Etsy

Etsy is a new wave of online shopping. It is a website that was established in 2005 and has helped "starving" artists since. Etsy provides the general public with a way to buy and sell handmade items as well as vintage items and craft supplies. Etsy has tens of thousands of sellers and twice as many buyers. Etsy encourages a friendly community between those buyers and sellers similar to social networking. There is a Forum section for discussion and networking. Members can contact one another through an internal message system called Conversations. There is also the option to make a shop or item a Favorite or "Heart" them so you can keep track of shops to easily find them later and be updated of their new items. In addition there is a section for Custom requests called Alchemy where members can request or offer custom handmade goods. Etsy also supports "street teams", groups of Etsy sellers affiliated by location or interest that work together to promote their team members. Members of Etsy are sometimes referred to as Etsians.

Many people find Esty a very rewarding website, because not only do they have the capabilities to communicate with other artists, but buyers enjoy helping and supporting some of their own local artists and businesses. A new trend has been to buy gifts on online stores such as this rather than big department stores that are running the local ones out of business.

There are many bloggers that indefinitely try to help these Etsy sellers by announcing them to the readers of their blog.

Etsy is a great place to buy and sell homemade items. Whether you have a passion for making them yourself or just want to help others with their small businesses stay afloat- check out Etsy!

By: Kyrsten Geddes