Home > Haute Mamas > Archives > 2008 > June > 20 > Entry
Shopping local made easy
Hello again!
Last night my boyfriend and I were discussing how ridiculous it is that some people think the Internet is causing people to become farther apart. It’s simply not true. Sure, we may be losing the art of hand-written notes, but no one could ever read my handwriting anyway, so what’s the loss?
When I first started making jewelry, and especially when I decided to sell that jewelry, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I learned my craft entirely from online forums and tutorials. Some very kind strangers helped me out in the beginning and I couldn’t have started my business as quickly or easily without them.
Online communities are bringing people together more than ever — people with and without things in common. The web is great for bringing locals together, too — just look at the forums springing up on local newspaper Web sites all over the country. Having my own online-based biz, I’m very interested in how to connect to people not only across the country, but also closer to home.
To help maintain that local connection for artist’s and independent sellers, Etsy.com has an awesome feature called “Shop Local”. (For those of you that haven’t yet explored the fabulous world of Etsy.com, it’s a place to buy and sell handmade goods and vintage items. They were recently on Martha Stewart and also just had their 1 millionth registration, so imagine how much good stuff is on there!)
I LOVE the “Shop Local” feature on Etsy. Put in a town, and voila, you can see all the sellers with shops in that area. This is great for people who want to support their local artists without hoping or wondering whether they’ll show up at the next craft fair.
From the main page of etsy.com, go to “Shop Local” on the left, and enter in your town of choice to see recently updated stores — enjoy!
Have a great weekend and stay tuned for more handcrafted topics and links.
Comments
By Robin
June 20, 2008 8:10 AM | Link to this
I love Etsy. You can find such fun and unique things … like jewelry from Wired Originals!
By Jennifer
June 23, 2008 3:14 PM | Link to this
Hmmm…I just did a search to see who else locally sells and my own shop didn’t show up.
By cari
June 23, 2008 5:56 PM | Link to this
Jennifer—maybe you have your location set to ‘none’? my only theory! Also, i get results on by using Grand Junction—zip codes don’t seem to be reliable. What’s your store link—i”d love to see! Cari
By cari
June 23, 2008 5:56 PM | Link to this
Jennifer—maybe you have your location set to ‘none’? my only theory! Also, i get results only by using Grand Junction—zip codes don’t seem to be reliable. What’s your store link—i”d love to see! Cari