Etsy

Most of my experiences with Etsy have been in the positive.
It’s been my go-​to spot for unique, handcrafted items for at least 6 years and ⁸⁄₁₀ times I adore the items I find. Most of the art in my home was purchased off Etsy and many accessories for costumes, vintage décor for parties, or even work related badge reels — all purchased after careful searching from, — you got it — Etsy.
I love the flair and uniqueness of the items created from home-​grown sellers and feel more comfortable buying from Etsy than Ebay — so I tend to look and see if someone made something on Etsy first, before looking on Amazon.
That being said, the negative instances I have had have been fairly negative. A few times the sellers worked with me, one as soon as I let her know the item would not work gave me a full refund upon return, another couple remade the items after I was forced to leave negative feedback because of workmanship.
My most recent negative experience was a seller who gamed the system, printing out the shipping label early and never sending the item — disallowing me to leave feedback due to the time lapsed. I finally received the item but there was much back and forth before finally getting it — though I must say, it really is a fantastic item.
I do wish Etsy were more able to go by a consistent shipping timeline that was searchable similar to Ebay. Vintage items can be shipped immediately usually, some items are made to order, and a few take months to make — but beyond the shipping details, this information isn’t easily available when you search for the items.
All in all I’ve had probably about a hundred experiences with Etsy, and most were prefect, with friendly wonderful service and absolutely gorgeous designs.
I’ll definitely keep coming back — especially when the craft bug hits!

A week after purchasing something for my kid here, i started getting spam emails daily!

peacocktaco was the provider i ordered from.
they charged my credit card as soon as i placed the order on may 22^nd and didn’t ship til june 2^nd.
i ordered a hanging air plant for my 81 year old mother. they sent a huge hanging ball of moss that has to be taken down and soaked and put back up. mom can barely get off the toilet without help.
when i wrote ms peacocktaco to find out why my plant was not delivered, she said oh it shipped today and we have a 5 business day ship window.
well 1. dont charge me until you ship
2. it was 12 days and 7 business days.
3. ship what i ordered.
my complaint about not getting what was ordered has been ignored.
this site is next to impossible to navigate. they make it easy to give your money and hard to track or get assitance. i see no policing of these vendors. ridiculous

Etsy is hands down the online mecca of handmade goods. You can type just about anything into the search box (I went looking for Disney products and my boyfriend typed in the title of his favorite video game) and find pages filled with treasures ranging in a variety of prices. I love the wide variety of products and the fact it gives talented artisans the opportunity to showcase their wares to a worldwide audience but there are a few things I took issue with.
First off there was no way that I was able to find that would narrow search results to individual countries. I wasn’t expecting to be able to find sellers right in my own city but I would have appreciated the option to be able to shop from fellow Canadians. Also there was nothing I could find to sort search results alphabetically or by price point.
I think Etsy is worth at least one look and I would be willing to bet money you find things you want to add to your personal collections. My advice however is to take the time to browse multiple sellers for the best deals and also be wary of shipping costs as they range from shop to shop regardless of where the seller is or the size of the item. I looked at two similar items from similar sellers both located in the same city but the shipping costs they were asking for were dramatically different.

