Let me introduce to you Rachel from DeSantis Vintage!
I had the opportunity to get to know Rachel better; I hope you will take the time to get to know her too!
How did your shop begin?
My shop began right out of the blue. When I say out of the blue, I mean straight from left field.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that it was completely unexpected and unplanned. I've always collected vintage dresses so I have a ton of them, but I never really thought I would sell any of them. Then, one day I stumbled upon this little site called Etsy. I found myself buying loads upon loads of vintage dresses from various shops. It was like a light bulb went off in my head, I thought, "Hey! I can do this too!" That day I threw on some dresses, modeled them in my hallway and viola! DeSantis Vintage was born.
What is your creative process?
Most of my dresses come from my personal collection, and let me tell you it's quite large. However, when I'm on the hunt for some new vintage, I basically just grab whatever catches my eye. Be it a vibrant color, or an interesting cut, I just like whatever looks good!
What has been your biggest crafting disaster?
I took a gamble on a fabulous red vintage dress with cloth buttons all down the front. It is very 50's politics with a 20's flapper feel. It's really beautiful but the fabric buttons were a little worn in the middle. I tried repairing them to no avail, fabric buttons are the most difficult thing to restore! I still have the dress but I need to figure out the best way to repair the buttons and match the fabric.
What are your current projects?
I'm currently trying to spread the word about my shop. I do a lot of contests in order to win advertising, I'm into Google AdWords, and learning SEO optimization is on the top of my list!
Any advice for those who want to start their own shop?
I think social networking is really important. When you're really excited about something, all you want to do is talk about it and show all your friends, right? So, websites like twitter and Facebook are excellent ways to reach further than your immediate reach. Getting the word out about what you have to offer via blogging is also great way to jump start anything you have to offer. The more people you tell, the more exposure and word-of-mouth you'll get! Besides getting the word out, photographing your items properly is key. If you have clothing and it's dingy, WASH IT! Using all five photo slots Etsy provides is important. Let your customers see various angles and views of your items. You'll only benefit! You can also use interesting backgrounds and invest in a quality camera. Take the extra time and put the energy into representing what you have to it's maximum potential. With the prepping, washing, picture taking/posing (yes, I model all my own clothing which is the mostly commonly asked question I get), description writing, and uploading of photos, one dress takes me almost an hour to list. It's a lot of work, but the end result is so worth it and I wouldn't want to do it any other way.
Find more of Rachel here-
Facebook- www.facebook.com/desantisvintage
Twitter- www.twitter.com/desantisvintage
Etsy- www.rdesant86.etsy.com
PS. Rachel is currently in the midst of a $30.00 store credit giveaway.
All you have to do is favorite her shop on Etsy and RSVP to the event on my facebook page www.facebook.com/desantisvintage by March 30th.
She will be making a video drawing one name from a bowl old school style and then it'll be posted to her blog and Facebook of announcing the winner on April 1st so go check it out!
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