dutch for grandma) she’s sewn all her life and i wouldn’t be doing what i’m doing now if it wasnt for her teaching me how to sew. And i love learning new craft skills. I like to knit as well as sew, and paint or draw. I do get into some quirkier crafts like learning how to spin my own wool, and i did a lot of woodwork in high school even in my VCE. I just love to work with my hands and let my imagination run wild.
2. How did you hear about Mintd?
I heard about mintd through a friend of mine. He’s the younger brother of one of the Mintd creators. He’d mentioned an online web mall that his brother was apart of and that I should try selling my things on there. I was lucky enough to see the concept take shape and every week i am amazed by how much it has grown.
3. How has Mintd changed you business?
I used to sell my bags and purses to friends and family. I was preparing to sell at markets but it’s a lot of hard work and being able to sell my things online has been a wonderful opportunity for me. It’s only a small thing at the moment. I’ve sold a few items and am enjoying the process so far. I guess Mintd has turned my hobby into something i can make a small profit from, so i can continue to make new things.
4. What are your future plans?
I’m always getting new ideas, and I like to make one of a kind things. I’m keen at hand sewing tiny felt animals/toy and would love to make some to sell on Mintd in the future. I’ll also continue making bags and purses and finding new ideas that people will enjoy and embrace. I’d actually like to pursue a career in the textile industry. I have a passion for fabrics and wallpapers and would love to eventually have my own textile designs and make and sell my own products using those designs.
5. What is your favourite aspect of Mintd?
I think Mintd has found a gap in the market where people can buy and sell specialty items. Theres a certain quality to the wares being sold. I’m sick of websites that sell items that are totally rubbish and would fall apart if you picked it up to actually use it. The items on Mintd are well designed, and constructed and each have a unique style. I also like how as a seller you can personalise your shop to suit the desired look you wish to achieve aesthetically. It allows you to keep your individuality.
6. Where do you get your ideas/inspiration for you products?
I’m an obsessive inspiration seeker. I feed of visual stimulation. I have many favourite websites such as Flickr which i look at daily for inspiration. I also cut up old magazines whenever i see something i like. I have a pile of books that i’ve cut and pasted images into, whether it be clothing, furniture, film or music related, it’s all working towards an individual style. I love flicking through childrens books too. I collect Richard Scarry Little Golden Books and have always seeked inspiration from those.
7. What can we expect from La Ave in the future?
At the moment i’d really like to make some little felt toys for my store. I also would like to screenprint some more designs and make bags out of them. There’s a few tshirt designs i’ve been working with also. Tshirts are something i’ve always wanted to design. I was lucky enough to collaborate with another Mintd shop Plastic and Milk, which is managed by friends of mine. They asked me to submit a design, along with their other creative friends and i was lucky enough to be chosen. Plastic and Milk is a great concept. Its a charity based project, the profits made from the tshirts sold go towards a charity chosen by the designer. In 2006 my mum was unfortunatly diagnosed with bowel cancer and when the opportuity came up to chose a charity there was no choice to be made. It was a great feeling to be able to give something back in a creative way. I’m very appreciative that i was able to be apart of it. The design sold really well and the Plastic and Milk boys are about to release the third design.
8. What would you like to see on Mintd?
I’d love to see some more unique products. I’m constantly amazed when i check it out and find some new very imaginative designed products for sale. Mintd is well set up and i like their system of “most interesting” , it gives you a feel for what other people are looking at. I can see Mintd growing and growing into something quite big one day. I feel privileged to be apart of it, it’s one of the best opportunities for a young designer.
Seller Profile: Brooke Medlin Posted by rubidium about 1 year ago
In the second installment of our ongoing series of sellers stories we present a rock star of the jewelry world, Brooke Medlin.
Read on for more.
Seller Stories: queenthings Posted by rubidium about 1 year ago
1. When did you first get into making stuff?
I remember a day in school, maybe first grade, having a drawing assignment to illustrate, “what do you want to be when you grow up ?” I have this memory of sitting there at the desk, faced with the enormous possibilities, and I came up with one of two things: to be a firefighter or an artist. Obviously I was a tomboy and had a tough streak to keep up with the boys in the neighborhood, but I did always want to be an artist. It’s just recently that I’ve become serious about jewelry design.
2. How did you hear about Mintd?
I wish I could remember….but I loved it and signed on right away.
3. How has Mintd changed your business?
I hope that it’s given queenthings more exposure in places that it otherwise wouldn’t have.
4. What are your future plans?
I’m been working on some permanent pieces that represent my style. It’s called the “natural history” collection and it will have a balance of raw gemstones, 14k gold, modern and graphic looks hewn out of land and sea. I want to tell a story from a museum perspective, like little works of art and wearable sculptures I imagine coming from behind the glass cases of geology and science halls. I’m pouring everything into it and at the same time trying hard to be alright with parting with it!
5. What is your favourite aspect of Mintd?
I just love how Mintd caters to designers with the layout, the style and the customized shop fronts. But the feature that really drew me in was the opportunity to create lookbooks. Product photography and styling is a really strong aspect to my work, because I have a narrative approach to jewelry this was a huge plus for me. I think it gives Mintd an edge that other sites just don’t offer, and that distinction is what keeps me wanting to stay. I get so excited when I see a fashion designer that is new to me add their products, so that exposure obviously works both ways.
6. Where do you get your ideas/inspiration for you products?
My travels, photography, literature, fashion, and music. Whatever I love at the moment seems to get a little Jenny kaleidescope treatment to make it my own and I try to recreate that into jewelry and art. It’s rapidly changing, but I hope there’s evidence that I put my feelings and hand into it.
