Manly local offers unique goods and gifts to community

In 2009, local Manly resident Erin Petersen started up a four-time-a-year shop in her garage, opening for three days for two consecutive weeks each season.

Petersen grew up making crafts with her mother, and she found solace in this hobby while raising her newborn. Driven by this passion, she opened her shop, The Rusty Nickle, where she sold many of her handmade products.

After a year, Petersen purchased the old hatchery building located in Manly. Petersen then needed to clean and renovate the building before finally being able to move her business there.

Throughout the years, Petersen has seen a change in her products as she moved away from her own handmade items to products from warehouses, consignments and even local women also creating their own items.

In these times, Petersen has also increased her opening hours but continues to stick to working specific dates during the seasons, allowing her to focus on her number one priority: family.

Even with this, Petersen usually has no problem coming to open the shop for someone who would like to pop in. Without those requests, Petersen still comes in almost daily to package and send out online orders that make their way throughout the country.

“I’ve had people with me since day one,” said Petersen. “If I can keep them coming back and adding new ones, then I must be doing something right.”

Petersen believes her business is unique to the Manly community not just because it is the only of its kind in town, but because of her variety of selections. Her business provides many rustic-style home decor products, as well as food products like coffee grounds, wine, homemade salsa and honey. Petersen has also added a boutique in a store expansion completed last year.

“I’ve always known my shop is not a necessity,” said Petersen. “So, I try to delight the senses, whether it’s smell, taste, sight, you know?”

As the seasons change, Petersen prepares her store for Black Friday and the holidays. She reminds consumers to continue to support local businesses to keep small towns alive.