Internet Connection: Local online businesses use social media, pop-up shops to reach customers
PHOTO PROVIDED My.honeyella owner Lyndsay Miller is working on a dried flower arrangement that is available for sale at her shop.
PHOTO PROVIDED Timber Merryman stands next to her handmade accessories during a pop up.
PHOTO PROVIDED Lynn O’Brien stands next to one of her vintage pieces that was available for sale on her Instagram.
PHOTO PROVIDED Shown is a flower arrangement by Scythe and Stem, made up completely of flowers that were grown from the seed by the business.
PHOTO PROVIDED My.honeyella owner Lyndsay Miller is working on a dried flower arrangement that is available for sale at her shop.
PHOTO PROVIDED Timber Merryman stands next to her handmade accessories during a pop up.
PHOTO PROVIDED Lynn O’Brien stands next to one of her vintage pieces that was available for sale on her Instagram.
PHOTO PROVIDED Shown is a flower arrangement by Scythe and Stem, made up completely of flowers that were grown from the seed by the business.
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Many small online businesses are in the pursuit of a more sustainable future as vintage resale and handmade artistry is on the rise.
Popular social media platforms such as Instagram have become a tool for these business owners, creating a more accessible way for customers to shop.
Lynn O'Brien, owner of Lady Lawless, @_ladylawless_ and @_littlelawless_on Instagram, sells vintage pieces and handmade clothing for both adults and children.
A mother of two with a love for fashion, O'Brien began selling online after having her first daughter.
"I had my daughter and my original plan was to go back to work, but then I decided that I didn't want to, so it was a way to combine my interest, which is clothes and fashion with being at home with my daughter," said O'Brien. "It's nice because I do have that flexibility. I have a second daughter now. She's eight months old. I feel so lucky that I am home with them during these special young years as well as following my own pace," she added.
Along with secondhand and vintage pieces, O'Brien handmakes her own clothing with sustainably sourced materials.
"I always try to source more natural fibers just because I prefer them -- cotton, linen, silk, etc, " O'Brien said. "Anything new that I use for sewing would be thread, trims, bias tape. But all of my supplies are either found at Goodwill, thrift stores, estate sales, yard sales, or I source fabric on eBay and Poshmark. I've been making stuff out of old quilted bedspreads, quilts," she added.
O'Brien most frequently collects vintage from the '70s to 2000s.
"So much of it is like having your own style reflected in your shop and then you have customers who know what they like and they know what you're going to have or know that they have the similar style that you do. I have repeat customers that have bought for me consistently over the past three years. Just because we have similar style and they like what I source," O'Brien said.
As the commercial fashion industry leans more into bulk and cheaper-sourced material, second hand sellers handpick and create more long lasting products.
"So often these days clothes are made so cheaply and are really bad for you. Materials that have microplastics, it's just not good. These super cheap clothes that are going to fall apart after you wash them," O'Brien said. "That's the beauty of shopping from a reseller or Goodwill. More often than not, you're going to get a piece that's already been washed and dried and that's what you're going to get, you don't have to worry about it changing," she added.
"The quality of clothes is better than what you're getting from fast fashion companies and also, the fast fashion industry and the pollution that it creates. And horribly minimum, low low wage work," O'Brien said. "Ethically and personally, I really try not to shop fast fashion -- it's cheap for a reason. People aren't getting paid or they're getting paid very, very little. It's just not good, the pollution these companies over produce," she added.
"The quality is better. And you're supporting like a real person. When someone buys from my shop, they're supporting me and my family directly. You're not supporting a huge chain where there's a billionaire at the top of it and low wage workers at the bottom. You're supporting family or supporting a woman owned business most of the time," O'Brien said.
In addition to selling through Instagram, O'Brien does pop up sales, where she sells her vintage and handmade goods at different local events.
More updates on available clothing and upcoming pop up events, find Lady Lawless on Instagram.
Lyndsay Miller, owner of @My.honeyella on Instagram, sources secondhand clothing, home decor and beyond.
Miller sells through Instagram, a website and does around 40 pop up shops per year.
"I'm at thrift stores several times a week. It's nice that I don't have to just go for myself, I have other people to shop for too," Miller said. "It's really fun and doesn't feel like a job at all. I can waste a few hours in a thrift store and not even realize it," she added.
Miller also takes requests from repeat sellers or buyers, if they are searching for something in particular.
"I have a bunch of customers who say 'I'm looking for this or this is my style. If you can find it, buy it if it's my size.' I like going out and looking for things for other people," Miller said.
"I know a lot of people love it just for the environmental sake of it and not wasting anything. Even if I go and source a bunch of stuff, if I don't keep it, I donate it back. So there's absolutely no waste involved with it, which is awesome," Miller said.
Another beneficial part of buying second hand, according to Miller, is being able to put together a unique wardrobe.
"I love it just because for the most part, nobody can recreate my outfits. My style is like my style. I don't just go to Target and get something or go and order some stuff. I have vintage brands mixed with, like, Free People -- My style is just unique to me because I thrift," she added.
