If you are like trying to buy local/American/homemade crafts and arts as gifts this year you have probably heard of Etsy (plug plug, my shop is here). But Etsy is not the only place you can find crafty, one-of-a-kind (or one-of-a-few) items!Here are a few others for you to consider:
- Ebay – sure lots of commercial stuff like Mickey Mouse promo glasses from 1976 are on there, but there are also lots of homemade things, and craft supplies! Just dig a little deeper.
- Shanalogic – It’s trendy. It’s squeeably cute. It’s homemade!
- Cut+Paste – This site has 35 “partners in craft” whose work is always changing!
- Stylehive – It’s a little bit like StumbleUpon, but if you search, you can find a big handmade section. Some is crossposted links from Etsy, etc. A bit confusing, but an interesting place to browse.
- My Bonnie and Clyde – Another artist co-op offering interesting jewelry and interior design selections. This site is relatively small with only a few categories, which makes searching easier.
- Artsefest - This site has a more international flair than the other handmade gift sites. This site also boasts a live help feature.
- DeviantART – it’s not primarily a craft-selling site, but you can purchase prints of most anything. And if you look in the Artisan Crafts section you’ll often find people with items for sale, or find new artists whose art inspires your own!
- Artfire – A new Etsy competitor (seriously they talk about being cheaper than Etsy on the front page! Hmm). It has some cute artist-interaction features! It also has a “commission a piece” service much like Etsy. It seems to have some non-handmade vintage items as well.
- Silkfair – Another site that makes buying and selling homemade gifts (and non-homemade gifts) ”fun and easy”. It uses Google Checkout and some others in addition to PayPal, which I think is a nice plus. It also shows a seller’s existing ebay rating, if they have one!
- Flickr – Lots of people post homemade items on Flickr – and I know they would love to discover you are interested in buying them!
Well I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to hunting for hand crafted items online. This definitely proves Etsy is only the beginning! Sure, it would be nice to have everything in one place, but maybe you’ll find the perfect item in one of those tiny out-of-the-way corners of the internet that few people have discovered… keep on searching! And promote your own work in as many places as you can!
Tags: art, buying, crafts, handmade, homemade, selling, shopping