Amazon Homemade vs Etsy: Nerd Items to Buy (and a Few to Skip)

We’ve heard of Etsy, the one-stop-shop for “artisan” or “handmade” products. Etsy shops have some amazing, one-of-a-kind products… and some things I’m pretty sure were made by an art school drop-out with too much time on their hands and a glue gun. Still, Etsy is my go-to shop for geeky gifts and custom costume accessories. I’ve acquired a few key pieces — most recently an octopus belt ornament for my Rat Queens cosplay — at prices I could live with from people who are fans like me. Last month, Amazon announced their version of an artisan marketplace, called simply Amazon Handmade. True facts, Amazon is like Walmart for me — I buy everything there, the indentured servitude of their employees be damned. Intrigued by this new expansion of their offerings, I did a little comparison shopping. I know Etsy is some 10-years-old, so comparing the 2-week-old Amazon Homemade might seem unfair, but this is nerddom — fair isn’t the point. Keeping that in mind, here’s comparison of a few nerd items from the two websites. One way or the other, there will be even more opportunities to buy random collectibles for the nerd on your Holiday list this year. R2-D2 Christmas Ornaments. So many R2-D2s. Handmade on left, Etsy on the Right. [divider type=”space_thin”] It goes without saying at this point that this Holiday season will be so filled with Star Wars merchandise that even Santa Claus will be dressing as a Jedi (or a Sith) this year. And everyone loves R2-D2, seemingly even more than …