7. What can we expect from your work in the future?
Lots of pretty little things.
8. What would you like to see on Mintd?
Well, I hear talk of a Mintd fashion show and that gets my heart beating quite a bit….I would love to be a part of that.
Seller Interviews: MyHandboundBooks Posted by rubidium about 1 year ago
Describe what it is that you sell on Mintd
I make and sell handbound leather journals, diaries, sketchbooks, and notebooks. The journals that I make are primarily old-style leather bindings and I try to replicate book structures from the Medieval and Renaissance eras.
When and how did you first get into making stuff?
When I was very young, pre-school age, my favorite activities were cutting and gluing and taping! Later as a teenager I tried various crafts and jewlery making. All very fun, but I really discovered my passion when I started bookbinding a few years ago. I was attending library school and there were introductory bookbinding classes offered so I registered for one, then two, then three, then just any other related course that I could find.
How did you hear about Mintd?
Some fellow artisans told me about Mintd.
How do you think Mintd will change your business, if it hasn’t already?
I am hoping that Mintd will help me sell more internationally since it isn’t usa-centric like some other sites.
What are your future plans for your business?
I want to continue making books forever. I am primarily interested in expanding my bookbinding knowledge and learning as much as possible about bookbinding, its history, and its art. That is my focus and the business of selling is secondary; however, I love knowing that my books are being used by writers all over the world and so I also want that to continue.
What is your favourite aspect of Mintd?
That green masthead!
Where do you get your ideas/inspiration for you products?
History. I spend a lot of time doing research and reading about the old styles of binding and it is my intention to replicate them as much as possible, just with some modernization to make them practical and durable as everyday journals.
What can we expect from your work in the future?
I will be exploring different historic binding styles as much as possible. There are many that I have never tried and many that I have yet to discover. So my books will evolve as my knowledge evolves.
What would you like to see on Mintd?
More users, more buyers :)
Who are some of your favourite sellers on Mintd?
I like Alicub’s cityscapes. I also love the boxes that SixthandElm makes.
Tell us something about yourself generally – where do you live, what do you do for fun, what are some of your favourite things … and more!
I live in Nova Scotia (Canada), surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with my hubby and my 2 year-old kiddie. Besides bookbinding, I read, and I grow vegetables in my garden, and I hang out with my family as much as possible. I’ve had no success in my efforts to make my hubby into a bookbinder, but I hope to get the kiddie making books soon while he is still easily influenced!
Mintd tips: making the most of your store Posted by 
SimoneWalsh 10 months ago
We recently posted some tips about making the most of your listings, well here are some tips to do with your Mintd store in general.
Banners and logos
Make sure that the artwork for your shop looks great and brands your business.
Often the first way that someone will encounter your Mintd shop is by way of your store logo. Logos that are pixelated or poorly put together are going to be less appealing to potential customers than those which look eye-catching and professional.
To see this in action, if you have a look at the most interesting stores you’ll see that those at the top all have professional looking logos.
It’s also important to make sure your shop banner looks equally good, along with having an interesting looking avatar for your account.
If you don’t have the skills to create your own shop artwork, have a look around for designers who do create professional banners and logos.
Shop name/title
It’s a great idea to keep your shop title brief and to the point, but also to include at least one keyword for the items you sell. For instance, if you sell jewellery (or jewelry) make sure you put that word into your shop name.
Also, I’d suggest keeping your shop title visible even if you do have a banner. Search engines can read this text, but they can’t read any of the text in your banner or other images.
Shop announcement
Again, being brief and to the point is very important. Shop announcements which are too long are likely to see your customers glazing over rather than scrolling down to check out your goodies!
So keep it punchy and engaging – and make sure you use a few important keywords here as well to help people find you in search engines.
If you have upgraded and can include some HTML in your announcement, it’s great to put a link in to your blog or Flickr account so customers can find out more about you and your work. Click on the ‘text input help’ link to find out more about how to do this – and formatting your text in general.
Featured products
You have three spots for featured products – make sure you use them all as they’re a great way to grab the attention of potential buyers.
Be sure to use your most interesting products and that the three photographs are as good as possible. Also change the products from time to time to keep things fresh.
Good photographs are one of the absolute most important elements of successful online selling and it’s worth spending a lot of time and energy to get them right and keep improving.
Listings
An empty shop is a less-than-interesting shop. You have at least ten listing spaces if you have a free account on Mintd – be sure to use them so that you engage potential buyers. If you have upgraded, then be sure to include as many items as you can.
The more listings you have on Mintd the more they will be seen all over the place, so it’s really worth spending the time to fill your spots.
Upgrading
The benefits of upgrading are great, so if you’re serious about making a success of your Mintd shop, have a look at the various seller plans to see which suits your business.
Having your own Mintd web address is very helpful when you’re promoting your shop, including it on business cards, etc.. I’d highly recommend considering Roller level if you are serious about getting the word out about your shop.
Remember that there are no listing fees on Mintd and you don’t need to constantly list, relist and renew items, which over time can be quite expensive in comparison to an annual subscription on Mintd.
Promote, promote, promote
When you’re happy with your shop, it’s time to work hard at getting the word out about it! You can never do enough promotion and if you keep at it and keep trying new things, you should see it pay off.
There are many ways to get your shop out there. Blog about it, promote items to shopping blogs, pay for advertising, network with other sellers, put images of your work on Flickr, apply to join Trunkt to showcase your work, get some business cards or Moo cards … and much more besides.
I’ll write more about promoting in future, but there are some thoughts to get you started!
