My second-most used social media is probably Pinterest. Is Pinterest a social media?
I’m constantly Pinning all day every day. Mood boarding and manifesting everything from outfits to apartment decor to recipes to just…vibes…seeking inspiration both large and small for my own life. If you’re a proud owner of an iPad like me, you understand how magical Pinterest is on there. Real Housewives, couch, iPad—heaven.
I think that the marketing team over at Etsy invests heavily in paid ads on Pinterest. This makes sense, they kind of go hand-in-hand with the craftiness of them all. However, since I’m not Pinteresting DIYs or at-home tips and tricks, my target ads consist of vintage jewelry, sunglasses, belts, tops, bags, shoes, you name it. It’s one scroll J.Crew/Gap factory, one scroll Etsy, and it’s truly changed my life for the better.
It took me a minute to click one, but once I did, I couldn’t stop. Everything I was pinning was becoming shoppable in an Etsy ad moments later. The Etsy algorithm is kind of similar to the eBay one. When you save enough things to your wishlist, they start to serve you exactly what they know you’ll want. A sterling silver choker? Here’s one handmade by someone in Florida for only $40. Cozy Earth bedding? Here’s a set half the price. Vintage earrings from Mexico City? Save yourself the plane ticket.
I pride myself in my ability to give gifts, which also stresses me out. I want to give the best possible present at all times to my friends and family because I get as much out of watching them open it as they do by owning something new and fabulous—maybe even more. Etsy is an amazing place to buy people gifts. A) it’s one of one (most of the time), so it carries immense sentimental value because it was perfectly curated for them, and B) it’s affordable. The jewelry I’ve gotten on Etsy would’ve been double the price at a boutique in New York. Maybe it’s more nickel than silver, but I don’t care! I bought myself or someone close to me something nice, and supported an artisan in doing so.
Etsy isn’t just the place for cute little knickknacks or jewelry. They also have great vintage clothing finds, and it’s much more pleasant for me than shopping on Depop or Grailed. Here are some finds from this week, served to me piping hot a-la Pinterest and doomscrolling:
These campy-cute daffodil earrings ($34)
These with a white dress this summer? Give me a break.
Indie sleaze summer.
Vintage Sterling Silver Collar Choker Necklace ($115)
If you want to be like me but can’t because mine was 1 of 1.
Very Sienna Miller a la 2005.
Midcentury Modern Magazine Rack ($195)
You may have a little bit of sticker shock, but at a consignment store in Williamsburg, this would be like $500.
Are you serious? A genuine vintage Diane Von Furstenberg silk kimono for $36? The Real Real could never (except these days, I suppose they could).
I tried to find things across all categories for you guys to cement my point, but also so you all can curate the perfect Etsy algorithm. As I mentioned before, it’s a digital treasure hunt that’s fruitful for picking.