Shortly after I mentioned the We Love Etsy social network the other day, I found out about a new Etsy Shops Directory, also by We Love Etsy. Over 800 unique Etsy shops have been added to the directory already, and more are being added every day. This new directory is cool because it organizes the shops by category (think jewelry, clothing, or repurposed items) and it also breaks those categories down even further (built-from-scratch clothing, t-shirts, lingerie, etc.). Etsy currently lets you shop for items by category but it’s a little trickier to search for entire shops by category, so this new directory is pretty helpful. (Etsy is currently working on revamping the way their categories work, to make things easier, but they’ve announced this won’t go into affect until after the holidays.) Possibly the most fun feature is the Visit Random Shop link… click it, because you never know what you might discover!
Want even more ways to discover indie artists? Check out Killer Cotton, a link directory where you can search by item, style, or price for unique independently made goods, plus you can read user reviews for each business or rate them and add your own. If you’re an indie designer, it’s free to list your own biz, and if you’re just an indie shopper, it’s a great way to get your opinion out there and give some feedback for your favorite shops! (Another perk about writing reviews is that every month they pick one new review and give the winning reviewer a free t-shirt from one of the Killer Cotton indie sponsor sites.)
