Starting My Online Store Through Bonanza

Well, I did it. I've officially opened my own online store. I'm not going to lie, I'm not sure what I'm doing. I do, however, think I've chosen the right place to get started. I've opened my shop on a platform called Bonanza.com.

I first found Bonanza about 8 years ago, but didn't really set up a shop until 2020. Even though I had set up a shop, I never did anything with it. In truth, I chickened out. I had myself convinced I couldn't do it, so I didn't. I want to prove myself wrong.

I have a shop set up on Etsy, but to date, I've never made a single sale. Granted, I don't have much over there, but I've had a few digital items listed for almost a year now. Honestly, I haven't done much in the way of networking or marketing. And yes, I know that a crucial element to success. I'm just not sure how to go about promoting my shops other than what I'm doing right now. Post it on one of my blogs that get literally NO traffic.

Anyway, about the shop. I call it Prairied Treasures. This name came to me a long time ago. In the early 2000's, I was thinking of setting up a shop on Ebay and the name just came to me. I live on prairieland and most of what I'd planned to sell were handmade items and vintage pieces I'd collected throughout the years. And just when I was about to go all in, life went sideways and it never happened.

Fast forward ten years and I was finally able to get back to the idea of setting up my own shop. The problem was that things had gotten way more technical since I'd last played with the idea. I had to learn how to do things all over again. 

Of course, my first stop was at Etsy. I set up my shop and began the learning process of how to make it work. I'm still learning, but I've managed to figure out that it costs money to list the items, as well as costing money when you make a sale. It's not a lot of money, but still...

Etsy charges a 20-cent fee for each listing and will automatically renew those listings every 4 months. Depending on your inventory list, that could get a little pricey, especially if you're not selling much. 

Also, Etsy limits what you can sell on their platform. According to their What Can I Sell page, they allow handmade items and vintage items that are at least 20 years old. And though that means you could potentially sell anything made before 2000, you still have to be very careful.

Finally, there is a lot of competition on Etsy. I mean, A LOT!!! It's hard being a little fish in such a huge pond. I make a lot of handmade paper items, as well as make a lot of Junk Journal embellishments. There are hundreds of other shops on Etsy that sell the exact same thing. 

So, why Bonanza? There's NO LISTING FEES. Bonanza does charge a one-time shop set-up fee of $14.99, then charge 25-cents per transaction plus a Final Offer Fee (3.5% minimum-30% maximum depending on choice of advertising package)

They are a little more lenient on what you can and can't sell on their site, but you should still look through their prohibited items list just to make sure. Most items on the list are common sense. No guns, drugs, get-rich-quick schemes...that kind of thing. 

I don't have a lot on my new shop yet, but I am working on it. I've got several Christmas brooches I'm planning on listing, as well as a lot of junk journal embellishments and ephemera kits I'm working on. I think this is going to be the best place to work my magic. 

Now, I just need to figure out how to do some proper marketing and I might have a shot. I guess we'll see. Stay tuned.

Until next time,
Miss Chris

Freewriting for Ideas

"Deep in Thought" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

 

I'm so glad I found this blog once again. I like the idea of having a little space to just let my fingers dance across the keys and see what comes out. I've been working on trying to open up an online shop, but I keep distracting myself with details. I'm sabotaging myself, really. I do it all the time.

I've been using an AI generator to help me come up with ideas. I really like Gemini AI. It's helped me come up with some really cool ideas. Now, with that being said, I also have to admit that I don't like the idea of having AI write my pieces for me. Just doesn't feel right. As a writing prompt creator, I'm all for finding ideas to write about wherever you can find them. But to have an AI program write FOR ME? No, thank you.

In correlation with me opening up my own online shop, I'm also trying to revive my website, Collected Keepsakes. I've been trying to come up with ideas on the types of articles to write that has to do with collecting, collectibles, and collectors. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. It sucks. "Hey, get a niche site," they said. "It'll be fun," they said. "Oh, just go with what you know." I'm trying.

I've got to figure out how to combine my "collectibles" website with the idea of creativity. I've been in a very creative flow lately. Problem is that I'm trying to swing from writing a full-length novel, a short series of 30-minute reads, and keeping up my Medium sites, to trying to get stuff put together for my shop and getting the word out about it. My brain's turning to mush.

