Why I Regretsy
Regretsy has turned into one of the kindest, funniest, and most tight-knit communities every to begin with snark. Run by Helen Killer (aka professional voice actor April Winchell), Regretsy pokes fun at the strange world of Etsy. I know Etsy. I've had shops on Etsy on and off since it first opened. I have a shop right now for my family*. I'm no stranger to this bizarre world of DIY businesses. Regretsy takes it a step further. They screengrab the listing, link back to the shop (to encourage someone to buy the strange/misspelled/inappropriate item), and write really dry and sarcastic commentary on the item. This site drives certain Etsy sellers up a wall, which just adds to more of the fun. If you think your work is above criticism, you're in the wrong field. No one is perfect. Once you put work out there, you're going to be judged. It's far better to be targeted by a site that is just trying to get a laugh than a site that actively tries to deride, harass, and destroy lives.
Here's how the site works. Either Helen or one of the regulars at the site finds a strange item, like pants made from discarded vintage afghans. They then screen-grab the listing and write commentary about why the item might be a little unusual. The army of 97000+ Facebook fans then sets to work trying to one up each other for the funniest comment connected to the post.
There's a big heart behind the snark, though. The Regretsy community will go out of their way to help someone in need. April Winchell started a charity shop on Etsy called April's Army. They hold a week long sale at the end of every month to help an Etsy seller out. There will be those who still think this makes everyone connected to Regretsy a horrible human being. They are entitled to that opinion. Regretsy followers can be loud, over the top, and downright crude.
That does not stop the fans from knowing the truth: almost everyone there is a big softie, not an eponymous "big fat jealous hater." Regretsy followers shop at Etsy, sell at Etsy, craft for their own amusement, or don't have an artistic bone in their bodies. What they see is that it's possible to laugh at something utterly ridiculous without making it a personal attack against the creator. There is no cult. There is no rash of viruses. There is no effort to destroy Etsy. Regretsy is a celebration of the strange, absurd, and just plain wrong that most other Etsy sites wouldn't even give the time of day to.
The community has become fiercely loyal towards its members. They have exposed resellers (people who buy premade crafts and sell them as handmade), thieves (people who steal photographs from other sellers and claim they're their own as well as straight up crooks), and nasty shop owners (people who harass other sellers for no reason other than the thrill it gives them to be mean). They have raised over 70000 dollars to help other Etsy sellers and will promote any sale, event, or news a member needs help spreading like you wouldn't believe. Behind the snarky homepage lies a beautiful community based around doing good. How bad could that be?