Etsy does it - Web site offers outlet for people to buy and sell handmade items

It's been only a year since Sarah Jane opened a "shop" on etsy.com and began selling her artwork through the online marketplace.

But she has already become a standout on the site, with customers as far away as Japan and Germany. Several major U.S. publishers have also contacted her about doing illustrations for children's books.

She never dreamed her Etsy shop would help launch such a successful at-home career.

"It's amazing that a little mom in Orem, Utah, can reach people all over the world but still stay at home and play with her babies," said Sarah Jane, who asked her last name not be used. "I've gained more through Etsy than I could have ever gained."

Etsy was launched in 2005 as a forum for people to buy and sell handmade items. It's an e-commerce site such as eBay, but users say it operates more like a craft fair versus an online "garage sale."

More than 1.5 million people are members of the site, and at least 200,000 are registered "sellers." Here in Utah, as many as 3,770 people have used the site to launch homegrown, Web-based businesses, according to Etsy spokesman Adam Brown.

Some are like Layton mom Ashley Blanch Steele, who gained instant success when her Etsy shop was highlighted by "The Martha Stewart Show." Others, such as Lisa Perry of North Salt Lake, Janie Young of South Jordan and Michael Phipps of Orem, are just happy to be earning extra income through the site.

Meanwhile, Ashley Giessing of West Jordan is hoping to make enough money on Etsy that she can quit her regular job and stay home with her kids.

Either way, they're all part of a unique business model where the Internet has expanded their reach to a global audience. And with the nation's economic downturn, Etsy users and administrators predict more people will turn to the site to either buy or sell handmade items that are more unique, "affordable and durable than mass-produced things," according to Brown.

Here's a quick look at a few of the Etsy sellers in Utah and their advice for thriving on the Web.

Lisa Perry — cupboardscraps.etsy.com

Before joining Etsy, Lisa Perry didn't have much luck selling online. She tried operating her own Web site but said she struggled to bring traffic to the site and get people to trust her account system.

On Etsy, Perry's vintage-style necklaces and stationery are highly popular. She's had more than 575 sales this year and said this is the first time in 15 years she is actually making money doing what she loves. Her advice to people looking to start a Web-based business is to test a few items, see if they sell, then keep tweaking their strategy to see what interests the public.