Miller sources her secondhand goods locally and travels to cities for clothing hauls.
"Locally, we actually have quite a few good places and then I go further sometimes," Miller said. "Me and my mom like to make little trips. We just went to New York City two weekends ago. And bigger cities like Baltimore or Lancaster -- just going to those places to get the better brands and there's more to pick from out there," Miller said "The bigger cities are more expensive for me to source from but then I come home with a lot more stuff and better brands and quality," she added.
When sourcing, Miller is always on the lookout for natural, lasting materials.
"I love neutrals and the patterns. Materials are really important, like linens, natural stuff. Anything that's going to last awhile and the brands everybody likes -- even if I personally don't love it, I pick it up because I know somebody will," Miller said.
When Miller sells an item, she either sends it through mail or if the customer is local, she offers pick up and drop offs.
"I ship probably 75% of the orders. But then I have local customers who just come right to my door and pick it up. I have a few people that are in Williamsport that I actually just drop off to because they're really close to me or close to work," Miller said.
My.honeyella can be found on Instagram or at www.myhoneyella.com.
Molded in Love, owned by Timber Merryman, is a company that handmakes earrings, apparel and other goods.
Merryman, originally of Jersey Shore, creates all of her products with love.
"The reason I started this is I loved the reaction that people got when they wore my stuff and when they felt so empowered and beautiful," Merryman said. "I always want to make people feel beautiful. So this was the best way to do it to just remind everyone who wears them how beautifully they were molded, which is how my name came about," she added.
"My favorite thing about promoting my business and promoting shopping small is just how much love and energy goes into everything that I make. Seeing people's orders just gets me so excited. I put so much energy into making them. Somebody loves the stuff that I create so much that they're willing to purchase it," Merryman said. "I know that sometimes when you shop small, it's a little more expensive, but I think that just comes down to how much time is put into it rather than the money aspect," she added.
The materials Merryman uses to create her products are sourced from other small business owners.
"It's so cool to see that ripple effect that happens, because most if not all of my stuff is purchased through small businesses. All of my metal that I put on my earrings, my jump rings, the earring hooks and all of that stuff comes from different Etsy shops," Merryman said.
Merryman first began selling through Instagram for fun, and it quickly took off.
"At first it was more like a hobby -- So many people were interested in them. So then that's when I started selling on Instagram and then I went to my website because it was just overloaded," Merryman said.
Merryman, who now lives in Harrisburg, often comes back to the Williamsport area for pop ups.
"I do pop ups like all throughout Harrisburg. I also have done some in Lewisburg, Bloomsburg, the pajama factory in Williamsport. That's probably my favorite part, is pop ups," Merryman said.
Molded in Love can be found on Instagram or at www.moldedinlove.com.
Scythe And Stem, @scytheandstem on Instagram, is owned and operated by husband and wife Kyle Hooker and Abbey Vanderlin. Their local flower shop is run both online and through local pop ups.
"Our business first started with a small table at downtown Williamsport's First Friday. We've since added our website and popup locations," said Abbey Vanderlin, owner of Scythe and Stem.
"We have been super lucky to have some wonderful friends/local business owners who host our pop ups/flower drop-offs -- Buzzsaw Coffee, The Bullfrog Brewery and New Trail Brewing," Vanderlin said. "It has been really awesome as newbie creatives/farmers in the area to receive such warm and generous support from some of our favorite businesses and people," she added.
Vanderlin started dabbling in the flower growing and selling business back in 2018 and later began the full-scale business in 2022.
"We sell specialty cut flowers – mixed fresh bouquets in the growing season, and dried flowers/dried flower wreaths after our growing season is over," Vanderlin said.
Scythe and Stem has plans to expand within the next year.
"We'll be expanding our website this season to include offerings for small weddings – I feel the most connected to intimate affairs like backyard events and elopements. We'll be offering a la carte bridal/bridal party bouquets, table arrangements, and personals (boutonnieres, crowns)," Vanderlin said.
"I'd also like to begin to offer DIY bulk buckets for people interested in doing their own wedding flowers. All of our wedding offerings are farmer's choice, meaning I reserve creative license for the final color palette and design," Vanderlin said. "We're a really small growing operation, so we can't be as specific with flower choices as traditional florists, but we'd like to be the right fit for the right enthusiastic person," she added.
"We're hoping to add an on-farm roadside stand this season," Vanderlin said.
Scythe and Stem currently offer their wreaths online, and will offer more dried flower and wreath options in the future.
Special requests can be given for arrangements by request via email or on their website.
"We offer a special service called a "CSA," community supported agriculture, which is a pre-paid weekly bouquet subscription in our peak growing season," Vanderlin said. "We will announce the subscription openings around Mother's Day – the best place to watch for news is on our Instagram and Facebook," she added.
Scythe and Stem can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/scytheandstem,their website www.scytheandstem.com, or Instagram.