Ever get overwhelmed while browsing through online website Etsy’s thousands of awesome wares? Ever wish you could only browse through items that were in your style? Well a new Etsy experiment launched recently just might let you do it!
Called the Etsy Taste Test, you start out by taking a visual quiz and choosing from photos of items the one that you love the most. After a few screens of choosing, Etsy gives you a page of suggestions of things you might like to buy based on what you clicked in the test.
I was a little dubious when I tried it out yesterday…I had to click the “I don’t like any of these, show me more” button a few times, but lo and behold, when I finished, Etsy did in fact produce a list of items that were definitely in my taste. While this can never replace the fun of just browsing through all the Etsy stores or perusing the suggestions of bloggers around the web, I can see where this might be a fun way to narrow things down when you’re in a hurry or just feeling overwhelmed!
Have you tried Etsy’s new Taste Test yet? How did it work for you? Do you think you’ll use it next time you are looking for something for your home? Let us know!

Ercol Bar Stool
For those browsing for household items, this doesn't really seem to work. I think the first set of criteria (for guys or girls) probably throws it off....
Well THAT was dangerous...I just bought an adorable 1960s day dress. Like I really need another one, haha.
I loved this, though I must agree that it doesn't work well for household items. Additionally, my results weren't what I had hoped for. However, the process was great! I loved discovering new things I like and it was great being able to see my taste lined up in a row on the bottom.
Agreed with cliokitty. Took me forever to finish the test, and then most of the items that were displayed in the end were not really in my style.
I liked the items listed in response to my answers, but most of them are things I'd rather try on myself or my dogs before buying them and bringing them home. And as for the sweets suggested, who wouldn't like them? Still, taking the taste test was entertaining, and the results were well matched.
Oh rats! I guess my household stuff gets lost in the shuffle! :(
Agreed with the household stuff assessment. I felt like I clicked through for ages (okay, several minutes) but what etsy focused on were kind of one-off compared to my true style. Just because I liked one crystal doorknob and one vintage ephemera collage doesn't mean I want a million fancy victorian keys decor items. Not useful for me.
It didn't link to my Etsy profile, which is kind of cool - I guess it works pretty well because I have a few of these items (and their fellows) in my favorites already!
---www.bymaggie---
It seems pretty effective, though not so much for gender neutral things like household items, like other people said. Let's not start saying that household items are a girl's domain.
That said, I did find some household items lumped into my results and they were pretty spot on, for the most part.
Hmm... when I chose "stuff for guys" it provided waaaay more household items and art that I liked. Annoying. But there's a survey to fill out about it, so I mentioned the gendering weirdness.
I've always found Etsy's browsing capabilities lacking. For all they methods they have to search by, I feel like I'm still always scrolling through random items that I should be able to exclude from my searching.
I took the test twice, and both times the results didn't have much that I liked :(
Eh, I found some things that I liked in my results, but it took me quite awhile to even get to the end.
Hit and miss.
I really don't like the gendering. I buy masculine and feminine accessories, and my taste isn't "male" or "female." I like the concept, but that kind of gendering from the get go pisses me off.
Etsy has determined I like handbags, dainty rings, drum shades, roman shades, and pillows. While correct, it doesn't quite give a sense of all of the OTHER wares to be had on the site. But yes, now I want these http://www.etsy.com/listing/62697811/new-kinies-classic-in-purple
The first time I took the test, it decided I wanted a bunch of cow art, and on the do-over, it decided I wanted a bunch of Harry Potter jewelry ... I am so confused.
lol.. off to take it now.. lets see how it goes
i liked it!
I took the test both as male and female and got results that were very similar in tone. That being said, I feel that the test was about 50% accurate (I do NOT want farm animal stuff!).
Before this test, I had no idea "drawings of foxes vomiting geometric shapes" could be considered its own category... let alone I would be purported to be a fan of said category.
It was a total fail for me.
I did it and it totally worked. However, after reading some of the above comments, I was really picky about what I clicked on. I "refreshed" many times before finding objects I liked, and I tried to balance the things I picked across the Etsy categories and colors I enjoy. It spit out a collection of things that summarized everything I love about Etsy.
My first try pretty much failed... but I didn't really think through my selections very well.
When I tried it again, this time taking a more cultivated approach to what I was selecting, it came back with a whole bunch of things that were very well suited to my tastes. I found a number of things to at least "favorite" or add to my wish list, and possibly buy -- things I may not have found on my own.
Now I'm trying it again, this time with an eye towards stuff that fits a certain theme (like my living room, or the way I like to dress for parties).
I do wish that there was a way to save your "taste profiles" so that you could revisit them later to see what new items popped up under that profile.
wow I LOVE that necklace! I tried it and didn't have luck. I also haven't figured out how to get my Etsy shop listed, but I guess that's for a different post.