How Veresk’s Etsy Shop Earned $24K Selling Affordable Art

Overview

In early 2019, Anastasia lost her position at a bank and needed an outlet to stay sane. She returned to her childhood love of painting, creating simple flower compositions without worrying about perfection. After painting dozens of works, she wondered if anyone would pay for them. That curiosity led her to set up an Etsy store named “Veresk.”

Initial Setup and First Sale

Anastasia signed up for Etsy, linked PayPal, and listed a single 50×60 cm flower painting at $100. Listing fees and shipping costs meant she actually lost money, but after three quiet months she heard the cha-ching that every seller loves. That $100 sale—despite a $10 materials deficit—proved demand existed.

Defining “Cheap Art”

Most professional art is priced out of reach for newcomers decorating their first home. Anastasia realized her target audience prized uniqueness over gallery prestige. She adjusted prices: small paintings at $165, larger at $900, always using quality canvas and oil. Sixty percent of buyers came from North America, where average wages made her prices feel fair.

Scaling Strategies

To boost visibility, she experimented:

• ​Etsy Ads for two years, spending $315 on a $680 return.
• ​Mini magnets priced at $25 that sold as party favors—14 magnets for a $350 wedding gift order.
• ​Free Pinterest posts driving 49% of traffic, lifting visits by 50%.

Financial Breakdown

From May 2019 to February 2022, Veresk logged 46,000 visits and 142 orders, generating $24,086 in Etsy-tracked revenue. In 2021 alone, $7,133 in sales after $1,063 in fees left a net of $6,070 before material expenses. Example costs: a medium canvas ($12.50), oils ($10), and shipping ($14.50).

Challenges and Closure

In February 2022, Etsy suspended Russian stores due to payment system changes. Although methods to reopen via proxies or foreign addresses exist, success is mixed. Anastasia plans a comeback with a new shop and will share her next chapter.