Shopping on Etsy

What is Etsy?

From its conception in 2005 to now selling products from nearly every country around the world. Esty has exploded over the past two decades. It boasts 7.5 million sellers, 5.2 million shops, and over 100 million active buyers! It is listed as being the 7th most downloaded shopping app, and in 2020 generated $4 billion in sales for small businesses.

Most of the goods sold on Etsy are handmade and it opens a door to a world of small, unique sellers that do not have a big presence on the internet as standalone shops but combined, form this emporium of handcrafted, unique, and often bespoke goods. There is a combination of vibrant stores and hobbyist sellers that offer fresh and unusual product ranges.

It has an enormous catalogue of over 120 million products to search through and over 14 million of them are vintage items. To be categorised as vintage a product must be over 20 years old. It is a great place to find individual gifts, homewares, and quirky products. It is a wonderful resource for personalised goods, greeting cards, and invitations.

Is Etsy Ethical?

Esty prides itself on being an environmentally friendly shopping site and it was the first major online shop that offsets 100% of its carbon emissions. It is fully committed to reaching a goal of net-zero emissions by 2030. Etsy has partnered with Eco-Enclose to actively assists the sellers to ship and package goods with recycled packaging and to use responsibly resourced paper.

What does Etsy mean?

The name Etsy was chosen as the founder wanted a name that had no actual literal meaning. As the story goes, he was watching an old Italian movie by legendary director Federico Fellini, and the characters kept on saying Eh -Si meaning oh yes, in Italian. It was used as a working name, and it just stuck.

What does Etsy sell?

Etsy sells almost everything you could ever dream of. What started out as a place for exclusively handmade goods, it now sells everything from personalised birthday cards to customised trainers. It is a global marketplace of unique and creative products. The product categories are vast and the most searched-for items include Wall Art, Wedding Related Gifts, and Antique/Vintage.

Etsy has something for everyone and suits all budgets. You can find original gifts, handmade cards, unusual jewellery, personalised items, and lots of limited editions. It is a brilliant resource when party planning and has a fantastic selection of invitations and stationery.

Etsy is great for Christmas Gifting

Etsy is a one-stop shop for Christmas Stocking fillers and novelty items for Stag/Hen nights. It is also a really great place to find rare fan memorabilia. This past Christmas I bought my kids some very cool stickers of their favourite Hip Hop artists. An example of a fun product not that easy to find out on the High St.

One way to describe Esty would be to imagine elements of eBay, Amazon, and Facebook rolled together to form an emporium that connects buyers and sellers across the world. Artists can list their work alongside crafters and hobbyists. There is a real friendly feel where you can favourite products or sellers as well as talk to them directly before and after making purchases. All the sellers I have been in touch with have always responded quickly and been very professional and helpful. It has this feel of a gallery mixed with craft fayre mixed with a high street market. All the niche items in one place makes for compulsive searching!

Find unique products from around the world.

It unites shoppers and sellers from across the globe and if you’re willing to pay the shipping and wait for the delivery you can literally buy gifts from Australia! If you want to support small UK businesses, then just filter your search accordingly and you will only find sellers that despatch from the UK. You can send messages to the sellers to ask questions about products and orders. Esty encourages buyers and sellers to have a close relationship via the messaging app.

Personally, I think the area that Etsy excels in most is Jewellery . The selection is immense, and you can find something to fit all tastes and budgets. There are beautiful pieces made from Gold, Silver, and even Wood. It is a place to purchase one-off original items, such as a beautiful handmade Rosewood ring. There are tons of handmade highly individual pieces of jewellery to be found to suit all budgets.

Find one-off clothing that has been upcycled. It has an extensive range of clothing from Kilts, Clogs, Bags, Wallets, Personalised Trainers, and loads more. The search is very in-depth, and you will be sure to come across something to pique your interest.

Can anyone sell on Etsy?

The answer to that is Yes! Originally it was exclusively handcrafted products, but the selection has grown hugely over the years and now, where most things are handmade there is some products that are being re-sold.

It is very easy to set up your online shop and there are no minimum amounts you can sell, so a great place if you’re starting on your retail journey. Esty charges $0.20 per item that you list until it sells or 4 months, whichever comes first. You can also pay to have your products appear as Ads in the search, much like google.

Sellers can make their product page very personal and upload information, photos, and videos about their journey and products, so you get an intimate look into how they make things and who they are.

Esty has a real shop.

Not content with selling products across the world, Esty opened a real shop in Didcot, Oxfordshire. It comprises of 50 local makers and small businesses. It has an eco-fill station and concentrates its focus on packaging-free food and household items.

Esty is a wonderful website that offers something for everyone, and the best part is you are supporting smaller vendors that are fast becoming extinct on our High Street. It is a wonderful place to buy gifts and homeware that your friends and family will not have seen before making the gift even more special.