SmartFlix: How did the idea of MixtGoods.com come to you, and when did you start it?

Sandra Ross: The thought of a retail website always appealed to me. My husband is a computer guy and we’ve been shopping on the Internet from the very beginning. If you can believe it, I became disillusioned with my corporate law job and I bought the domain, MixtGoods.com, in 2003. We moved from NJ to OR that following year. Then we had our daughter in 2005. I liked being a lawyer, it was stimulating, I made decent money and I actually wasn’t bad at it. But things took a turn at work and I wanted to try something different and decided to make MixtGoods happen. We developed a business plan, did a lot of research, worked with our web developer on a database and graphics and started signing on artists last Fall. The site launched in January and I quit my law job in June.

We’ve always gravitated towards handmade goods, we could always find something at a craft fair. There’s an intimacy that you just don’t feel by buying something at the mall. Most of the artists we knew, or would meet at these shows, have a website or are on the verge of developing a website. Some sites act as a portfolio and others are retail sites. But the problem is if no one knows that an artist exists, how will they find them on the web? They’ve got to advertise, market and develop a user-friendly site. To manage sales from the site, you need to calculate shipping and make trips to the post office. Often, these types of efforts fall outside an artist’s comfort zone and they don’t really enjoy doing it. We had many artists confess that they’d rather be working in their studio than making change and sitting in the rain selling their work.

This is when the MixtGoods mission was clarified. I saw a need by both artists and customers that wasn’t being met. The customers for handmade work was there, but the manner with which it was delivered was sort of flawed.

I was Assistant General Counsel for a telephone manufacturer. When we would come out with a new product, we would meet with retailers (whom we considered our “customers”), deliberate over features, cost of goods, shipping, etc. The model that I saw being used by artists was to make something and stand on the corner to see if anyone wanted to buy it. If they did buy something, hand them a business card and hope they found you again.

With the exception of brick and mortar galleries or specialty stores, the standard retail model doesn’t really exist in the art world. Most artists and even art resellers aren’t comfortable in a corporate environment. I think both find the other distasteful, to some extent. Also, the manner with which you’d go about posting and selling unique items online is cumbersome. But I realized, when I was taking photos of my old magazines and maternity clothes to sell on eBay, that it wasn’t that hard, if you had a process in place.

I tried to leverage the idea of bringing artists together in one place, like a craft show or a market. You sell the type of products where people expect to buy those types of products. A brick and mortar store was limiting and the website gave us the national customer base that these artists deserve and can’t get by participating in local markets or craft fairs.

Honestly, it’s a lot harder than we ever thought, but, at the same, it’s more fun.

SmartFlix: What are the most popular items sold on your website? Is there ever anything you can’t keep on the shelves because of high customer demand?

Sandra: We do stock inventory. We don’t buy on consignment. It seems complicated and doesn’t show the same level of commitment to the artist. Everything you see on our site is on-hand and ready to ship. Things are selling well, but what’s fun is when we’ve had a run on things. First, it was the Hardwear by Renee handbags, then Sushi Catnip, Personal KNinjas, Toothpick Holders (who knew!?) and, most recently, Scrabble Photo Albums.

SmartFlix: What does it take for an artist to be able to sell their creations on MixtGoods?

Sandra: We ask for digital photos to be emailed to us. If we like their work, it’s a good fit and the price is right, we’ll do it. There are so many incredible artists out there that it’s been tough to field all the submissions. Right now, we aren’t taking any more jewelry artists and are staying away from paintings and photography because of the difficulty in photographing and featuring that type of work.

We’re very upfront with the artists. We are trying to alleviate some of the commercial burden related to selling their own work. We believe they should forcus on their craft, and let us worry about postage, advertising, and finding the right size shipping box. We don’t demand exclusivity of our artists, although it’s nice when it happens, they are free to sell to whomever they choose. The only real requirement we have is that they offer the same wholesale price to us as they do others, and that we not be “undersold,” even by them.

We know that the strength of the site will ultimately rely on the quality and uniqueness of the work being presented, the manner with which it is presented, and the user experience and interface.

SmartFlix: Are you an artist yourself? If so, what do you do and do you sell your things on MixtGoods?

Sandra: While I’d like to think I’m creative, I am not an artist. Certainly, not an “artist” like the ones featured on our site. I was a Philosophy major and Studio Art minor in college, then I went to law school. That pretty much sums it up. I like to dabble, but know better than to try it for real. Although, there was a time when I really enjoyed hand-making invitations to all my friends wedding and baby showers, and got lots of compliments.

SmartFlix: Are a lot of your employees artists? Do they sell their wares on MixtGoods?

Sandra: Actually, we don’t have any employees, my husband, Chris, our website designer, Jake, and an occasional friend that will help out now and then with orders. We have about 60 artists but we’re not an artist guild, our artists are our suppliers.

SmartFlix: How many people work for the company? Where are you based out of, and what is the office environment like for you guys?

Sandra: Maybe I’m ruining the retail mystique but we’re a business based out of our Portland, OR home. The office consists of our living room, kitchen and garage. We’re very eBay like that. We’re having a lot of fun and learning each day. It sure beats arguing over patent infringement claims and reviewing stacks of contracts.

SmartFlix: What would you say is your competitive advantage against Etsy.com?

