Mannequin Reject was the name of my first zine back in 2005 and has since come to encompass everything creative I do. The Mannequin Reject Emporium was likewise born in 2005 so I could buy a Dell Laptop with the small business discount, but I had no idea what the MR Emporium would actually turn out to be. That all changed in 2007, when my husband showed up from Egypt with a bunch of Egyptian souvenirs that he thought could bring us some extra cash if we could sell it.
In December 2007, the Mannequin Reject Emporium officially opened a booth at the College Mart Flea Market in Jewett City, CT. While it originally had an Egyptian focus, eventually the focus turned to quirky items and handmade jewelry.
That's where Etsy came in. Around Christmas 2007, one of my friends told me I should look into Etsy, specifically Steampunk jewelry because it reminded him of the crazy stuff I'd be into (so he said). I took a look and sure enough--Steampunk jewelry, with its Victorian flair with a watch gear here and there took over my imagination.
Within two weeks, I had some jewelry ready to list on Etsy. The day after I officially opened shop, January 14, 2008, I got laid off from my executive assistant/web development position from a startup which has since gone out of business. I had no choice but to hit the ground running!
Etsy admittedly never paid all the bills, but it helped stretch my savings until I got a part time job working as an RCA for USPS. Working full time on my artistic endeavors and part time for USPS has been a dream! We left the flea market in May 2008 to turn our focus to eCommerce.
The Mannequin Reject Emporium continues to grow, having not only expanded the jewelry line, but also expanded into selling craft supplies and vintage wares, especially clothing from the late 1960's.