Over the past few weeks, Etsy has slowly rolled out a new tool called Etsy Gift Mode. It’s essentially a “gift finder” search function that lets you look for gifts for a particular person (teacher, partner, baby, coworker), select the occasion, and then choose 3 or more things that this person is into to narrow it down to their tastes.
You want a gift idea for your brother who’s into space, the outdoors, and music? A gift for a friend who values her perfect home? Or with Mother’s Day coming up (hint), something for a mom who’s into crafting, gardening, and great food? Try the Etsy Gift Mode search tool.
It’s actually given me some pretty decent suggestions.
After making your selections, I like that Etsy recommends six items from four different categories each to get started. So you have nearly 25 new-to-you ideas from Etsy Gift Mode that you might not have considered, and that may or may not be right — but might be able to give you the inspiration you need to find what is right.
From my choices above, I decided to click through on that cool Pottery Kit in a Box for my imaginary mom and it looks pretty cool! That said it ships from Perth, Australia — and it’s a new shop with zero sales. So can you trust it?
I did a little searching and YES! They are legit, very popular, and just happen to be new to Etsy.
However, if that idea isn’t quite right for you or international shipping won’t make your deadline, you can go back to the first recos, or you will find 6 “similar items” that Etsy lists along the top. Just know that these are sponsored recommendations, and may not all entirely fit your Etsy Gift Mode specs.
In fact, one of those recommendations turned out to be these stunning striped ceramic vases from Aeyglom Ceramics out of the UK. While not a “crafty” gift, they do suit my pretend mom’s love for gardening, and could turn out to be a wonderful choice after all.
So the Etsy Gift Finder is a terrific helper tool so far, but you still have to be a savvy shopper: Make sure you check delivery dates, look at the shop ratings, and always see where the item ships from, especially if you don’t want to be surprised by long lead times and huge postage fees.I will also admit that some categories seem to be work better with the Etsy Gift Mode algorithm than others; in my experience video gaming could use a little work.
But hey, try Etsy Gift Mode for yourself And of course if it it doesn’t help you find the perfect gift, there’s always us.
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