SET - The Color Picker

I love etsy. I read The Long Tail last year and this site really proves some of the future of selling. The premise of the book was that our tastes become more specialized (from choices i.e. "infinite shelf space" online - a great example is how the ipod transformed our tastes in music) the more we're exposed to, so the future of selling is selling less to more people. Similar with scrapbooking - when I started I made my choices based on what was on the shelves at the one store I went to...now I go to shops all over the place, look online make my own stuff, used found stuff, etc.

We opened our family Etsy shop, ManHandled, last April and I'm fascinated by the site. I could literally drop everything and learn the site for a week and still probably not understand all the cool things it can do. So I've decided to add another set "day" to my personal blogging schedule - the Saturday Etsy Tutorial (SET). Each week I'll share some new tool on the site that can help you be a better buyer or seller and open you up to the wonderful world of buying handmade. I'll add links to each of the tutorials in my sidebar for easy reference. Then I'll post my Etsy pick of the week on the same day so I get on a schedule.

Setting up a profile to buy & sell is free (I'll get more into selling after a few weeks). The stuff people make is amazing. You can also find craft supplies there - everything from vintage buttons & ephemera for collage to fabric and sewing supplies to felt piecing patterns and custom laser die cuts. Once you have a profile you can mark your favorites when you surf (better than shopping because it's free & you're able to go back to the ones you really like when you actually want to buy something). You can mark specific items as your favorites or shops in general, whatever works best for you. Shopping is easy - they walk you through paying with paypal, cc or check (clears through paypal).

Buying by Color - THE COLOR PICKER
First of all - I'm just going to say this is the feature that put me over the top, making me think this is one of the smartest sites out there. Drag your mouse across the "grid" and watch the rainbow follow it. If you see a color you like, click on it and it will "fish" for items that color. If the screen gets too cluttered you get to "throw things away" - so fun. "Grab an item with your mouse, pull back a little, then make a swift movement off the side of the screen and it will toss pictures back into cyberspace. If you do it to softly it will drift off like a weak throw and might bounce back into the screen. Just pick it up and throw it again - you'll get a feel for it (it's kinda fun). If you see a picture you want more info on double click it to get the description. Click on the photo itself shrink it back down or hit "more" or the shop name to go to the shop of the person who made that item.