Etsy

Right on the heels of becoming a Threadless crusader, I've found this:

Etsy.com is a very large online middleman for arts and crafts people. It's like eBay, but classier, focusing on storefronts rather than auctions. It's like CafePress, they don't produce anything themselves - their users do all the production - they just maintain the forum in which to sell.

So what you've got here is a big bunch of crafty crafts people who make awesome things out of (usually) their own home. Ah, the internets.

Want original watercolor paintings? They have them. Hand painted porcelain? Got it. How about owl-themed stationery? They seem to have a lot of this.

There's even people selling earrings that look like scissors, for god's sake.

The Etsy people were also smart enough to include what they call the Geolocator: a tool for finding sellers nearby. This makes it oh-so-easy to buy from local artists and craftsmen.

It always gives me a warm feeling inside whenever I support the little guy, and Etsy is this amazing beast made up of thousands of little guys. It is, in my opinion, the perfect place to get one-of-a-kind birthday gifts.

Really, what's with all the owls?

PS - Kadam, if you're reading, this one's for you.

PPS - Can someone tell me what this is about?