The Mycenaean

“Etsy is a global online marketplace, where people come together to make, sell, buy, and collect unique items,” states Etsy’s interactive website. 

There are currently more than 80 million active uses, which indicates just how much use people get out of this online shopping site. Many students at Leesville Road High School and surrounding schools in the Raleigh area are part of this large number and will recommend it to anyone who asks. 

Buyers

Anna Boodee, a senior at LRHS, said she uses Etsy pretty much everyday. “It is rare that I don’t have something in the mail from Etsy,” said Boodee.

Since these products are coming from random people and not something like Amazon, some people worry that it may be less reliable. However, that does not seem to usually be the case. “I always check the reviews first, so I haven’t had any problems with getting anything that wasn’t good quality…I generally get [what I ordered] within a week or two,” said Boodee. 

Lilly Kate Turner, a junior at Trinity High School, also voiced her praise. “It’s a great place for small businesses to get started and people should use it way more often,” said Turner. “I’ve bought quite a few earrings from local businesses and some crystals from cute little shops.” 

Sellers

Skylar Rossner is a Leesville junior who sells stickers and notebooks on Etsy. She started last November and has almost 100 orders with over 100 sales connected to her shop. “It’s really easy to navigate…you can send messages to the buyer or to the seller if you have any questions about what they’re selling. If [the buyer] wants a custom made order to whatever they want they can just send me a message,” said Rossner. 

With all the upsides, there is one main issue. “It’s a pretty good site but they have a lot of fees…,” said Rossner. While the app is free to use, there are a few fees you may not think about until it is too late. 

There are 5 basic fees: listing, transaction, auto renew, payment, and multi quantity — make sure you understand how Etsy works before making any sales or purchases. That is definitely something to keep in mind when looking to start a shop or buy from Etsy, but it should not deter you from the site entirely. 

Overall, Etsy is a great source for finding great items made by individuals who are just trying to share their talents and make some money off of it. People should try to use Etsy and other websites that promote small businesses when they can. 

Sometimes if you need something specific, or your friend’s birthday is tomorrow and you forgot to get them a present, Amazon is great for coming to the rescue. 

However, a lot of what we buy there could be bought on Etsy or similar sites. Besides being a good place to shop, it is also a lot more fun. You can customize a lot of your purchases, so there is a lot more interaction between the buyer and seller if needed, which is a fun bonus.

Next time you go online to look for your next purchase, consider checking out Etsy first!