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Some valiant attempts have been made by Ebay sellers to flog their own handmade wares (the knitted food search has proved particularly fruitful in this respect). But since the Ebay search model is based around the assumption that you already know what you are looking for, goodness knows how many potential desirables remain undiscovered amongst the deluge.

Enter handcrafted haven Etsy, with its multiple quirky methods of browsing the vast array of goodies listed by their global network of craft-minded independent sellers. Search for accessories in your favourite colour using their fancy flash colour chart tool, let other Etsy users be your guide with their 12 favourite items in the Treasury view, visit the Showcase page daily for a fresh batch of 36 choice items, view items as they are listed with the Time Machine function, check out some of your favourites' favourites, or simply browse by category or use the search function in the conventional fashion. A mountain of things-you-didn't-know- you-needed-yet awaits you, and the sheer variety available is a refreshing alternative to the identikit blandness of real-life shopping.

In fact, such is the scope of Etsy's offerings that it is hard to make any sort of a summary, so you are urged to take the opportunity to browse yourself (taking care to navigate around the more chintzy and traditional takes on the crafts brief). So far, my own head has been turned by Details' cute felted critters; Lupin's array of felt creations, moustache obsession (I wonder if she does monobrows too?) and cards crafted from recycled paper; Sugar Snaps' malformed soft toys, charm bracelets and squirrel gloves; Emma Loves Apples' assortment of badges and cobbled together jewellery; and The Mymble's Daughter's ever so gothic and Victorian jewellery. But this truly is just the tip of the iceberg...

The vast majority of sellers are based in North America, and although the weak dollar means that postage costs are generally affordable, be warned that not every seller will ship to the UK. To avoid disappointment and to support your local economy, try adding "uk" to your searches. The UK Etsy Sellers! blog also makes a useful UK-centric navigational starting point.

Buy a moustache pin from Lupin's Etsy store.
Etsy website
UK Etsy Sellers! blog
Ebay

gemma sheppard, 26th Oct 2007 15:18:04
 

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