Freddie Silveria, 35, has charisma. Asked about his craft as owner of FSA Auctions, he erupts into the exuberant cadence and gesticulations of an auctioneer, unfazed by the surrounding cafe patrons. But he also knows the art of silence, and he’s not afraid to sit in it. 

Mr. Otto’s Bookstore is Stockton is one of the last independent children’s bookstores in San Joaquin County. Its new owner, Alex Long, wants the store to be a resource to children, parents and writers throughout the region. 

David Oorbeck and Tsutomu Kanaya, owners of Dru & Tsutomu Designs, say that some artist friends of theirs told them about Sacramento — that it was affordable and contained consumers “as attracted to creativity as in the Bay Area.”

Despite turning 78 this year, Pleau still heads to the office every day to rally the troops, monitor customer satisfaction, and follow his North Star: “My real focus is on expansion,” says Pleau. “I’m not done.”

The number of craft sellers on Etsy.com tripled after 2020. We checked in with the veterans and the newbies in the Capital Region’s crafting scene.

Vanessa Van Vleck keeps a wall of shame at Superbum Plant Company, identifying people suspected of stealing from her East Sacramento store. It’s one of the few things Van Vleck and her husband, Dylan Van Vleck, who opened their business in 2021, can do to deal with a burgeoning problem in California.