Melrose Home-Based Businesses Go Online With Etsy.com

For a relatively small city, Melrose is getting the hang of Etsy.com very quickly.

Eight Melrose-based shops now reside on Etsy.com, the make-it-then-sell-it-yourself Web site that has quickly become an Internet sensation among online shoppers eager to leave big-box stores behind. Home to sellers of everything from hair clips to portraits to carpentry, Etsy reached over 970 million page  views last month and has now helped home-based crafters and artisans gross more than $273 million in sales.

What's the growing appeal behind Etsy? For one, setting up shop is relatively cheap―and easy.

"The monetary investment [20 cents per item listed, then 3.5 percent sales fee for each item sold] is nominal," Adam Brown, Etsy's press manager, explained. "If you have stuff ready to go and have photos of it, you can have everything up and running in 20 minutes. If you're a hobbyist, it's a great way to test the waters."

The idea of a captive audience doesn't hurt, either.

"The people who come to Etsy.com are by and large interested in handmade and vintage goods," Brown continued. "[Sellers are] reaching an audience that is receptive. People are already interested.'"

Melrose artist and new Etsy shop owner Michael Brown is counting on just that interest.

"I decided to join Etsy because I have lots of paintings and drawings that I want to share," Brown said. "Etsy lets you display your artwork for long periods of time, for the whole world to see. It is like having your own virtual art gallery."

Adam Brown also points out the emotional connection Etsy shoppers often make with Etsy sellers.

"When you're shopping on Etsy, you're interacting with real people. It's different than Amazon, where you buy your book, then you get your book," Brown said. "On Etsy, you have the opportunity to learn about the person making what you're interested in, the story behind the objects."

Lifelong Melrose resident Daphne Cargill, owner of the Etsy shop DaphnesTotes, agrees.

"I like it," Cargill said of her experience with Etsy, where she has had her online shop since 2008. "It's fascinating to me."

Varying sellers, varying success

Also fascinating is the diversity among Melrose's Etsy shops. Michael Brown's brand-new shop, MFBart, is currently stocked with eight pieces of original artwork, ranging from acrylics to ink drawings. Brown plans to use Etsy in conjunction with his local promotional efforts, including exhibits of his work at Melrose's art show and .

Cargill, who continues to make the bulk of her sales at local stores, including , is a self-described "fabricaholic." The inventory at her Etsy shop includes handmade totes, wristlets, and hobo purses, all made of the brightly colored, often floral, and always cotton fabric that she prides herself on choosing well.

"I just do what I can do," Cargill said of her Etsy efforts, which so far have only resulted in four sales but 100 percent positive feedback. "I definitely try to stay within the current trends."

Melrosian Ellie Rush, who, like Cargill, has been an Etsy shopowner since 2008, has experienced more success on the site. Rush's vegan soap, candle, and lotion bar shop, Maple Street Creations, has made 1,027 sales over the past two years. Rush attributes the high sales to her approach of using Etsy as only part of her revenue stream, partnering her efforts there with her efforts at regional craft fairs and local stores like Possessions Gallery, as well as on Facebook and other e-commerce Web sites.

"I have a lot of repeat customers," Rush said when asked to predict why her Etsy shop has done so well. "I want to get more customers, keep up a steady clientele that way."

A steady clientele sounds like a good thing to fellow Melrose resident and Etsy newcomer LuAnn O'Hearn. A graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and a stay-at-home mom to teenagers, O'Hearn was first encouraged to bring her painting hobby online with Etsy by her children.

"My kids are Facebook-friendly and told me I should post some work online," O'Hearn explained, describing her collages, abstract paintings, and mixed-media pieces as "eclectic" and inspired by the bright colors of American pop art. Though only an Etsy member since June 2010, O'Hearn has already been featured in the Etsy "treasuries" Circle Within and Food Police, a free publicity boon that has resulted in hundreds of visits to her shop.

Getting more local support  

One thing that Melrose-based Etsy shopowners seem to have in common is a desire to drive more traffic to their shops―a lot more traffic. And they wouldn't if a large chunk of that traffic came from local visitors.

The Melrose Chamber of Commerce might be able to help with that soon. 

"There are multiple ways for home-based businesses to get exposure," Joan Ford Mongeau, the Chamber's executive director, said. Mongeau, who worked at home for years before taking on her current position at the Chamber, described upcoming efforts by the city organization to better support small, Web-based businesses such as the Melrose-owned Etsy shops.

"The idea of a home-based business discussion group is one that has been in the back of my mind since I started at the Chamber," Mongeau said, indicating that plans are definite but details are still sketchy. "This is on the Chamber agenda for 2011.  Of the Chamber businesses that are home-based, quite a few are doing business via the web, so I think there is cross-over and a whole new level of complexity."

For now, Melrose residents interested in checking out their fellow townspeople's shops might want to use the Shop Local feature of Etsy.com, found in the left-hand margin of the site. Alternatively, people may also search the site for a specific item, then check the Local Items box in the left-hand margin to identify sellers in their region.

Etsy press manager Adam Brown explains the benefit of connecting Etsy sellers with local shoppers.

"We definitely encourage Etsy sellers to make all of their information available, because it's another way for them to get discovered. We always tell people that it's great to support local artisans and businesses," Brown said, pointing out that buying from a local Etsy seller often guarantees that you will receive your purchase very quickly.

Melrose artist Michael Brown would like to see more of this community connection.

"I really haven't had any local connections using Etsy as of yet. I am pretty new to Etsy, so I am going to try and promote it locally as much as I can," Brown said. "I hope to create a lot more art to share in the future."