Mini User Guide: What is Etsy?

Have you heard of Etsy, but have no idea what it is?  ...How did you find this blog??  Ohh I see, you are probably my friend on Twitter ;)

In any case, I thought I'd better start up a little User's Guide to Etsy for the uninitiated.  This will be done in small installments.  First thing's first: What is Etsy?

Etsy is a collective of independently owned shops, populated with handmade and/or vintage items.  Sellers on Etsy span all over the globe, as do Buyers.  Naturally, you don't have to sell things to be able to buy on the site, and vice versa.  Although these shops are located on Etsy.com, when you buy from a shop, you are dealing directly with the Seller, not with Etsy.  Etsy just helps facilitate the sale through the convenience of a standardized website.  Payment methods are usually through Paypal, for which you do not have to actually sign up to use a credit card through.

The items that can be found on the site range all over the place.  You can buy a dozen cupcakes, a wool coat from the 50's, a sweater knitted specifically to your measurements, an artist's print, a pillow cover, anything!!  I mean, anything hand made or vintage.  You can search, or you can browse using nifty tools such as "Pounce", which allows you to view random items other buyers recently purchased or stores that have not had any sales, or "Colors", which allows you to pick a color and it will provide different merchandise matching that color!

Above all, Etsy is a way for small, independent sellers of handmade or vintage goods to reach customers.  The people at the site really try to create a community, mostly between sellers I think, but of course the goal is for both Sellers and Buyers to feel a part of the site.  So make a profile!!  You need to sign up to purchase or sell things.  I honestly don't know the process for creating a store, but with your profile, you can add/save favorite items and stores, keep track of what you have bought, and leave and receive feedback for past purchases.

Please be aware that scammers DO exist on Etsy; I have been the victim of one in the past!!  These people may resell items claiming they are handmade, or they might take your money and never send the item.  A good idea is to check the seller's feedback for any negative comments, and for the amount of feedback they have (I know this sucks for new shops, but after I got scammed I make it a rule).  If a shop doesn't have a lot of feedback, try Googling them too; sellers on Etsy often have their own store website, or sell through other venues such as eBay.  Another interesting source is Regretsy, which mostly posts ridiculous items people sell on Etsy, but also posts known resellers or scammers, which can be rather enlightening.

Hopefully this is enough for you to get started, if you haven't already.  And if it isn't, I will be posting more information in the future!