Quite some years ago when eBay and Amazon started doing their thing and companies would jump in and start selling their stuff, and consumers started selling their secondhand stuff on Ebay etc. I always felt something was missing. Just a site for you and me, for my friend who sells soaps, my buddy who sells retro computer art, or an uncle who might sell his paintings. And in my eyes, that’s what Etsy was when it started on the Internet.
I have received a few gifts through Etsy in the past (thank you friends!) and I’ve ordered a couple every other year or so. And I just did it again! It’s just so great to see what people make themselves and are able to sell. Even if they only have five unique things, or they make custom hand made leather straps just to pay the rent. I really like it.
Gifting someone something that looks handmade, but is of quality, and is much more personal towards that person, and is a bit more unique than mass produced items is so much nicer.
Way way back in the day I would go to those little stores in Amsterdam just to find this sort of stuff, and now I can get it from all over the world. Okay, when it comes to popular sites there might be some abuse, or weird companies that shouldn’t be on there. Just like eBay and Amazon – but I find it way less to be honest. So far I’ve yet to have a bad buying experience (fingers crossed the few orders I just placed haha; did I just jinx it).
The reason I mention Etsy in a blog article is not to advertise them, I couldn’t care less where you buy your stuff, I guess, because this is more about thinking what to get your family or friends for their birthdays, Christmas, etc.
It’s always so tough to figure out what to get them, but if you just go through Etsy and you see little things that make you go ‘oh that is so my sister’, you can consider getting it, and I think you end up with a much more personal gift that makes an impression than a pair of socks or a coupon for a book. And if you find something that’s handmade it’s more fun to discover as you unpack it.
For obvious reasons I can’t divulge what I just ordered, but I wish I had the money to buy it all twice – I’d love to have those things myself as well 🙂
Oh oh, what I can share, some things I got were a camera strap made of leather, some awesome matching decal stickers for my iMac and old Powerbook, and I once got my sister a handmade recipe book that looked really cool.
Have you ever sold or bought through Etsy? How did that go? Let me know! I am @floris on Twitter, Facebook and mrfloris on Instagram where you can certainly find some pictures about Etsy stuff I will get, because I think this year I will use that site a lot more.