So while perusing through Etsy, Patreon, and The Grommet, one of the things that tickled my fancy were Nerf guns. It’s essentially a brand of foam dart guns that kids or bored adults get to shoot other kids or co-workers with. In my case, all my fellow Resident Advisers have purchased themselves a Nerf gun and we have been in “Nerf wars” for the past 3 weeks now. While there are hundreds of thousands of independent creators on each of these platforms, the one I’d like to analyze is “AlTheGeek” found on Etsy.
AlTheGeek’s Profile Pic
Al definitely lives up to his name, but I can appreciate that. His profile is one of the first profiles that comes up when I search “nerf” into Etsy’s search bar. Essentially, he takes existing Nerf guns but gives them a tremendous makeover. He adds and removes parts, gives them new paint jobs, and the final product looks nothing like the base model anymore. And from what his customers have said in the comments section, he does a tremendous job. His average rating is 5/5 stars.
While this creator hasn’t reached his “1000 true fans” yet (Mele 109), he has had 756 people “favorite” his online shop and has almost 100 sales. Based on these numbers, I don’t think this is his full time job, but it’s certainly a hobby he pursues and gets paid for on the side. In any case, the reviews section seems to be one of his greatest advantages. While there are more than a few Nerf props that pop up on Etsy (2,000 hits), only a few have consistent perfect ratings. Because of this key Etsy affordance, I know to get my Nerf props from Al.
Etsy also allows perspective buyers to “favorite” individual products that certain creator’s have on their respective stores, which further makes it easier for people like Al to make their products more easily locatable.
Another advantage that Etsy provides him is the ability for potential clients to request custom orders, which appears very clearly on the left side of his page in the form of a big orange button. Hence, Al is able to tailor each of his products to the interests of each buyer. Al’s products range from Star Wars themes, Marvel themes, and inspired from video games like Mass Effect.
This contributes to the democratization of the creative economy because people no longer need to rely on overpriced officially licensed products for their prop needs. For example, whereas Al’s prop Mass Effect gun is $90, the officially licensed one is over $500. And from what the comments tell us, he’s extremely talented, fair, and a class act. In fact, some of the reviewers said themselves that his services made it possible for them to complete a costume or a thematic set of some sort.
In summary, Etsy as an online creator based platform has allowed AlTheGeek to tap into his entrepreneurial and artistic spirit and enter a market he otherwise might not have been able to. Etsy promotes a “maker culture” that independent creators like Al are able to capitalize on (Mele 240). While I’m not sure if Al’s business will grow into something massive that rivals Nerf itself (probably because of intellectual rights laws which Disney or another firm might try to use against him if he becomes successful enough), Etsy and its affordances have allowed him to follow his passion and provide clients with personalized crafts and props that could otherwise cost the buyer much more.
Film and Digital Media 
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