How do you turn a pop-up into a real brick-and-mortar shop? Meet Etsy Seller Ryan Seagrist

Ryan always loved collecting old knick-knacks, but it wasn’t until he started repurposing them into unique lamps that his business was born. Now, he spends every spare hour outside of his 9-to-5 job reconditioning vintage pieces and selling them on Etsy or at local flea markets. 

As Ryan gets ready to explore how to turn his successful pop-up shop into a real brick-and-mortar business, what are the key steps he needs to address first?

Read on to learn more about Ryan — and add your tips for him below!

Name: Ryan Seagrist

Business: Northern Electric Lighting Company

Started: September 2013

How did you create your awesome job?

I’ve always been interested in antiques and I run Northern Electric Lighting Company alongside my full-time job, partly as a hobby and partly as a business. 

Monday through Friday, I work for Whole Foods Market as a Receiving and Maintenance Manager. During my evenings and on weekends, I run my Etsy antiques business. I basically have two full-time jobs and work 70-hour weeks, but New York is expensive so I need the extra income! Plus, I love the work.

I specialize in collecting old electronics like microscopes, generators and musical equipment. Most have been made obsolete by advances in technology, so I decided to give these items a new purpose by turning them into lamps. 

One day, I got talking to a friend of mine who owns a motorcycle shop, and he asked to display my lamps in his shop window. That’s when they started to sell. 

He and I also talked about my collection of vintage lighters. We decided to team up and start reconditioning them together in his shop. There’s a huge variety of lighters out there from back in the day, but we specialize in 1940s and 19550s Ronson and Zippo lighters and those from occupied Japan. These are taking off and selling the fastest at the moment! 

When did you know your business was going to work?

There wasn't an exact moment when it all came together — it's been more a gradual process of adapting to the opportunities that present themselves. 

Rent is so high in NYC that a lot of people have to work two jobs just to get by. I work hard in the hope that, one day, I’ll be able to quit my day job and focus on this business full-time. But, I need to go wherever the business takes me and keep myself in a strong enough position to take advantage of opportunities when they crop up.

Soon after I started out in my friend’s motorcycle shop, I was approached by a local market to set up a stall. Eventually, I put my items online. 

Etsy has been great for me because it’s given me a much broader customer base and it’s diversified where I can advertise. My online sales have really taken off recently, and I’m expecting to have a busy holiday season.

 
What has been the biggest surprise so far after starting your own business?

We’re an LLC (Limited Liability Company) now, but the process of getting there was much more difficult than I thought it would be. 

I couldn’t believe how much paperwork there was, and I didn’t understand some of the weird publishing requirements in NYC. For example, we had to place a $1,000 ad in a magazine that no one ever reads, just to comply.

How do you price your products?

I have to take into account what others are selling lamps for and the size of the item and its rarity when I price my products. 

Sometimes I can pick up a piece for $5 and make a good margin, but other times I might find something really special, like an old brass microscope, and love it so much that it’s worth adding to the line, even if the margin isn’t so big.

I’ve found that it’s valuable to have a good range of prices in my shop. I always have $100 lighters for sale because I get a lot of customers who just want to buy the craziest thing they can. On the flip side, I also keep a bunch available for $5 so that everyone can pick up something they like. I don’t ever want to limit myself to just one market.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I package my items at night so they’re ready to send in the morning before I go to work. I work my regular job from 9am until 5pm, then work on fixing up lighters when I get home. 

When I have time off, I plan for taking on bigger projects like making larger lamps. I have to drill out and gut each piece to fit the lights in — and I’m often working with pieces I’ve never seen before — so have to figure them out as I go, which can take a lot of time.

Right now I’m preparing for the Artists and Fleas market in NYC that runs through all of November and December. Selling at this market is great because it gets a lot of foot traffic and it’s prime holiday season. However, it also means working Saturdays and Sundays from 10am until 7pm. Getting there and back in New York traffic is a project in and of itself, but I've learned that it’s worth it for the exposure.

If you could go back in time, what’s the one thing you’d do differently when starting your business?

I’ve taken my business slowly and tried to grow it in rational steps. I hear about people who rush in before they know what they’re doing and get ahead of themselves, and I’m glad I didn’t do that. I’m happy so far with the progress I've made.

Buying junk can be addictive, especially when it's all cool stuff. I probably bought too many pieces early on that I haven't been able to sell — yet. Still holding out that they will find a home!

What would you like to learn today from a network of other small business owners and self-employed professionals?

The best thing about selling in person at markets is that I get access to a great community of people who are always happy to share stories and advice. 

One day I’d like to get a brick-and-mortar shop, but I need to find the confidence first — I don’t yet know any market traders who’ve done that. 

I’d be interested to know what prompted others here to make the decision to set up a physical shop, and what processes I need to follow if I wanted to do the same.

 Have you made the transition to setting up a brick-and-mortar shop after selling at pop-ups and online?

Do you have tips for Ryan as he starts to think about the steps he needs to take before opening a permanent shop? 

What have you learned that you can share with our community?

Share your ideas below! :-)