I've decided that I'm going to try and sell a few of the things I've got around my house. I have a whole jewelry box full of vintage Christmas brooches that I'll never wear. My mother collected them, so what better idea than to pass them along to other collectors and let something she thought of as beautiful, go to a new home. She would have loved that. I'll keep a few pieces that have special memories, but this is something she would have fully approved of.

I also have way more crafting supplies than I'll ever use. I get most of my crafting materials from second-hand stores, garage sales, and auctions. Plus, I used to work in a craft store and got 20% off everything, including clearance items. I may have gone a little overboard. That was 10 years ago and I still have totes and boxes full of stuff. Time to let some of it go. 

Maybe if I work on doing a specific post each week. I thought of doing a "Pinterest Find of the Week" and talk about finding ideas on how to make your own collectibles. I'll have to think on that a little deeper. I can show off crochet items, sewing projects, tips on making miniatures, or do a spotlight on different websites. Yeah, I'll have to think about that one.

I have a lot of ideas, but nothing solid. I do know that it's never going to happen unless I just do it. Stop coming up with reasons why I can't and just do it. Stop whining about not getting it done and fix it. I'm the only one standing in my way.

Okay, I'm done for now. I'm so happy I found my little blog again. It's not the blog I thought it would be when I started it 14 years ago, but it's still here. I'm still here.

Until next time,
Stay creative!!!

~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently write for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's in the process of opening up her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures. 

Asserting Dominance Over My Dream

"Bucket List Book" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

 

Don't you just hate it when someone hasn't touched their blog for over a year then just out of the blue, they're like "Surprise, I'm back." Me too, but here I am.

I think I pop into this place every now and then simply to make sure it's still here. I don't know why I care, as you can see I don't touch it on a regular basis. But I like knowing that if I need a place to just write something...anything...I can do it here. 

The sad part is that once I get this all done, I have to reteach myself how to put in the image and all the other stuff that makes it pretty once it's done. Weirdo. 

I'm thinking of using this spot as my freewrite space. I know I've said that before, but I do like the freedom of my Blogger space. It's here and no one knows me. If y'all run across this by accident, stop in and have a cuppa joe. 

I've got a lot of things going on in my head these days. Since I'm no longer married, I spend a lot of time alone. So, what does an old, single woman do when she's all alone? Well, she writes of course. Silly, what were you thinking???

I'm working on a 30-minute read series I'm going to publish on Amazon Kindle in the next few days. Well, the first installment will be. I'm kind of excited about it, and kind of nervous. I'm not sure why, I just am.

I'm also in the process of writing my first full-length book. It's taken me almost 2 years and I'm still not done with it. It's called The Pin-Up Girl Murders and it started out similar to a Kindle Vella but I was publishing it on Medium. I've got a nice little following so hopefully it will do me some good.

Now that I'm on my own, I don't have to worry about someone telling me that they don't want me spending all my time writing online...or at all. I've always wanted to be a writer, but someone has always tried to stop me. My first husband would tell me it was a stupid dream and I needed to spend my time taking care of him and the kids. Husband #2 got it in his head that I was doing things online that were immoral. And all I was doing was trying to make a little extra money doing what I loved. Assholes.

I need to get it out of my head that I'm not good enough to do this. I need to remember that this is the dream I've had since I was a kid. I didn't want to be a doctor or a lawyer. I didn't want to be a model or a movie star. I wanted to be a writer. Well, I wanted to be an archaeologist too, but writing was my first love.

I'm hoping that if I get back into this whole blogging thing, I'll get my flow back. I walked away from writing altogether for 6 years. I've spend the past 6 years getting my groove back. Now, it's time to take it to the next level. I have to do this. I'm the only one standing in my way now.

This will be my "I need to get my fingers and my mind limbered up" space. I'll throw in a free write, maybe post about some random shit I find interesting online, probably talk about ancient history and that kind of thing as well. 

I don't know what I'll do in the meantime, but I'm going to be a writer. A paid, dyed-in-the-wool writer. You watch. 

Let's get this party started.