What is Etsy?
Etsy is a web site that provides an online marketplace for handmade items, vintage goods and crafting supplies.
Founded in June, 2005 Etsy descibes itself as "a community and a company".
The Etsy office headquarters and creative space is based in Brooklyn, NY, with the Etsy community spaning the globe, buyers and sellers coming from more than 150 countries. Etsy sellers now number in the hundreds of thousands.
Etsy describes itself as:
"the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace. Etsy celebrates individual creativity in design and craftsmanship by connecting unique people, stories and items in a playful and meaningful way. Etsy provides a marketplace for crafters, artists and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods and crafting supplies."
Below is an image that Etsy compiled to help show the extent of people in its 'community'. Every dot represents the profile of one of it's members.
click the link for a better look at this image www.etsy.com/about.php
I found this site well designed and easy to navigate, some of the categories that can be found include, Accessories, Art, Bags and Purses, Bath and Beauty, Books and Zines, Candles, Ceramics and Pottery, Children, Clothing, Crochet, Dolls and Miniatures,Furniture, Geekery, Glass, Housewares, Jewelry, Knitting, Music, Needlecraft, Paper Goods, Patterns, Pets, Plants and Edibles, Quilts, Supplies, Toys, Vintage, Weddings, Woodworking
I think this is a great website and because you can put pretty much anything you want up as long as you made it yourself, i think it would be an excellent way to give your work as a designer exposure to a huge number of people. What's even better is that joining is free and easy, all you need is a valid email.
There are a number of draw backs that I have found with the site.
It is massive !!! This means if you post your stuff up to sell, it could easily become lost in the massive sea of creative expression which is etsy! I have met people who have told me they bought an accessory that i commented on from Etsy, but the chances that i would go onto Etsy and find that particular item before finding 50 other things that i would like to spend my money on is probably slim. Also because of the size of the site if you find something you really like you might not be able to find it again unless you write it down or bookmark it.
I wonder though if because it's free, it might not matter that there are so many items all thrown in together. You might just happen to be the lucky person I stumble across and decide to buy from, while looking for something else. Also I think that competition raises the bar which could be the reason why this site has a generally high standard.
The other thing I have noticed about the etsy site is that if they want to, sellers are able to maintain a level of anonymity by not putting all their details up on the site. This means that as I have found images that i wanted to use, sometimes the only information that I can find about them is their Etsy user name (as you will notice below).
Below are some Etsy samples but if you have time go Jump on line and have a look for yourself you might just find something you like...
This image is a perfect example of what i was just talking about ... i found it when i first came onto the Etsy sight but didn't get details of the artist now i can't find it again ...
www.etsy.com/
Etsy is a web site that provides an online marketplace for handmade items, vintage goods and crafting supplies.
Founded in June, 2005 Etsy descibes itself as "a community and a company".
The Etsy office headquarters and creative space is based in Brooklyn, NY, with the Etsy community spaning the globe, buyers and sellers coming from more than 150 countries. Etsy sellers now number in the hundreds of thousands.
Etsy describes itself as:
"the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace. Etsy celebrates individual creativity in design and craftsmanship by connecting unique people, stories and items in a playful and meaningful way. Etsy provides a marketplace for crafters, artists and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods and crafting supplies."
Below is an image that Etsy compiled to help show the extent of people in its 'community'. Every dot represents the profile of one of it's members.
click the link for a better look at this image www.etsy.com/about.php
I found this site well designed and easy to navigate, some of the categories that can be found include, Accessories, Art, Bags and Purses, Bath and Beauty, Books and Zines, Candles, Ceramics and Pottery, Children, Clothing, Crochet, Dolls and Miniatures,Furniture, Geekery, Glass, Housewares, Jewelry, Knitting, Music, Needlecraft, Paper Goods, Patterns, Pets, Plants and Edibles, Quilts, Supplies, Toys, Vintage, Weddings, Woodworking
I think this is a great website and because you can put pretty much anything you want up as long as you made it yourself, i think it would be an excellent way to give your work as a designer exposure to a huge number of people. What's even better is that joining is free and easy, all you need is a valid email.
There are a number of draw backs that I have found with the site.
It is massive !!! This means if you post your stuff up to sell, it could easily become lost in the massive sea of creative expression which is etsy! I have met people who have told me they bought an accessory that i commented on from Etsy, but the chances that i would go onto Etsy and find that particular item before finding 50 other things that i would like to spend my money on is probably slim. Also because of the size of the site if you find something you really like you might not be able to find it again unless you write it down or bookmark it.
I wonder though if because it's free, it might not matter that there are so many items all thrown in together. You might just happen to be the lucky person I stumble across and decide to buy from, while looking for something else. Also I think that competition raises the bar which could be the reason why this site has a generally high standard.
The other thing I have noticed about the etsy site is that if they want to, sellers are able to maintain a level of anonymity by not putting all their details up on the site. This means that as I have found images that i wanted to use, sometimes the only information that I can find about them is their Etsy user name (as you will notice below).
Below are some Etsy samples but if you have time go Jump on line and have a look for yourself you might just find something you like...
This image is a perfect example of what i was just talking about ... i found it when i first came onto the Etsy sight but didn't get details of the artist now i can't find it again ...
This is a limited edition Gocco screenprint titled The Bout. Artwork is copyright Jose Pulido,
Etsy Username: thepoppytree
Etsy User name: caughtredhanded
Lyndsay Behrens Etsy Profile: idlehandsdesigns
Vintage Camera Retro Pop Art Print by Joseph, monstergallery's
Etsy User name: caughtredhanded
Lyndsay Behrens Etsy Profile: idlehandsdesigns
Vintage Camera Retro Pop Art Print by Joseph, monstergallery's
www.etsy.com/
A wonderful concept showcasing some fantastic work.
ReplyDeleteA great post.
a very interesting site!
ReplyDelete