Does The Ol’ Mangaretta really need to review Etsy from a buyer’s standpoint for you? What will you learn from me that you don’t know?
The majority of my experiences on Etsy have been positive, but there have been a few off ones: One seller never shipped the item I purchased, and I was a long-​time customer. I’d ordered from this shop at least seven times. Unfortunately, Etsy didn’t help me resolve the situation. Another seller sent me a bad product and offered me a discount… on a future purchase. Right.
Most likely, you already either love or hate Etsy and their vast number of items for sale, so let me share some of what I’ve learned.
* Always communicate with the seller. Don’t waste the seller’s time, but do ask those nagging questions for which you can’t find the answer on a listing or the seller’s store or profile. At least you’ll have a record. Besides, it helps to build a rapport with shops you purchase from often.
* Ask for pictures of an item if there aren’t enough on the listing to help you see every side of the product.
* Be sure to find out if an item is vintage or newly crafted. And get that in writing.
* If you need to file a dispute, *after* you’ve waited a reasonable amount of time, do it as soon as you can. I leave the definition of reasonable to you.
* Fire up your favorite engine and search for the seller’s screen and store names. You might find some revealing info to help you decide whether or not to buy from the seller.
* Be sure to tell sellers if something you purchased breaks. Many sellers are honest and want to know if they satisfy their customers and if they can improve their products.
* Most sellers really are willing to make custom items.
* Use the site for inspiration, whether or not you think of yourself as creative.
So, three stars for the sellers with integrity, an incredible inventory, inspiration that cures writer and designer’s block; and minus two stars for sellers who fake you out, and Etsy, who look the other way in dispute resolution.

Normally I love Etsy, great variety of products from all over the world, but I’m a little peeved with them right now. I placed an order from a vendor in the Netherlands back in February, the item never came so I contacted the shop owner who was initially compliant, but now three months later, I still haven’t received my item and I can’t place a complaint due to me trying to work things out without involving the company and them only giving you two months to place a formal complaint, so now I’m out $ 100 and there’s apparently nothing I can do about it, that’s just lovely.

ETSY DOT COM: If you type «flower girl dresses» into the search box at
, as of today, you’ll come up with over 34,000 returns. Choices at the grocery store-​level already confound me at times, but my sis, who still believes in love at first sight, was able to select her favorite in one afternoon. Here it is, at
.
After our purchase was confirmed, the frock’s designer exchanged messages with my sis and I to get measurements and any other specifications, and promised the dresses would be made to order and shipped to Canada by August-​end from Highridge, Missouri. The five year-​old and one-​and-​a-​half year-​old intended to wear these captivating little designs will look nothing short of cheek-​pinching adorable in oversized rosettes and layers of tulle.
You can’t stop at cute kids, though. You may also need an attractive container for cards wishing the happy new couple well. Type «wedding card box» in the same search box at the top of
right now, and over 9,000 items will come up. Again, in the time it takes me to narrow down a couple dozen «maybes,» my decisive sis thunders through with a single pick. This time, it’s a handmade box with a vintage feel and look at
. Made through a seller based in Georgetown, Ontario, the box was personalized, carefully packed and shipped the very same day our order was made. Nice!
If you can think it, someone has probably gone and made it. If you’re looking for a place to buy something one-​of-​a-​kind, or somewhere to sell your closet full of fun, creative projects just waiting to be shared with the world, Etsy.com’s indie artisan e-​market is a terribly logical place to start. If the thought of having to choose that one perfect item from a bottomless web catalogue illogically terrifies you, find some help. If you’re not shopping for anything in particular, browsing through these uniquely crafted items can be merely what it is: a simple, and occasionally inspiring, pleasure.

Etsy, you temptress! At my age, I already have more jewelry than I can wear and yet I still visit your pages and want more! Time to clean out my drawers and hand off some vintage pieces I got in college to the nieces, yeah, that’s the justification!
Great stuff on Etsy — it’s a great business model that helps small crafters get their goods out to the public without investing in a bricks & mortar store or expensive website. When you join Etsy — you know you will have a built in audience of folks looking to buy things.
Win-​win for sellers and for shoppers!

