APP OF THE DAY: Etsy app makes vintage & craft shopping even easier

Etsy, the home of craft-lovers, vintage finds and quirky creations, has launched a new iPhone app in time for Christmas to make browsing, selling and shopping through the online marketplace even easier.

Etsy gets a lot of stick from certain critics who suggest that most of the items are just a little bit rubbish (check out Regretsy if you haven’t already). However, the beauty of Etsy is that anyone can sell their creations, so there are bound to be some questionable products among the handmade treasures.

The community has now amassed more than 800,000 sellers in 150 countries, so it makes sense the brand would want to roll out its offering to mobile platforms too.

The app allows you to do all of the basics, as a buyer you can search for all kinds of handmade and vintage items with (highly addictive) infinite scrolling, browse Treasury Lists, and make purchases directly from your phone. As a seller, you can access your listings and latest orders and then use merchant tools to manage your business wherever you may be. Some apps claim to make mobile shopping easy but instead just end up confusing rushed shoppers even more, but the Etsy app makes all of the major purchasing elements, like your cart, favourites, purchase history and shop an easy-to-use, streamlined extensions of your online Etsy experience.

Just like the online version, the interface is simple and intuitive and the design is clean and unmistakably Etsy.

Admittedly the Etsy mobile marketplace may not be for everyone, but if you’ve got a penchant for handmade treasures and vintage items it’ll be a welcome and down-to-earth addition to your shopping app collection.

Available from iTunes for Free.