It was helping her mom sell a collection of vintage owls that prompted Marangelie Caballero to open her first Etsy shop. But she quickly discovered the practice felt almost therapeutic.
“I started to fill the shop with my own finds and it slowly developed into what it is today,” Caballero says. That is, Otherwise Shoppe, which Caballero envisions as a place for forgotten pieces to have a chance at a new life. The Etsy vendor aims to show the value of objects that already exist.
“In the settings in which I find them—cluttered shops and musty antique stores—they are often overlooked,” she says. “By presenting them in a lovely way I hope to inspire people to view antiques differently.”
Caballero stocks everything from drinkware to bookends, always focusing on earth tones, natural materials, and well-made, heavy pieces with interesting shapes and textures. “Truly, I’m just looking for pieces that inspire me,” she says.
Caballero, who has a degree in fine art that she says informs her shop’s aesthetic, admits she’ll occasionally hoard pieces for herself, but loves seeing something she’s sold go to “a loving home,” and applauds people who shop vintage.
“It can often take patience and persistence, but you can truly find amazing pieces that make your home feel unique to you,” she says. “Just keep going and try to find joy in the searching.”