Yes, I’m an Etsy fiend! Well before I opened my own Etsy shop (shameless plug here:
) I had been a loyal and pretty fanatic shopper.
Why you ask? Because I enjoy getting weird one of a kind things. I love finding gifts for my friends that they won’t be able to find in the mall. I love wearing things that make people go «WHAT WHAT?». And mostly, I love that there is forum where I can buy awesome handmade one of a kind goods from the luxury of my couch (and not schlepping to every flea market this side of hipster-​ville).
Now that I’m a seller — I love Etsy even more! It’s so easy to use, and easy to post my wares, and better yet, they have invoicing and billing and shipping gizmos all set up for me! Hurrah!
A few quick tips if you are new to Etsy (or just want to get the most out of your experience):
1) Always pay through the Etsy site. Use Paypal if you can. By going through the Etsy site and by using Paypal, you get like super duper coverage in the event that you’re not satisfied with your purchase.
2) Like eBay, always look at the seller profile. Not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t buy from sellers that haven’t made a lot of sales — but if a seller has negative feedback, keep this in mind and don’t be shocked if you’re the 8^th customer who had to wait 20 weeks for your product.
3) Be creative in your search words! Looking for a dress to wear to a comic-​book themed party? Instead of looking up «Wonder Woman Costume» or whatever… try «Comic Book Halter Dress» and you’ll be amazed by some of the creative and one-​of-​a-​kind items that will show up!
4) Etsy lists all of their listings in sequential order — so the newest listings are first. Take a few minutes of your day and browse through some of the older pages, you may find that *perfect* something on page 6, not on page 1.
5) Finally… GLOAT! GLOAT to your friends about your amazing finds. Make them jealous that your fascinator is one of a kind! Let them writhe with envy that you have original art on your walls, while they still have their sad Monet posters from college.
Enjoy! :D

I used to love Etsy, until I had a bad experience. And I have purchased many things from many lovely people without problem.
But, Just a warning — do not buy anything expensive from Etsy, NEVER USE LAY-​AWAYS, NEVER PAY BY CHECK, AND READ THE COMPANY’S SHIPPING POLICY.
Oh, and make sure your transaction goes through the Etsy check-​out system. That means pay at the time of purchase, using PayPal. ALSO, AT LEAST E-​BAY HAS BUYER PROTECTION, Etsy doesn’t have this. But, on E_​BAY be aware that if you don’t pay for the entire transaction at one time you are also not covered by Buyer Protection. So, don’t do lay-​aways on E-​Bay either. Although some companies will offer it.
And if you ever return something to a seller, make sure you get it insured and make the seller sign for it to prove that they have received it.
I am not at all impressed with Etsy’s protections for their customers, nor with Etsy’s customer service. As much business as I have given them I would expect more from them. A phone call perhaps? A little concern for what is going on??? THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE A CUSTOMER SERVICE PHONE NUMBER.
And if they allow their sellers to do lay-​aways they need to provide a way to do that so it is under Etsy’s protection. WHAT PROTECTION IS MY QUESTION, THERE REALLY IS NONE! And they also need to check on some sellers shipping policies.
I inquired with Etsy regarding my protections with a couple transactions and Etsy sent e-​mails to those sellers accusing them of taking the transactions out of Etsy to avoid fees (without asking me). So this made the sellers mad and made my problem worse. Etsy was only out for THEIR bottom line. They didn’t keep my inquiry private. I just wanted to know if the transaction turned out badly if I could comment on these transactions. They used my Etsy number and told these buyers I turned them in for fee avoidance!
So goodbye to Etsy, in the end I feel totally burned by Etsy — the management. If you have a problem, they won’t help or support you, you are on your own. Even if it was some of their policies and actions that contributed to your problem. And even if you are a good client. Their bottom line is all that matters to them.

Let me start off by saying I love Etsy. I luurrrrve them. If you are looking for a unique gift, come here. If you are looking for some beautiful jewelry, come here. Handmade goods? Personalized items? Quirky fun housewares? Fabulous bags? All here.
I’ve been an Etsy fan for a while, but my most recent experiences revolved around my wedding. I needed jewelry and some other fun things and I knew right away that I would find what I needed/​wanted on Etsy. My wedding colors were bright orange and light blue. I was having no luck in stores and on more traditional websites.
Got my earrings here:
Got my necklace here:
Got my clutch here:
Got some shoe clips here (for my reception flats):
Got an awesome squirrel and acorn necklace that I wore to the rehearsal dinner here:
Just recently ordered a personalized address stamp for our thank you notes (and life in general) here:
I’ve loved all of these items! All my transactions were smooth and the items were shipped right away. Each shop owner was very nice and quick to respond if I had questions.
I managed to find pieces that were absolutely perfect just as I knew I would. Go to etsy .com and I dare you not to get lost browsing through different shops and adding items to your favorites.

