its simple.

you are buying something that is not mass produced and many times its made from reused materials. also its not overly priced. You get what you pay for.

i for one am happy that etsy is thriving.

Define "thriving" exactly. Because if we're using etsy as the benchmark, the market for handmade good isn't doing terribly well these days. There are a few sellers doing REALLY well but overall, the general consensus is that sales are dragging.

Where's the article? I don't see it linked here or on Re-Nest.

I don't want someone coming into my home and being able to easily determine which big-box-homestore/catalog everything came from...

...I also don't want to pay crazy retail prices for something that a) will be on sale next month, b) isn't particularly special, c) isn't Made in America, or d) All of the above.

I don't know about anything like that "saving" the economony. I do shop on Etsy and really enjoy it, but I am scaling back on all purchases not just on stuff bought other places. Etsy is like other stores in that some things are fairly priced and some things just aren't. I've gotten some fantastic deals and some items were just "eh." I do love the idea of being able talk to a person and getting what I want. That's just good business, not something that will save unemployment or inflation.

Several times I've been able to converse with the creator of pieces and have even ordered commission items. As much as I love Target, you can't do that there.

I also think a good deal of the appeal of Etsy is that what you're buying isn't common (with some exceptions) so you're getting something really unique. Sure they may be selling 12 'dove-holding-a-cherry' ankle bracelets, but the odds of finding any of those other in your life are slim to none.

I also agree with InkStainedWriter in that even on a strictly creative goods site like Etsy, I often pass on buying an item. "Do I really need it or is it just cute? Do I have room for it? Will I want to keep it a long time? Is it worth the shipping costs?"

Sales may be good, but I have the feeling tha tmost etsy sellers don't have a very high profit margin. Most can't make a living at it.

Etsy is great because it's so personal, I've been on it for years!

Quite frankly, bloggers at Apartment Therapy have the power, and quite frankly the OBLIGATION to promote as many Etsy artists as they want to, but getting them to acknowledge even an introductory e-mail from one of them (ME) is virtually impossible.

I've sent two recent e-mails introducing myself and my shop to APT, and no one has even bothered responding.

While APT has featured many Etsy sellers, they also seem to refuse to acknowledge that most of its readers aren't in a financial position to purchase the big ticket items like Eames rockers, Paola Navone sideboards, Patricia Urquiola crocheted runners, or new kitchens.

I'd like to see APT feature even more Etsy sellers than they currently do.

Etsians (yes, that's what we're called!) are more accessible and affordable than the fancy American/Euro/Australian/Middle Eastern/Asian designs we ALL pine away for.

I started my Etsy venture in January simply because I wanted to sell designs and small format posters I had done for myself to a greater audience than friends and family. I didn't want mass-produced artwork on my walls because I'm a designer and I have the capability (not to mention the computer programs) of designing original pieces for myself.

I think people are tired of big box decorating, and Etsy fills that niche. Pretty basic stuff, really.

If your lucky enough to be mentioned on a design blog such as Design*Sponge, as I was on February 20th (thanks Grace!!!!), your sales will undoubtedly sky rocket initially, and then remain steady from then on, hopefully.

Thanks

www.nicodemusgreen.etsy.com

Nicodemus- I checked out your Etsy shop and while your prints are sharp and clever... I suspect the AT readers are bored of text heavy prints. Think of the backlash from the "like forever" or "Stay Calm Carry On" posters.

Of course, your etsy shop has the added appeal of uniqueness that the aforementioned posters do not have.

StudioStarter - thanks for that.

I really appreciate you taking the time to look around my shop, and I really appreciate your input.

The point I was trying to focus on was that it's simply common courtesy to respond to an introductory e-mail whether you intend to feature the artist, or not.
:)

Nicodemus - While it might be courtesy, with how much attention AT has gotten from outside sources over the past year or so, I'm sure they're deluged with e-mails on a daily basis.

But then again, now that I type that, it's not that hard to set up an auto respond on your e-mail account that says "Thank you for e-mailing me!" or something like that.

Love the dots print btw. Added you to my sellers list.

matsaywhat: Thanks! Glad you like it!

madsarah: You're so sweet. Somebody out there luvs ya! Bless your heart!

www.nicodemusgreen.etsy.com

LOLOLOLOL