Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Antique Week asks - is vintage on Etsy the future of the antiques trade?

I just found out about a truly amazing article from Antique Week about the vintage sellers on Etsy! I am so happy to have the hard work that all the vintage sellers are doing on Etsy finally be recognized... Most people still don't even know that you can sell antiques and collectibles there - it is kind of the site's best kept secret, really!

My favorite quote from the article:

"The growing legions of Etsy sellers and buyers are establishing an important Internet marketplace for vintage – as well as handmade – goods. This young and vibrant set may be the future of the antiques trade"

This is a very thought provoking idea - just like every other market, the antiques market changes and evolves over time. (The people who are active within it, as well as the items they buy and sell.) What worked 20 or even 10 years ago may not work now, and what no one was interested in then could now be the new hot thing...

Are the vintage sellers on Etsy helping to shape the market for the future? Have they tapped into what a younger generation of collectors are interested in, maybe things that older people (who have been in the trade for longer than some of us have been alive!) would never look at twice?

I guess only time will tell, but as a vintage seller on Etsy and a member of the Etsy Vintage Street Team, I can tell you that you will not find a more passionate and committed group of dealers - hard working, forward thinking, and completely in love with what they do!

This might be a good time to remind everyone that the Walking In A Vintage Wonderland holiday promotion from the EVST is still in full swing - we are giving away a $10 gift certificate to a different Etsy shop every day- click here to get all the details on how to enter!

2 comments:

Learning Spanish at 41 said...

Love the vintage shops on Etsy...hope they'll someday be fully embraced or a sister site will branch out!

Calsidyrose said...

I haven't bought a lot so far, but I prefer Etsy as a spot to look for vintage goodies for several reasons:

I don't bid on eBay and most Buy it Now prices on vintage items are too high for goods I can't inspect in person.

Etsy sellers have similar interests as mine, especially if I am backing into their Etsy store via their blog or someone's else

Etsy dealers, in general, do a better job staging and photographing their goods.

Etsy makes easier to browse a nice selection via a general search than eBay. Not only can I peruse the item that piqued my interest, I can look at other goods in the seller's store.