🌟 About ShopLocalOBX & LocalOBX
A Local Movement, Born on the Outer Banks
ShopLocalOBX.com began with a simple belief:
The Outer Banks is strongest when we support the people who make it special.
For years, I’ve worked alongside local artists, makers, small businesses, and dreamers — people who pour their heart into what they create. Through my work with Muse Originals, my OBX art gallery turned mobile market experience, I met countless creators producing incredible work… yet lost in Facebook group clutter, buried on Etsy, or seen only at weekend markets.
And at the same time, locals and visitors were asking the same thing:
“Where can I find real local Outer Banks-made goods?”
There still wasn’t one central place where all of our makers could be seen.
So I decided to build it.
🌊 The Role of LocalOBX in the Story
In fact, the idea grew stronger the moment LocalOBX.com launched — just last month.
LocalOBX was created as a local search engine for the Outer Banks: a place to find businesses, events, musicians, markets, artists, and all the stories that make this community unique.
From day one, it became clear what else was needed.
People don’t just want to find local businesses. They want to support them — effortlessly.
ShopLocalOBX is the natural extension of that mission.
LocalOBX helps people discover the local gems. ShopLocalOBX lets them shop from those same local creators, makers, and shops — all in one easy place.
Together, they form a growing ecosystem built for the Outer Banks, by someone who lives here and believes deeply in this community.
🛒 Why ShopLocalOBX Exists
ShopLocalOBX was created to solve the problems OBX makers face every day:
Facebook groups full of resell junk and yard-sale clutter
Etsy fees that cut deeply into small-batch creators
Tourists wanting local goods but not knowing where to find them
No unified OBX-only shopping space
No curated marketplace to keep quality high and resellers out
So instead of another “anything goes” platform, we built something intentional:
A curated OBX marketplace where only local, handmade, OBX-themed, or high-quality vintage goods are allowed.
No resellers. No mass imports. No drop-shipped nonsense.
Just real OBX creativity — front and center.
💙 Why It Matters
When you shop local, you’re not just buying an item. You’re supporting:
a maker working from their kitchen studio
an artist fueled by passion
a family-owned shop trying to survive in a seasonal economy
the character and soul of the Outer Banks
the local economy that keeps our islands vibrant
This marketplace is a way to keep OBX dollars on the OBX, and to make it easier than ever to support the people who make this place special.
🚀 What Makes ShopLocalOBX Different
Curated listings — every item is reviewed
OBX-only — made here, inspired here, or locally sourced
Fair fees — just 15% for launch vendors
Integrated visibility — LocalOBX drives traffic to vendors
Simple & seller-friendly — no complicated dashboards
Community-driven — not corporate, not franchised
ShopLocalOBX blends the heart of Muse, the momentum of LocalOBX, and the creativity of our maker community into something brand new for the Outer Banks
🌅 This is more than a marketplace — it’s a movement.
Local is a Movement, Local Together... A Force.
A movement to support local talent, preserve OBX culture, uplift small businesses, and make it easier for anyone — local or visiting — to shop the real Outer Banks.
Whether you’re a maker, a small shop owner, a local supporter, or someone dreaming of the salt air from afar, welcome.
ShopLocalOBX.com Made on the Outer Banks. Made for the Outer Banks.