Local Moms Find Global Market for Handmade Projects

Amid numerous online markets – from Amazon to eBay – only one insists that sellers handcraft the goods they post for sale. Etsy.com, which bills itself as “the world’s handmade marketplace,” has more than 800,000 sellers – three of whom live in Waukee.

With the help of Etsy, Waukee moms Amy Smith, Shelby Anderson and Christia Palizzi each market their crafts to prospective buyers around the globe, directly from their Waukee homes.

For Smith, Etsy is a main marketing channel, responsible for most of her craft sales. For Anderson and Palizzi, the online store is more of a “cherry on top,” supplementing their more traditional marketing efforts.

A purse designer, Smith has operated her Esty shop, AmyBaileyDesigns, alongside her daughter since May 2008. Smith’s daughter is a painter, and she sells her spray paint-on-canvas work through AmyBaileyDesigns, as well. The two have sold their work to buyers from as far away as Washington state.

“We’re having fun with our Etsy shop as a hobby and plan to continue posting new items,” said Smith. “In the future we’d like to set up at the Waukee Farmers Market. It’s a great place for unique gifts.”

In the meantime, Smith believes much of her sales success comes from the ability to link Etsy with social media. “Once I post items on Etsy, I post the link to view my items on Facebook and Twitter.”

Anderson, who designs hand-stamped metal and found-object jewelry, operates an Etsy shop named MyCoseBelle. She only recently began to supplement sales from her website with Etsy.

A main reason Anderson chose to pursue an Etsy shop was the site’s user-friendly nature. “I’ve had my own website for nine years, but because I have no background in web design, I was reliant on someone else always updating the site for me.”

In addition to her own website and her presence on Etsy, Anderson has engaged in other online marketing activities, most recently teaming up with local blog Midwest Magnolia for a giveaway to further promote her work.

Developing relationships with brick-and-mortar shop owners has been important for Anderson, as well. She sells her jewelry wholesale to Eden in Des Moines’ East Village and Sisters in West Des Moines’ Valley Junction.

Palizzi has recently returned to Etsy after taking time away from the shop after the birth of her third child. When she first began her Etsy shop, LolaCate, knit hats were her contribution to the handmade marketplace. Now in the throws of launching a family photography business, Palizzi is offering her original photography prints.

“My shop was pretty successful when I simply sold knit hats,” said Palizzi. For photography, on the other hand, word of mouth from clients has a much larger impact on her business. “If I sell a print on Etsy, it’s a bonus for me.”

For aspiring Etzy shop owners, the Waukee crafters say staying current with the shop is key. Smith suggests sellers post items frequently and stay on top of communication with buyers who often have specific requests, questions about shipping and feedback on items for sale.

Anderson sums up her advice on successful Etsy sales with three succinct tips: “Be current, be original and never stop creating!”