Sandra: I don’t really think we’re competitors. It may sound naïve, but I don’t like to think that we have any true competitors. Whenever I come across a site that sells independent art, I try to order something, just to support their endeavor. As far as Etsy.com, I love Etsy. I’ve found a lot of my artists through them. I think it’s a genius site and admire all that they’ve accomplished. But we engage in different business models. They’re very democratic and are all-inclusive. We aren’t. While it’s not a juried process, I only sell what I like and would buy for myself, family or friends. Our site may be easier to view, based solely on number of goods being sold. We have all the work in stock and we ship the products from one location. Hopefully, whatever advantage we have lies in how we’re different. Actually, I was surprised to find some artists who are quite happy fielding email orders and calculating shipping. They thrive on that level of community that’s created on Etsy, or on their own retail website and aren’t interested in being a part of ours.

SmartFlix: What is your favorite part of your job?

Sandra: I love finding new work and clever ideas. Meeting with new artists and learning how and why the do what they do. Working with artists across the country, primarily through email is fun - like having a penpal. Not to sound self-righteous, but in terms of a bigger picture, it’s nice that supporting local artists and encouraging them to perfect their craft and develop new ideas. There are a lot of skills like metalworking, sewing, woodworking, knitting, bookbinding, glassblowing, that are overlooked. We can’t lose that type of talent.

SmartFlix: Where do you see the company in 5 years? 10 years?

Sandra: Ideally we’d like to be THE go-to web retailer for handmade goods. I hope that we continue to see emerging artists that are willing to sell on our website. I hope our website is more polished and our customers have an easy sales transaction. I’d like a to give our customers a big-box web retailer experience with one-of-a-kind or limited edition gallery or boutique items.

SmartFlix: Besides the fantastic art, my favorite part of your website and business are your generous and fair customer service policies (exchanges, returns, etc.). What good things do customers say about the way MixtGoods conducts business?

Sandra: We want to behave reasonably. These days, everyone has an issue with customer service, including me, and we’re trying to be smart at avoiding those types of issues. We know that some people have reservations about buying online, and we’ve instated fair policies to address those types of concerns. People seem to really appreciate our Golden Rule approach. We want to treat people the way we’d like to be treated; fairly.

We gave out polycarbonate water bottles, people liked that. I’m a sucker for promotional items, but we wanted to think of a give-away that wouldn’t just be landfill. Next, we’re going to be giving away reusable canvas shopping bags. We just sent out customer surveys. The incentive to fill them out was for every completed survey, we would make a plant-a-tree donation through AmericanForests.org.

They also seem to like the fact that we reuse cardboard boxes for shipping. We were concerned that people wouldn’t like a used box, but I guess our customers don’t offend easily and see the sense in our reuse.

SmartFlix: In regards to the art for sale on the website, you must have seen so many different styles in so many different mediums. Can you remember three favorite pieces that you guys either sold or currently have for sale?

Sandra: Since I love everything I sell, it is bittersweet when I see something go.

My three favorites:
Trail Vase
Card Holder
The Frog

The trail vase was just stunning and we kept retaking photos because we didn’t think we could capture the graphic texture of the glass. The card holder was made from an old textbook and the artist moved away from that style of wallet. And The Frog was just cool. It was painted red, and the artist has stopped painting his work.

Although, I can’t really feel too badly for too long, because the artists always have new ideas and new work. For instance, The Frog has been replaced with Helmet V. Cat. The card holder with Bad Ass Book Cover Belt Buckles. The Orange Trail Vase with a Green Trail Vase.

SmartFlix: What’s the range of prices for pieces available for sale on MixtGoods.com? What was the most expensive item you ever sold, and what was it?

Sandra: The price range is really broad; from $3.50 for a piece of knitted Sushi Catnip to $210 for a Hand-blown Glass Vase. I’m very thrifty, so I’m always thinking, “can I get this, or something like it, for cheaper somewhere else?” - even if it’s Target. The more expensive items have to match the level of quality and uniqueness for that price. They have to be worth it. Ironically, the more expensive items are the bigger bargains. The modern lamps by jefdesigns are discontinued models and his work usually sells for double our price.

SmartFlix: We really love the way people are able to search the website in so many different ways (by people, price, gifts, etc.). That is crucial when it comes to art and an inventory with a high turnover. What other parts of the website and business model are unique that you are particularly proud of?

Sandra: We’re trying to showcase the work in the simplest way possible, black and white page with large images. Like a gallery, we want people to focus on the artwork. We tried to rethink the product organization and are glad we came up with something workable. We listened to a lot of friends and family explain what they did and didn’t like about shopping on the web. Which basically was, “don’t show me anything I don’t want to see.” However, as a retailer, all you want to do is show everyone everything you’ve got.

Rather than follow the shipping model of other sites, where you pay for shipping based upon how much you’ve spent, it was important that we only charge actual shipping costs, based on weight, and provide a number of different shipping options. We’re pretty pleased with that.

SmartFlix: Give us three great reasons why everyone should visit MixtGoods and purchase a gift for a loved one or a present for themselves today (I know I’m going to!).

Sandra: 1) You’ll find unique handmade products at a fair price, 2) You’ll pay actual shipping costs without sales tax or handling fees, 3) You’ll support local artists.

Visit MixtGoods.com and purchase a gift for a loved one or yourself! Check out our vast selection of over 1,200 instructional Arts & Crafts DVDs to learn how to master a skill and try selling your products on websites like MixtGoods.com for profit! Enjoy!