When Etsy seller and small business owner Amanda Calta decided to start selling her refurbished French Provincial pieces online, she knew she first had to find a shipping solution.
“I thought, ‘How am I going to get these things to people if they want them? I don’t know how this is going to work,'” Amanda explained. That’s when she found uShip.
Though the Florida-based furniture seller and owner of Reloved Home Designs was renting a storefront, she was having a difficult time finding the foot traffic needed to sustain her business. Around that same time, she sold her first piece on Etsy and never looked back. After three months in her rented space, she ended her lease and now exclusively sells online.
“I do have some local followers who pick pieces up, but most of my items ship out of state. It’s all on Etsy or some form of online selling.”
Setting a Shipping Price
When it came to setting a shipping price, Amanda was initially hesitant about baking the cost into her overall product value – a strategy that Etsy encourages and many online furniture sellers have adopted. But ultimately, she discovered that this method doesn’t deter customers looking for the one-of-a-kind pieces she sells.
“If someone hears that their shipping cost is going to be $400, they think, ‘I’m not going to pay $400 to ship something.’ But if they see the overall price and they feel that the item is valued at the entire price, they have no problem paying for it.”
One of Amanda’s French Provincial Sideboard Buffets, available on Etsy.
Amanda is among a growing number of Etsy sellers who have mastered the messy business of furniture shipping through uShip. With access to instant pricing and a network of thousands of feedback-rated carriers, small business owners can easily calculate their cost to ship and connect with transporters who deliver to customers across the country.
Etsy sellers like Amanda also save time and money thanks to free blanket-wrap service and full-coverage insurance options. Plus, only Etsy sellers earn credit every time they ship with uShip*.
While custom dressers may not sell like hot cakes locally, there are an infinite amount of customers across the country who are willing to go the extra mile for that one-of-a-kind piece (and pay for it too).
For Amanda Calta, uShip has helped her reach these enthusiastic buyers near and far.
Are you an Etsy seller struggling to find a fast, affordable, and secure way to ship furniture to buyers nationwide? Find out how to get access to instant shipping estimates and free blanket-wrap service from uShip’s network of feedback-rated carriers.
*To receive uShip credit, Etsy sellers must fill out the form on the uShip-Etsy Landing Page. This is the case whether or not you have an existing uShip account and/or have shipped on uShip before. Visit our landing page for more information.
