Connoisseurs of the handmade probably make a daily stop at Etsy.com to see what’s new in the world of carefully created crafts, vintage wares and sometimes ridiculous items. (You’ve been to Regretsy.com, right?) When it comes to handmade and vintage, quantities aren’t always vast, so it’s up to buyers to keep a watchful eye on the site, lest that perfect yellow lamp or bird-adorned bag be snapped up by someone else. Don’t worry: Etsy Addict can help.
Theoretically compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch, Etsy Addict opens with the current featured listings from Etsy’s homepage, displayed in list format with thumbnail images and pricing information. If something strikes your fancy, tap the item to view its description and additional images. Tapping the seller’s name will take you to the seller’s page, where you can find shop policies and quick access to other listings.
Users can browse listings via category, or search the site by shops or listings. If you head into the advanced search, you can further customize your results by setting keywords, tags, materials and price. Etsy Addict also offers a color search — which is a feature I use often on Etsy.com. After setting the color, you can adjust the wiggle room to further narrow your results. Account holders can favorite items through the app and can also see other Etsy users who have favorited a craft, too, and visit their storefronts when available. Items you like will appear in your “Favorites” tab for quick access.
I didn’t see a way to filter out handmade sales from vintage or supply postings, so you’ll have to look through more posts than you would on the normal site, but this isn’t the worst thing if you’re just browsing. You also cannot make purchases through Etsy Addict. Instead, hit the arrow in the top right corner to launch an in-line Etsy webview. From this page, you can navigate the real Etsy.com and make your purchase, or you can email the item, and cross your fingers it will be there later.
Older devices might suffer bugs and crashing upon launching Etsy Addict, but I experienced no issues on my iPhone 4. An update to fix this known issue is in process.
Download the free Appolicious iPhone app