Best place to find unique, handmade items… Wouldn’t shop anywhere else!

Etsy rocks — and I’d give it 5 stars but there’s one small snafu that sellers should really work on for items that are large and need to be shipped. When you pick a shipping company, pick one that caters to buyers in New York who live in apartments. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bought something [table, bed frame], had it delivered only to discover that the company that was hired only does «curbside delivery». Buyers be warned, and ask the right questions before you decide to pick out that awesome, just perfect cast iron table from the cute craftsman in Southern California because you think it would look just grand in your third floor walk up. Otherwise, you’ll be eating dinner on your sidewalk outside the building instead of your living room.

I am obsessed with Etsy. I have honed my collection of ‘favorite sellers’ and ‘favorite items’ to the point where if someone needs a gift idea for me, I can just send them the link to my saved favorites, and if they don’t buy here, they at least know what type of stuff I am into.
I do have some issues with the ‘back’ buttons and navigating the site. The searches can be overwhelming and finding crafters by name unless you have the exact match can be a pain. That’s why they don’t get 5 stars. A bit clunky to navigate sometimes, but they do have volumes of content. It takes a little while to figure out the interface.
No joke, there is tons of hideously horrible stuff on here, but It’s also like a giant virtual indie-​market with amazing crafts people and small designers. I’d rather go here and get it straight from the designer than buy some crap made by child laborers at Forever 21 or a rip-​off of a designers idea from Urban Outfitters.
What has been cool is to go to a local festival, see cool things that you like for sale by local artists, but if I don’t have cash or can’t make up my mind, I can find them on etsy and keep tabs on their merch.
So, even though they are in Brooklyn, I have a lot of saved favorites that are right here in Oakland!
I have only had good experiences ordering through the site, you use Paypal. Things get shipped fairly quickly, even from Canada and Europe.
I shop
leather bags/​purses
clothes
jewelery
photo prints
hand drawn paintings/​art

Feliz Navidad, homies!
I can officially Unilocal this place, now that it is Christmas Day. Etsy came to the rescue with some of my gift-​giving this holiday season.
In case you haven’t heard of it, Etsy is cool. Etsy is an online company which hosts a huge network of artisans who make and sell art, clothing, vintage items — just about anything you can think about. What makes Etsy so special is that everything sold on here is hand-​made. You deal directly with the artist you are buying from.
Artists who live in smaller markets can use Etsy as a tool to get their items seen around the world.
I’m still waiting to hear how every one likes what I got them from Etsy, but I’m fairly certain they will be hits.
I like feeling good about supporting artists and by giving gifts which are totally cool and unique.

Etsy is your online destination to find true handmade goods that you can buy direct from the artisans. You can even use a search feature that allows you to locate artists in your city. You can read the personal bios of the artists and decide if you’d like to buy from them. This is a return to responsible consumerism. I absolutely LOVE this website so much that I’m kind of speechless.
So far, I’ve purchased handmade clutch purses, earrings, necklaces, funky men’s ties, and baby clothes — all handmade and all original. The quality of the items I’ve found have been far superior to goods sold in high end boutiques for a fraction of the cost — because there are no middle men and thus no markup to you.
This is the best place you can shop for gifts as far as I’m concerned. There are so many kinds of goods sold on Etsy it’s difficult to describe. Just go to their website and see for yourself! It’s fantastic. The sellers are so nice and responsive and I always get my things beautifully wrapped and carefully packaged within days of purchase.