I’m Laura Muresan of Laura’s Last Ditch. I’m 39 and live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I used to be a professional musician, starting my shop in 2003 by auctioning the bassoon equipment I no longer needed. As I parted with my sheet music and reed-making supplies bit by bit, I found that I enjoyed selling more than I enjoyed playing. Eventually I sold the instrument itself. With the proceeds from the bassoon, we paid off our house, paving the way for selling online to be my family’s main source of income. 
Selling on Etsy is difficult. You don’t just throw stuff up and expect it to move. I studied SEO until my eyes glazed over, am working to improve my photography, and expend plenty of effort to make Laura’s Last Ditch at least reasonably successful. In the process of doing this, I found my fellow Etsians–and Vesties in particular–to be supremely helpful and supportive.
I’m an eBay refugee, having moved to Etsy in 2011. I wearied of eBay’s high fees, and its micromanaging the way we run our businesses. Etsy takes more work, but with it comes more freedom and lower rates. It’s a trade-off that’s not for the faint of heart, but I relish the challenge and appreciate a company that treats people right.
I love that I can involve my son, who has autism, in the business. He helps me load and unload the car, takes parcels to the mailbox, and adores helping me pack. I pay him in quarters which he spends on jigsaw puzzles and paint-by-number kits he finds at thrift shops. I want him to learn the dignity of work, and Laura’s Last Ditch gives him that opportunity.
When I need advice, I go to Mom first. We brainstormed on the phone about a shop name. When I blurted out “Laura’s Last Ditch!” she shrieked “Yes!!” (okay, that’s a dramatization, but you get the idea). It’s a little offbeat (like me), and–I think–memorable. The significance? “Let Laura help you in your last-ditch effort to find that something special.” Corny, but it works well enough. I know no one will copy my name.
How or why did you become involved with vintage?
I grew up being dragged to antique stores. On vacation, my brother discovered a phenomenon called the “5 o’clock mercy rule,” which states that on road trips with Mom and Dad, you make no substantive headway until all the antique shops have closed for the day.
I noticed that many of the kitchenwares my mom and grandma use daily they received as wedding gifts decades before, while the things I thought my husband and I absolutely needed to set up a household didn’t last even a few years. I forswore purchasing new items, and have turned to vintage goods to equip my cupboards. I’m a little OCD about waste in general; my family produces only a garbage bag per year, so it’s natural I’d choose to sell something that helps people avoid poor quality and excessive packaging. There’s already enough junk in the world.
What sort of items are you drawn to as you stock your shop? What will I find when I visit you?
I love “garage sale Cinderellas,” which has landed Laura’s Last Ditch on Regretsy four times and counting. I don’t wear makeup or concern myself with fashion, and don’t own a single knick knack. I’m all about practicality, and my selection reflects that. Anything in my shop that’s not practical likely came from “curb-shopping,” or Dumpster-diving, because sometimes I feel sorry for things and want to rescue them, even if they don’t quite fit my shop’s theme.
What does customer service mean to you?
I ship daily, maintain a customer “wish list” (though the unused tube of vintage Crest toothpaste has me stymied thus far), pack securely, accommodate requests such as splitting up sets, accurately disclose any flaws in my merchandise, and take customer satisfaction seriously. When I say I’ll do something, I follow through. What I don’t do is gussy up my packaging in a cutesy way. I’m just not good at that, plus, used materials keep shipping costs reasonable and trash to a minimum.
What has been your favorite experience so far in selling on Etsy?
A Wall Street Journal reporter called from Dubai for a feature about recreating vintage family recipes. Even though my shop got just a teeny tiny mention, I loved seeing two of my favorite repeat customers on the first page of section B, above the fold, with their purchases.
What has been your most fantastic find?
Then there was the time I helped clean out a bachelor uncle’s horribly uninteresting estate. Relatives offered me anything I wanted before renting a Dumpster. In an envelope of recipe booklets I took was a Heathkit turntable owner’s manual, which I listed on a lark. When the manual alone sold for over $50, I realized letting them throw out a large collection of obsolete high-end electronics was an elephantine mistake. Oops. It goes both ways, I guess.
It’s fun to tell the stories of big catches, but also of those that got away.
Any advice for sellers?
It’s easy to buy more inventory than you can handle. Stick to a niche you enjoy, and if you find a bargain that’s hard to bypass, tell yourself, “It’s okay to leave it to bless someone else.”
Coupon Code: VESTIES10 for 10% off at Laura’s Last Ditch
Facebook: Laura’s Last Ditch Vintage Kitchenwares & Small Appliances
Blog: Adventures in Thrift Land
Great article and shop. Thanks for the introduction!
What a fabulous article, love your story, your son is adorable! I absolutely love Laura's shop, she has so many great vintage items, congrats on the feature! I'll let you in on a little secret. I used her shop as a role model when I was revamping mine, I have learned a lot about SEO and what to put into my descriptions from viewing her listings. Because of her shop, I have added links to other sections in mine, never thought of doing that before. So Thank you Laura, I credit you with helping my views go up, now if I could find some of those goodies you found……hehehe!