Most people who sell on Etsy, although they maybe don't have brick and mortar stores, are professionals. As such, if they know they will be unable to fulfill sales, they will usually put their shops on vacation, so items cannot be purchased. Many shoppers on Etsy don't take the time to write reviews after purchasing items, so in my opinion, reviews/feedback aren't as good of an indicator as on eBay, but of course, pay heed to any negative issues that stand out. One thing that hasn't been mentioned so far, is that many artisans on Etsy will customize items for buyers, or create new custom designs specifically for them. There's a place in each listing that states whether it can be customized, and if you have any questions, you can always contact the seller/shop owner.
I don't make crafts but Etsy would be a site I would use if I did. It seems to be one of the sites that individuals can rely utilize when they are designing and using quality crafty items. It is one of the things you need, a good site to display your artistic wares.
I love it because it supports artists and gives customers a choice as to whether they want to purchase something handmade or go to another website to purchase something mass produced. I would rather pay a little extra for craftsmanship.
@Rosyrain One thing to watch out for is that nowadays, since Etsy has made changes, some of the items there are not crafted individually by artisans who have designed them. That's how it used to be, but the site has opened up the market, and so now you will see people like reality television stars opening shops on there, and having the items made elsewhere (sweatshops?) and sold as handmade. If someone is going to hand make an item, I want that person to benefit from their labor, not some fat cat sitting in a mansion.
That is true, I forgot about that change. It happened at about the same time the site went public on the stock market. I was a little appalled by that change and did not think it was a good move for the company. I just busted out my sewing machine after 2 years of not using it, and plan to make some small quilts to sell on my Etsy shop, as well as some fabric coasters and things like that.
